It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) addressed us and said: "O people, Allah Almighty has made Hajj obligatory upon you." At this, al-Aqra' bin Habis stood up and asked: O Messenger of Allah, is it (obligatory) every year? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Had I said yes, it would have become obligatory (every year), and had it become obligatory, you would not have acted upon it (or: you would not have been able to act upon it). Hajj is (once in a lifetime) only once, and whoever does more than that, it is voluntary." This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), and they did not record it; and Sufyan bin Husayn al-Wasiti also narrated it in the same way from al-Zuhri.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that al-Aqra' bin Habis (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): Is Hajj (obligatory) once every year? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No, rather only once (in a lifetime); so whoever does more than that, it is voluntary." In this chapter, a detailed account is also narrated from Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) that when this verse was revealed: "And (due) to Allah from the people is the pilgrimage to the House, for whoever is able to find a way to it" [Surah Al Imran: 97] , the people said: O Messenger of Allah, every year? He (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent. They asked again: Every year? He (peace and blessings be upon him) again remained silent. They asked a third time: Every year? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No, and had I said yes, it would have become obligatory (every year)." Then Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed this verse: "O you who believe, do not ask about things which, if they were made plain to you, would displease you." [Surah Al-Ma'idah: 101] Imam al-Hakim said: These three hadiths ought to have been recorded at the beginning of the Book of the Rites of Hajj, but that was not decreed for me (at the time), so I have recorded them here in the commentary on this verse.