Written by: Sheikh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri
Hajj can be performed on behalf of the deceased, whether it is a vowed Hajj, an obligatory Hajj which the deceased could not perform during their lifetime, or a voluntary Hajj. There is authentic hadith and consensus among the jurists on this matter. The same ruling applies to Umrah.
Therefore, if a person was obligated to perform Hajj but passed away without performing it, it becomes obligatory upon their heirs to perform Hajj on their behalf, whether from the deceased’s wealth or their own.
✿ A woman once asked the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ:
إنها لم تحج قط، أفأحج عنها؟ قال: حجي عنها.
“My mother never performed Hajj; can I perform Hajj on her behalf after her death?” He replied: Yes, perform Hajj on her behalf.”
Reference: (Sahih Muslim: 1149)
❀ According to this hadith, Imam Tirmidhi (may Allah have mercy on him) (279 AH) states:
العمل على هذا عند أهل العلم من أصحاب النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم وغيرهم، وبه يقول الثوري، وابن المبارك، والشافعي، وأحمد، وإسحاق يرون أن يحج عن الميت.
“In accordance with this hadith, the practice of the knowledgeable companions and others is that Sufyan al-Thawri, Abdullah ibn Mubarak, Shafi’i, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and Ishaq ibn Rahwayh consider it permissible to perform Hajj (and Umrah) on behalf of the deceased.”
Reference: (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, under number: 928)
❀ Imam Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him) (204 AH) says:
لا أعلم أحدا نسب إلى علم ببلد يعرف أهله بالعلم خالفنا فى أن يحج عن المرء إذا مات الحجة الواجبة عنه إلا بعض من أدركنا بالمدينة، وأعلام أهل المدينة والأكابر من ماضي فقهائهم تأمر به مع سنة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم.
“I do not know of any person who is attributed to knowledge in any city and whose people are recognized as knowledgeable, who disagrees with us that obligatory Hajj can be performed on behalf of the deceased, except for one person in Medina, even though the leading scholars and their senior predecessors in Medina also rule the same (regarding Hajj on behalf of the deceased). Moreover, this is in accordance with the hadith of the Messenger ﷺ.”
Reference: (Al-Umm: 125/2)
❀ Imam Abdullah ibn Zubair al-Humaydi (may Allah have mercy on him) (219 AH) states:
“If Hajj becomes obligatory upon someone and he has the ability to perform it, then it is obligatory upon him. If he dies while having the ability but without performing Hajj, then it becomes obligatory upon his family to perform Hajj on his behalf. We hope that through this, the Hajj of that servant will be fulfilled, just as the debt of a deceased person is discharged by paying it after their death.”
Reference: (Usul al-Sunnah, included at the end of his Musnad)
❀ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) (728 AH) says:
يجوز أن تحج عن الميت بمال يؤخذ على وجه النيابة بالاتفاق.
“Performing Hajj on behalf of the deceased by proxy with money is unanimously permissible.”
Reference: (Majmu’ al-Fatawa: 18/26)
❀ He also says:
أما الحج فيجزي عند عامتهم ليس فيه إلا اختلاف شاذ.
“As for performing Hajj on behalf of the deceased, all jurists agree that the Hajj will be valid; there is no disagreement on this except for a rare opinion.”
Reference: (Majmu’ al-Fatawa: 310/24)
❀ Allama Ibn Abi al-Izz al-Hanafi (may Allah have mercy on him) (792 AH) states:
لا خلاف بينهم فى مشروعية قضاء الحج والزكاة.
“There is no disagreement among the jurists that performing Hajj and paying Zakat on behalf of the deceased is permissible.”
Reference: (Al-Tanbih ‘ala Mashakil al-Hidayah: 943/2)
Benefit:
In Hajj, a man can act as a proxy for a deceased woman, and a woman can act as a proxy for a deceased man.
❀ Allama Ibn Battal (may Allah have mercy on him) (449 AH) says:
لا خلاف فى حج الرجل عن المرأة، والمرأة عن الرجل.
"There is no difference of opinion that a man can perform Hajj on behalf of a woman and a woman can perform Hajj on behalf of a man."
Reference: (Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari: 525/4)
Warning:
✿ Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) says:
لا يصم أحد عن أحد ولا يحج أحد عن أحد.
"No one should fast or perform Hajj on behalf of someone else."
Reference: (Juz Abi al-Jahm: 24, and its chain is authentic)
❀ Hafiz Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) (458 AH) says:
هذا إنما أراد به - والله أعلم - فى حال الحياة.
"Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) means that fasting and Hajj cannot be performed as a proxy during one's lifetime, and Allah knows best!"
Reference: (Al-Khilafiyat: 72/5)
However, if a person has the financial ability for Hajj and Umrah but lacks physical ability and cannot perform Hajj or Umrah even with someone's support, then in such a case, he can send someone in his place for Hajj or Umrah, which is called Hajj Badal, provided that the person performing Hajj Badal has performed his own Hajj.
Note:
Previously, my position was that except for a vow, no Hajj or Umrah is permissible on behalf of the deceased, but after further research, it has been proven that Hajj and Umrah are absolutely permissible on behalf of the deceased. Therefore, consider the previous position canceled.
I seek forgiveness from my Lord Almighty and also thank Him for granting me, an insignificant one, the ability to turn towards the truth, because turning towards the truth is the habit of the people of truth.
