Making hajj on behalf of a weak or ...

Egypt's Dar Al-Ifta

Making hajj on behalf of a weak or chronically ill person who cannot move

Question

My wife suffers from severe pain in her spine due to vertebral atrophy and herniation and consequently cannot move. As she wishes to perform her obligatory hajj, is it permissible for me to perform it on her behalf? Please note that I have already performed my own obligatory hajj.

Answer


'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said, "A beautiful woman from the tribe of Khath'am approached the Prophetwith a question and said, "O Messenger of Allah! My father is an old man. He cannot sit firmly on his mount and therefore cannot perform his obligatory hajj. May perform it on his behalf?" The Prophetreplied, "Yes, you may" [Recorded by Bukhari and Muslim. This is Bukhari's report].

In Islamic jurisprudence, a person who cannot move to reach the stations of hajj to perform its rites due to weakness or a chronic illness is called ma'dub. According to the majority of scholars, it is obligatory in the case of such a person to commission another to perform hajj on his behalf if he has sufficient money to cover the costs and which is in surplus to any debts and provisions for his dependants. Alternatively, he may commission a volunteer who may be willing to perform hajj on his behalf cost-free and, in this case, it is not a condition for him to own the money for hajj. However, the volunteer must have performed his own obligatory hajj. But, if a person is able to travel for hajj and perform the rites, even if carried, he must go in person and commissioning another to perform hajj on his behalf does not meet the obligation.

The ruling

Your wife must perform hajj herself if, in spite of her illness, she is able to undertake the journey and perform the rites of hajj even if she is carried. Otherwise, she falls under the ruling of the ma'dub and she must perform hajj through another, whether it is you or any other person, on the above mentioned condition.

Allah the Almighty knows best.

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