Short answer
An accepted Hajj wipes away sins so that the pilgrim returns like the day he was born, as the Prophet ﷺ said. Scholars agree it removes minor sins; for major sins they tie forgiveness to sincere repentance, which a true Hajj includes. It does not cancel debts, missed prayers or other people's rights: those must still be paid.
Hajj mabroor expiates sins between the servant and Allah, and the relied-upon explanation is that major sins are forgiven with the repentance that is part of an accepted Hajj. Duties themselves are not dropped: missed prayers, fasts and zakat must be made up, and debts and stolen rights must be returned.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever performs Hajj for Allah without obscene talk or sin returns like the day his mother bore him. He also told Amr ibn al-As, when he accepted Islam, that Hajj demolishes what came before it. These are among the most hopeful promises in Islam.
- Minor sins: wiped by an accepted Hajj, by agreement.
- Major sins (zina, drinking, abandoning prayer, and the like): scholars of every school say they need tawbah (repentance). A Hajj done with regret, the resolve not to return and many prayers for forgiveness at Arafah is exactly that repentance, so there is great hope. Some scholars held that Hajj wipes major sins even without a separate tawbah; the cautious and stronger view is to repent sincerely. See how to repent.
- Rights of people: a debt, a stolen item or harm done to someone is not cancelled. Return it or seek their pardon. Even a martyr is forgiven everything except debt.
- Missed obligations: the sin of delay can be forgiven, but the prayers, fasts and zakat themselves must still be made up (see Hajj and missed prayers).
Hajj is a fresh start, not a licence. The sign that it was accepted is a changed life afterwards (see Hajj mabroor). Whatever your past, do not despair: Allah forgives all sins for those who turn back to Him.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Az-Zumar 39:53
۞ قُلْ يَٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا۟ مِن رَّحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ﴿٥٣﴾
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."
No sin is too big for Allah to forgive when one turns to Him.
Quran, Surah Al-Baqara 2:199
ثُمَّ أَفِيضُوا۟ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَفَاضَ ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ ﴿١٩٩﴾
Then depart from the place from where [all] the people depart and ask forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
Seeking forgiveness is built into the rites of Hajj.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1521
Sahih... من حج لله فلم يرفث ولم يفسق رجع كيوم ولدته أمه ...
"Whoever performs Hajj for Allah, without obscenity or sin, returns like the day his mother gave birth to him."
An accepted Hajj wipes away sins.
Sahih Muslim 121
Sahih... وأن الهجرة تهدم ما كان قبلها وأن الحج يهدم ما كان قبله ...
"Emigration demolishes what came before it, and Hajj demolishes what came before it."
Hajj erases past sins.
Sahih Muslim 1886
Sahih... يغفر للشهيد كل ذنب إلا الدين ...
"Every sin of the martyr is forgiven except debt."
Rights owed to people are not cancelled by acts of worship.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Hajj, discussion of whether Hajj expiates major sins. Explains that Hajj does not cancel debts or missed duties, only the sin of delay, and discusses major sins.
- al-Bahr al-Ra'iq, Kitab al-Hajj, opening section. Discussion of what Hajj expiates.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.