Hajj includes a long journey and exertion. Ihram, Tawaf and standing at Arafat may look difficult when considered only as outward acts.
These acts are connected to visiting Allah's honored House. The House's sanctity and honor are bestowed by Allah. This intermediary is therefore treated as absent, and Hajj is attached to intrinsic goodness.
The goodness of Zakat, fasting and Hajj does not mean that every requirement remains unchanged under every excuse. Their obligations may fall away in the specific cases recognized by Shariah. Goodness and the continued applicability of a duty are distinct questions.
- Hajj: Hardship and an Honored Purpose