602 – Ibn ʿAbbās reported: The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—addressed us and said, “Allah has prescribed the pilgrimage for you.” Thereupon al-Aqraʿ ibn Ḥābis stood up and asked, “Every year, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “Had I said ‘yes,’ it would have become obligatory. Pilgrimage is required only once; whatever is added to that is voluntary.” Narrated by the Five except al-Tirmidhī (1); the basic wording is in Muslim from the ḥadith of Abū Hurayrah (2).

• Degree of authenticity:
The principal text of the ḥadith is sound with wording very close to the version above. It was recorded by the four authors of the Sunan, by Aḥmad, and by others; it is therefore a well-known and widely transmitted narration.

Muslim’s wording reads: Abū Hurayrah said, “The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—addressed us, saying, ‘People! Allah has made the pilgrimage obligatory for you, so perform pilgrimage.’ Some men asked, ‘Every year, O Messenger of Allah?’ He remained silent until they repeated the question three times. Then the Messenger of Allah said, ‘Had I said “yes,” it would have become obligatory, and you would not have been able to do it. Leave me so long as I leave you, for what destroyed those before you was their excessive questioning and their disagreements with their prophets. When I command you to do something, do as much of it as you are able; when I forbid you from something, then avoid it.’”

Al-Ḥākim declared the ḥadith authentic and al-Dhahabī agreed. Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar said that it has supporting chains, including one in Ibn Mājah from Anas whose transmitters are trustworthy.

• Vocabulary notes:
– Kataba (كَتَبَ): The verb has several meanings; here it means “obligated” (farḍ). The same usage appears in another recension of the ḥadith.