Sūrah Al-Ḥajj الحج, meaning: "The Pilgrimage", is the 22nd chapter (sūrah) of Al-Qurʾān with 78 verses (āyāt). with 10 rukūʿ, it is part of the Juzʼ 17 of Al-Qurʾān. The Sūrah draws its title from the 27th verse.
وَاَذِّنۡ فِى النَّاسِ بِالۡحَجِّ يَاۡتُوۡكَ رِجَالًا وَّعَلٰى كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَّاۡتِيۡنَ مِنۡ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيۡقٍ ۙ
(22:27) and publicly proclaim Pilgrimage for all mankind so that they come to you on foot and mounted on lean46 camels from every distant point
Regarding the timing and contextual background of the revelation, it is part Meccan and part Medinan, as this Surah contains the characteristics of both the Makki and the Madani Surahs. The commentators have differed as to its period of revelation, but in the light of its style and themes it is generally agreed that a part of it (verses 1-24) was sent down in the last stage of the Makki life of the Holy Prophet a little before migration and the rest (verses 25-78) during the first stage of his Madani life.
We have already shared the Overview and the Tafseer / Exegesis of the Surah which can be read from links given below:
Though a detailed overview has been given separately, link given above, we will only present a condensed overview of the entire Sūrah, major themes and subjects and lessons that we can learn from this Sūrah. At the end of the overview, we have shared explanation of some of the selected verses already published.
Central Theme
Submission to Allah and readiness for sacrifice — both in worship (like Hajj) and in life’s trials.
Main Themes
- The Reality of the Day of Judgment
- Begins with a vivid description of the earthquake of the Last Day (22:1–2).
- Warns humanity to prepare for accountability.
- Signs of Allah in Creation: The creation of life from dust, the stages of human development, the alternation of day and night, and rain bringing life to the earth (22:5–7).
- Refutation of False Beliefs: Denounces idol worship and reliance on powerless beings (22:12–13).
- Permission for Fighting (First Mention): First verse allowing Muslims to defend themselves (22:39–41), revealed after years of persecution.
- The Institution of Hajj:
- Origin from Prophet Ibrahim’s call to mankind (22:26–27).
- Purpose: Remember Allah, strengthen unity, and sacrifice for His sake.
- Sacrifice and Obedience: Animals of sacrifice are not about meat or blood, but about piety (22:37).
- Unity of Religion: All prophets had the same message of Tawḥīd and submission to Allah (22:67–69).
- Call to Strive for Allah: Believers are commanded to strive with sincerity, be steadfast, and represent the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (22:77–78).
Structure Overview
Verses Main Subject
1 1–2 Earthquake of the Hour – warning to humanity
2 3–24 Signs of creation, refutation of disbelief
3 25–37 Hajj rituals, Ibrahim’s mission, purpose of sacrifice
4 39–41 Permission for self-defense, lessons from past nations
5 49–78 Prophet’s mission, unity of message, striving in Allah’s cause
Key Lessons
- Prepare for the Hereafter — the Day of Judgment is certain.
- Worship Allah Alone — no creation has power except by His will.
- Sacrifice is about sincerity, not form — actions are judged by intention.
- Defend justice, but without aggression — Islam permits fighting only in self-defense.
- Unity of humanity’s divine message — from Adam to Muhammad ﷺ, Tawḥīd was always the same.
- Hajj is a reminder of Ibrahim’s legacy — total submission and trust in Allah.
- True honor is in serving Allah — not in wealth, tribe, or worldly status.
- The Ummah must represent truth and justice — as the "chosen community" for humanity.
You may now refer to some of the Selected verses from Sūrah Al Hajj already published:
- Verse 34: The Essence of Ritual of (Animal) Sacrifice
- Verse 35: Traits of the Righteous
- Verse 37: Neither their flesh reaches Allah nor their blood; it is your piety that reaches Him
- Verse 41: Whom will Allah bestow Authority on Land
- Verse 46: Not their eyes but hearts that are blinded
- Verse 50: Man laments: I don't have much - Allah replies: There is generous provision for the believers and righteous
- Verse 78: Allah is your Protector - What an excellent Protector; what an Excellent Helper!
Please refer to our page: Dhu al-Hijja (ذُو ٱلْحِجَّة): The month of Pilgrimage - The Hajj to know more about Dhu al-Hijja and details of Hajj rituals and how to perform Hajj.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
You may also refer to our exclusive reference page: Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.
You may also refer to our Reference Pages and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.
In addition, other sources which have been explored and views of other scholars have been incorporated while explaining meaning of a verse. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. For expansion of meaning and themes / contextual background help from ChatGPT is also taken.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
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