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Fatwa Answer
Assalamualaikum Respected Ullema and Mufti,
I am married with 2 children. My wife and I would like to perform Hajj but we wanted to delay it to a later date. Please let us know if it is permissible in our situation to delay the Hajj? My situation is that I am married with 2 children, one is 7 and one is 11. My 11 year old has a disability: Autism. This means he cannot function without an adult and needs constant supervision and cannot be left alone. We do not have any extended family such as grandparents, aunts, or uncles that we can leave our children with when we go to Hajj. Our children will have to go with us whenever we do go to Hajj. My wife and I were thinking to delay Hajj until our 7 year old is around 18 years old so that he is able to take care of his older brother who is disabled, and then my wife and I will be free to go to Hajj. At this time, we have no one to take care of our children so that we can go on Hajj. Should we just go to Umrah with both our children in the current time? Or should we wait and perform the Hajj in the future as we plan? Please advise. JazakAllah.
بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
الجواب وباللہ التوفیق
It is compulsory to perform Hajj immediately after it becomes obligatory. Delaying it without a genuine excuse is sinful. However, if performed after delay, then the sin will be expunged.
Yet, there is room for delay in certain situations, including illness of the children, their upbringing and supervision, when there is no one else to take care for them.
In your specific case, since the children can be taken care of by one of the parents, the delay for both parents is not valid.
- if possible, perform Hajj along with your children and do not delay it. There is no guarantee of one’s life. Hence every effort should be made to perform this important religious obligation once in his or her lifetime as early as it becomes obligatory.
- Alternatively; the parent whose care is most needed for that child, may stay home, while the other parent proceeds for Hajj. If the mother stays home for the child, the father proceeds for Hajj. The mother can arrange for a “Mahram” to accompany her for Hajj next time, while the father assumes child’s responsibility.
عن ابن عباس قال قال رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم من اراد الحج فلیتعجل (سنن ابی داود:۱۷۳۲
والفوریۃ واجب فرض لظنیۃ دلیلہا وہو الاحتیاط، والحج مطلقاً ہو الفرض فإذا أخرہ إلی العام الثانی بلا عذر یأثم لترک الواجب ولو حج بعد ذٰلک ولو فی اٰخر عمرہٖ یرتفع إثم التاخیر وقع أداء اً اتفاقاً۔ (غنیۃ الناسک ۱۱، طحطاوی علی المراقی کراچی۳۹۶، البحر الرائق ۲؍۳۱۰) وإذا أدّاہ بعد سنین عادت عدالتہ لارتفاع الإثم۔ (غنیۃ الناسک ۱۱)
والولد الصغیر المحتاج إلیہ عذر فی التخلف مریضاً کان أو لم یکن۔ (غنیۃ الناسک ۱۲) فیہ دلالۃ علی أن التاخیر فی الحج لأجل الحاجۃ الظاہرۃ کحضانۃ الولد الصغیر المحتاج إلیہ…، لایوجب الوعید۔ (اعلاء السنن بیروت ۱۰؍۱۰، انوارمناسک ۱۵۹
حَدِيثٌ رُوِيَ أَنَّهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ "مَنْ لَمْ يَحْبِسْهُ مَرَضٌ أَوْ مَشَقَّةٌ ظَاهِرَةٌ أَوْ سُلْطَانٌ جَائِرٌ فَلَمْ يَحُجَّ فَلْيَمُتْ إنْ شَاءَ يَهُودِيًّا وَإِنْ شَاءَ نَصْرَانِيًّاهَذَا الْحَدِيثُ ذَكَرَهُ ابْن الْجَوْزِيِّ فِي الْمَوْضُوعَاتِ، وَلَهُ طُرُقٌ ۔۔۔(تلخیص الحبیر:۹۵۷)
ان مجموع تلک الطرق لا یقصر عن کون الحدیث حسنا لغیرہ ،وہو محتج عند الجمہور،(اعلاء السنن: ۱۰/۵)
عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: "قَالَ اللَّهُ1: إِنَّ عَبْدًا صَحَّحْتُ لَهُ جِسْمَهُ، وَوَسَّعْتُ عَلَيْهِ فِي الْمَعِيشَةِ يَمْضِي عَلَيْهِ خَمْسَةُ أَعْوَامٍ لا يفد إلي لمحروم (السنن الکبری للبیہقی: ۱۰۳۹۲)
فقط واللہ اعلم واتم