by Asma bint Shameem
Generally speaking, if you ask others for forgiveness, without any reason or issue being present, then that’s not from the Sunnah.
However, if there was any issue or misunderstanding between the two of you, then it’s good to ask for forgiveness before you leave for Hajj.
It’s recommended that before you start your Hajj journey, you should
--repent from all sins and bad deeds
--you should put right any wrongs you may have done towards people
--you should pay off whatever debts you may have
--you should also return anything that has been entrusted to you
--you should seek forgiveness from anyone with whom you have any dealings or friendship.
That’s because these are the RIGHTS of the people and if we want Allaah to forgive us, and start with a clean record, we should ALSO ask people for forgiveness so that ALL of our sins are forgiven
You see a person has certain rights upon him that he has to fulfill.
1. Rights of Allaah
2. Rights of the people
So making Taubah will erase the sins we did against Allaah.
But in order to erase the since we did against others, we need to ask them for forgiveness for any rights of THEIRS that we didn’t fulfill.
For example, if we hurt someone, or were unfair to someone, or backbit someone, or didn’t pay what we owed them, or stole from someone etc
One of the scariest ahaadeeth regarding this issue is the following:
🍃 The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:
“Whoever has wronged his brother with regard to his honor or something, let him ask him for forgiveness before the time when there will be neither dinar nor dirham, and if he has any good deeds it will be taken from him in proportion to the wrong he did, and if he does not have any good deeds (hasanaat), some of the other person's evil deeds (sayi’aat) will be taken and given to him to bear.” (al-Bukhaari)
🍃 And he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
“The one who is bankrupt among my ummah is the one who will come on the Day of Resurrection with prayer, fasting and zakaah to his credit, but he will come having slandered one person and shed the blood of another and wrongfully consumed the wealth of a third, so (his victims) will be given some of his hasanaat (good deeds), and if his hasanaat run out before the score is settled, some of their sins will be taken and thrown onto him, and he will be thrown into Hell.” (Muslim)
🍃 Shaykh Ibn Baaz said regarding a person intending to go for Hajj:
“He must hasten to repent sincerely from all sins, because Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala says:
“And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed”[an-Noor 24:31].
True repentance means giving up sin, regretting what one has done in the past, and resolving not to go back to it.
If he has wronged people physically or financially, or has said something to impugn their honor, he must right that wrong or ask them to forgive him for it before traveling.”
(Majmoo’ Fataawaa Ibn Baaz 16/32)
🍃 Imam an-Nawawi said:
“If a person has decided to travel for Hajj or on campaign or any other purpose, then he should start by repenting from all sins and reprehensible actions, and he should settle any issue involving wrongdoing that he may have done to people, pay off whatever he can of debts to them, return anything that has been entrusted to him, and seek pardon from anyone with whom he has any dealings or whom he accompanied.
He should also write his will and have it witnessed, and he should appoint someone who will be able to pay off his debts.
He should leave for his family whatever he needs to cover their expenses until he returns.”
[al-Majmoo‘ (4/265)]
So ask your family and friends for forgiveness for anything you may have said or done that could have possibly offended them or was not appropriate.
It doesn’t matter if they ‘accept’ your apology or not.
At least you do YOUR part.
And of course ask Allaah to forgive you too.
May Allaah forgive us and enable us to purify ourselves Ameen.
And Allaah knows best