حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ أَبُو دَاوُدَ الْوَاسِطِيُّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ شِهَابٍ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَبِي سِنَانٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ خَطَبَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمْ الْحَجُّ قَالَ فَقَامَ الْأَقْرَعُ بْنُ حَابِسٍ فَقَالَ أَفِي كُلِّ عَامٍ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ لَوْ قُلْتُهَا لَوَجَبَتْ وَلَوْ وَجَبَتْ لَمْ تَعْمَلُوا بِهَا وَلَمْ تَسْتَطِيعُوا أَنْ تَعْمَلُوا بِهَا الْحَجُّ مَرَّةٌ فَمَنْ زَادَ فَهُوَ تَطَوُّعٌ
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 2642
It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) addressed us and said: "O people, Hajj has been prescribed for you." al-Aqra' bin Ha bis stood up and said: Is it every year, O Messenger of Allah? He said: "If I said that, it would become obligator}', and if it became obligatory, you would not do it and 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