Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) says that when this verse was revealed: {وَلِلّٰہِ عَلَی النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَیْتِ مَنِ اسْتطَاعَ إِلَیْہِ سَبِیْلًا} (Surah Aal-e-Imran: 97), meaning: Whoever has the ability to reach the House of Allah, Hajj to the House of Allah is obligatory upon him. The companions submitted: O Messenger of Allah! Is Hajj obligatory every year? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent. They asked again: Is it obligatory every year? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent. They asked a third time: Is this act of worship obligatory every year? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: No, and if I had said yes, then Hajj would have become obligatory upon you every year. Then Allah Almighty revealed this verse: {یَا أَیُّہَا الَّذِیْنَ آمَنُوْا لَا تَسْأَلُوْا عَنْ أَشْیَائَ إِنْ تُبْدَ لَکُمْ تَسُؤْکُمْ} (Surah Al-Ma'idah: 101), meaning: O you who believe! Do not ask about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, who says: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, addressed us and said: O people! Hajj has been made obligatory upon you. Sayyiduna Aqra’ bin Habis, may Allah be pleased with him, stood up and asked: O Messenger of Allah! Is Hajj obligatory every year? The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: If I had said yes, it would have become obligatory every year, and if Hajj had been made obligatory every year, you would not have been able to do it, or you would not have had the strength to do it. Yes, whoever performs Hajj more than once, it will be a voluntary act of worship.

. (Second chain of narration) Sayyiduna Aqra’ bin Habis (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): Is Hajj obligatory every year? He (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: No, rather it is obligatory only once, but whoever performs Hajj after that, it will be voluntary. And if I had answered your question in the affirmative, then Hajj would have become obligatory every year, and if it had been made obligatory every year, you would neither have accepted this command nor acted upon it.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas and Sayyiduna Fadl (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrate, or (the narrator is in doubt) one of them narrates from the other, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever intends to perform Hajj should do so quickly, for he may fall ill, his mount may be lost, or some other necessity may arise.

Narrated by Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: Performing Hajj once is obligatory upon every Muslim, and if I had said that it is obligatory every year, then it would have become so.