Rules of Hajj

2102. Hajj (pilgrimage) means visiting the House of Allah (Ka’bah), and performing all those worshipful acts, which have been ordered to be performed there. It is obligatory on a person once in his lifetime, provided that he fulfils the following conditions:

I. Being Baligh.

II. Being sane and free.

III. Because of proceeding to Mecca for Hajj, should not be obliged to commit a Haraam act, avoidance of which is more important than Hajj, nor should he be compelled to forsake an obligatory work which is more important than Hajj.

IV. He should be capable of performing Hajj, and this depends upon number of factors:

(a) He should possess provisions as described in releant books and means for transportation, if need be, or he should have enough money to buy them, or get tickets.

(b) He should be healthy and strong enough to go to Mecca and perform Hajj.

(c) There should be no obstacle on the way. If the way is closed, or if a person fears that he will lose his life, or honor, while on his way to Mecca, or he will berobbed of his property, it is not obligatory on him to perform Hajj. But if he can reach Mecca by another route, he should go to perform Hajj, even if the other route is a longer one. But that route should not be unussually longer.

(d) He should have enough time to perform all the acts of worship in Hajj.

(e) He should possess sufficient money to meet the expenses of his dependents whose maintenance is obligatory on him, like, his wife and children, as well as the expenses of those who have to be paid.

(f) On return from Hajj, he should have some means of livelihood, like, income from the property, farming, business, employment etc. so that he may not lead a life of hardship.

2103. When a person is in need of owning a house, performance of Hajj will be obligatory on him if he also possesses money for the house.

2104. If a wife can go to Mecca but does not have any means of support on her return, and if her husband is also poor, and cannot provide her subsistence, subjecting her to hard life, Hajj will not be obligatory on her.

2105. If a person does not possess necessary provision for the journey, nor any means of transport, and another person asks him to go for Hajj under taking to meet his expenses as well as of his family during his Hajj, Hajj becomes obligatory on him.

2106. If a person is offered the expenses of his return journey to Mecca, as well as the expenses of his family during the period of Hajj, Hajj becomes obligatory on him, even ifhe is indebted, and does not possess means of support with which to lead his life after his return

2107. If a person is given expenses of going to and returning from Mecca, and the expenses of his family during that period, and is asked to go to Hajj without mentioning that the help given is his property, performance of Hajj becomes obligatory on him.

2108.If a person is given an amount to cover expenses just sufficient for Hajj, with a condition that on his way to Mecca he will serve the person who gave the expenses, Hajj does not become obligatory on him. But, if he accepts to do that and it is not in conflict with Hajj rituals, then it is obligatory.

2109. If a person is given monetary help to enable him to perform obligatory Hajj, and he does perform Hajj. Another Hajj will not become obligatory on him if he himself becomes wealthy.

2110. If a person goes, for example, to Jeddah in connection with trade, and acquires sufficient money to go to Mecca, he should perform Hajj if he has other conditions and if he performs Hajj, performance of another Hajj will not be obligatory on him, if he later acquires enough wealth to enable to go to Mecca from his hometown.

2111. If a person is hired to perform Hajj on behalf of another person, but he cannot go for Hajj himself, and wishes to send someone else, he should seek permission from the person who hired him.

2112. If a person could afford to perform Hajj but did not perform it, and then became poor, he should perform Hajj facing all odds even through borrowing or hiring another person and even if going to Hajj is hard, as an obligatory precaution, he must perform it.

2113. If a person goes to Mecca in the year in which he can afford to perform Hajj, but cannot reach Arafat and Mash’arul Haraam at the prescribed time, and cannot afford to go for Hajj during the succeeding years, Hajj is not obligatory on him. But, if he could afford to go for Hajj in the earlier years, and did not go, he should perform Hajj in spite of all difficulties.

2114. If a person did not perform Hajj in the year in which he could afford to go for Hajj, and cannot perform Hajj now owing to old age, or ailment, or weakness, and does not hope that in the future, he will be able to perform Hajj in person, he should send someone else to perform Hajj on his behalf. And if a person becoming capable of going to Hajj for the first time, is prevented to perform Hajj because of old age, aliment or weakness, and loses hope of gaining strength. In all these cases, he should, as a recommended precaution, hire a person for purpose.

2115. A person who has been hired by another person to perform Hajj should perform Tawafun Nisa also on his behalf, failing which the wife of the hired person becomes Haraam for himself.

2116. If a person does not perform Tawafun Nisa correctly, or forgets to perform it, and if he remembers it after a few days returns to perform it, his action is in order.