How do we make intentions Sincere during Hajj?

Intentions can be made deliberately sincere and by being conscious of the ritual rules that cover the Hajj. Our intent should be expressed from our core selves and represent the statement of our sincerity. That is why in the talbiyyah we declare "Allahhumma labbaik umratan or Hajjan" or “O Allah I hear your call and I am coming for your hajj”. This should be done when we are sitting down for prayer and we enter Meeqat.

We can put on the garment at home and can make the intention until we reach the meeqat. We start the talbiyyah.

This is our reaffirmation of our basic declaration of faith, and those who are found in the resurrection of faith will enter paradise.

On the authority of 'Uthman (رضي ٱللّه عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said;

"Whoever dies knowing that nothing deserves to be worshipped except Allah will enter the Paradise.”[1]

Sincerity has to be there and will be the cause of one entering into paradise. Just as in the talbiyyah we can attain paradise if done humbly and as we enter into Ihram we have to keep our intention (pure), and we enter into this process with a humble position. The pride should not be there before Allah, we have to be sincere. We cannot be sincere and proud at the same time but we can be sincere and humble. We can be sincerely proud, but this will not get us to paradise. Being humble is the basis of worship, this is what we have to keep in mind. Ihram is linked with the talbiyyah and with the meeqat, because the talbiyyah doesn’t take place until reaching the Meeqat. If we have landed in Jeddah and not made intention, then we should go out to nearest meeqat and with intention of ihram. These have been set and we have to stick to them and don’t try to make excuses or get fatwas and get inside the meeqat without being in that state. If we have done so intentionally, then we should slaughter an animal, as we are coming in to do a series of acts of worship, hence this violation and its penalty will keep us focused to the commands of Allah.

Take your rights of Hajj from the Prophet (ﷺ) and try to follow his way as best as we can, the way of humility by which Allah elevates us.

That is why so much stress is laid on sujood, as it is the best position; the prostration for Allah is a symbol of humility, whereby we come closest to Allah.

Hajj is a known way of life. There are no aspects which are not interwoven in hajj, they are found in hajj and outside of it, concentrated on during hajj, then split and diverted outside of hajj.

Ihram is not the garments which we wear, it will not benefit us until it comes with a humble heart, all worship is required that we are humbled before Allah – the greatest character is in humility. Patience without humility is not possible. Humility needs to be there if we have patience. It is important to understand the inner aspects of hajj, if we just follow along the rituals they are like a dead body without a soul, which is better off buried.

Reference:

[1] [Muslim, (1/55) No. 26, Musnad Ahmad (1/65) No. 464.]