حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ أَبُو دَاوُدَ الْوَاسِطِيُّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ شِهَابٍ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَبِي سِنَانٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ خَطَبَنَا يَعْنِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمْ الْحَجُّ قَالَ فَقَامَ الْأَقْرَعُ بْنُ حَابِسٍ فَقَالَ فِي كُلِّ عَامٍ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ لَوْ قُلْتُهَا لَوَجَبَتْ وَلَوْ وَجَبَتْ لَمْ تَعْمَلُوا بِهَا أَوْ لَمْ تَسْتَطِيعُوا أَنْ تَعْمَلُوا بِهَا فَمَنْ زَادَ فَهُوَ تَطَوُّعٌ
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 2304
It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas (RA) said: He - meaning the Messenger of Allah (PBUH)addressed us and said: "O people, Hujj has been prescribed for you/' al-Aqra' bin Habis stood up and said: Is it every year, O Messenger of Allah? He said: "If I said that, it would become obligatory, and if it became obligatory you would not do it - or you would not be able to do it. Hajj is once [in a lifetime], and whoever does more, it is voluntary."
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020