Fatwa ID: 08656

 

 

Answered by: Alimah Humairah Badshah

 

Question:

 

My dad took a mortgage 7 years ago. My dad says that he had no other choice as he was somewhat new to the UK and he was not eligible to seek assistance from the council etc and we couldn’t move far as my dad has a business here where we stay.

 

At the moment we still have around £100k remaining. My dad has already been for hajj but intends to go again with my mother. My mother is always ill and would find hajj difficult due to the crowds and being alone in times of segregation. Bearing in mind hajj is around £9000, would it be best that my parents go to hajj or should the mortgage be a top priority even though my father claims he had no other choice?

 

 

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer:

 

In Surah Baqarah, Allah (عز و جل) says: “Those who consume interest will stand [on Judgment Day] like those driven to madness by Satan’s touch. That is because they say, “Trade is no different than interest.” But Allah has permitted trading and forbidden interest. Whoever refrains—after having received a warning from their Lord—may keep their previous gains, and their case is left to Allah. As for those who persist, it is they who will be the residents of the Fire. They will be there forever.” [2:275]

 

Involving oneself in interest through a mortgage is a very grave matter. One who intends for hajj ought to repent from such a sin and remove themselves from it where possible. Your father should explore all his options in removing or transferring his mortgage to a halal system, or in finding alternate accommodation. After this, he should repent sincerely and make a firm intention to never involve himself in interest ever again.

 

As for the debt, as long as a debtor has the money to pay their next debt payment it is not disliked for them to go and perform Hajj. Therefore if your father’s finances are secure and he can definitely pay his next mortgage instalment when it is due, he may perform Hajj. It is also generally understood that one’s mortgage provider has no problems with a debtor going on holiday or likewise and that a roughly £9000 expenditure wouldn’t affect one’s ability to pay a £100,000 debt regardless.

 

Whether Hajj is obligatory upon your mother depends on two conditions. First, she must possess enough wealth personally (including the value of any gold she may own) to perform Hajj and take a mahram with her. Second, she must have the ability, health-wise, to perform Hajj. This is something she can determine herself or with medical advice. If at any point in her life, she had both the wealth and health needed to perform Hajj, it has become obligatory upon her. If she is currently healthy, she must perform Hajj as soon as possible. If her health was previously sufficient but has now declined, she must intend to perform Hajj once she recovers and stipulate that someone perform Hajj on her behalf in her will if she never becomes able to perform Hajj.

 

These requirements only describe when Hajj is obligatory. If Hajj is not obligatory on your mother but she is able to go along with her husband, this would be a fulfilment of her Hajj now and in the future and a source of great reward insha’Allah. Your father performing an optional Hajj would also be very praiseworthy: many scholars have even considered it better than charity.

 

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was asked, “What is the best deed?” He replied, “To believe in Allah and His Messenger. The questioner then asked, “What is the next?” He replied, “To participate in Jihad in Allah’s Cause.” The questioner again asked, “What is the next?” He replied, “To perform an accepted Hajj.”

 

 

 

 

 

References:

 

(1)

لِمَنْ أَرَادَ الْحَجَّ مُهِمَّاتٌ يَنْبَغِي الِاعْتِنَاءُ بِهَا وَهِيَ الْبِدَايَةُ بِالتَّوْبَةِ بِشُرُوطِهَا مِنْ رَدِّ الْمَظَالِمِ إلَى أَهْلِهَا عِنْدَ الْإِمْكَانِ وَقَضَاءِ مَا قَصَّرَ فِي فِعْلِهِ مِنْ الْعِبَادَاتِ وَالنَّدَمُ عَلَى تَفْرِيطِهِ فِي ذَلِكَ وَالْعَزْمُ عَلَى عَدَمِ الْعَوْدِ إلَى مِثْلِ ذَلِكَ وَالِاسْتِحْلَالُ مِنْ ذَوِي الْخُصُومَاتِ وَالْمُعَامَلَاتِ

Kitab Al-Bahr Al-Raa’iq (Daar Al-Kutub Al-Islaamiyyah, https://shamela.ws) v.2 p.332

 

 

(2)

 وَكَذَا الْغَرِيمُ لِمَدْيُونٍ لَا مَالَ لَهُ يَقْضِي بِهِ

Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fitr, https://shamela.ws) v.2 p.455

 

(قَوْلُهُ أَوْ مُؤَجَّلًا إلَخْ) … أَنَّهُ غَيْرُ مَانِعٍ

Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fitr, https://shamela.ws) v.2 p.261

 

 

(3)

(وَ) مَعَ (زَوْجٍ أَوْ مَحْرَمٍ) وَلَوْ عَبْدًا أَوْ ذِمِّيًّا أَوْ بِرَضَاعٍ (بَالِغٍ) قَيَّدَ لَهُمَا كَمَا فِي النَّهْرِ بَحْثًا (عَاقِلٍ وَالْمُرَاهِقُ كَبَالِغٍ) جَوْهَرَةٌ (غَيْرِ مَجُوسِيٍّ وَلَا فَاسِقٍ) لِعَدَمِ حِفْظِهِمَا (مَعَ) وُجُوبِ النَّفَقَةِ لِمَحْرَمِهَا (عَلَيْهَا) لِأَنَّهُ مَحْبُوسٌ (عَلَيْهَا) لِامْرَأَةٍ حَرَّةٍ وَلَوْ عَجُوزًا فِي سَفَرٍ

Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fitr, https://shamela.ws) v.2 p.464

 

(قَوْلُهُ صَحِيحِ الْبَدَنِ) أَيْ سَالِمٍ عَنْ الْآفَاتِ الْمَانِعَةِ عَنْ الْقِيَامِ بِمَا لَا بُدَّ مِنْهُ فِي السَّفَرِ، فَلَا يَجِبُ عَلَى مُقْعَدٍ وَمَفْلُوجٍ وَشَيْخٍ كَبِيرٍ لَا يَثْبُتُ عَلَى الرَّاحِلَةِ بِنَفْسِهِ وَأَعْمَى، وَإِنْ وَجَدَ قَائِدًا، وَمَحْبُوسٍ، وَخَائِفٍ مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ لَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ،

وَلَا بِالنِّيَابَةِ فِي ظَاهِرِ الْمَذْهَبِ عَنْ الْإِمَامِ وَهُوَ رِوَايَةٌ عَنْهُمَا وَظَاهِرُ الرِّوَايَةِ عَنْهُمَا وُجُوبُ الْإِحْجَاجِ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَيُجْزِيهِمْ إنْ دَامَ الْعَجْزُ وَإِنْ زَالَ أَعَادُوا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ.وَالْحَاصِلُ:

أَنَّهُ مِنْ شَرَائِطِ الْوُجُوبِ عِنْدَهُ وَمِنْ شَرَائِطِ وُجُوبِ الْأَدَاءِ عِنْدَ هُمَا وَثَمَرَةُ الْخِلَافِ تَظْهَرُ فِي وُجُوبِ الْإِحْجَاجِ وَالْإِيصَاءِ كَمَا ذَكَرْنَا وَهُوَ مُقَيَّدٌ بِمَا إذَا لَمْ يَقْدِرْ عَلَى الْحَجِّ وَهُوَ صَحِيحٌ فَإِنْ قَدَرَ ثُمَّ عَجَزَ قَبْلَ الْخُرُوجِ إلَى الْحَجِّ تَقَرَّرَ دَيْنًا فِي ذِمَّتِهِ، فَيَلْزَمُهُ الْإِحْجَاجُ،

Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fitr, https://shamela.ws) v.2 p.459

 

 

(4)

لَوْ حَجَّ نَفْلًا وَأَنْفَقَ أَلْفًا فَلَوْ تَصَدَّقَ بِهَذِهِ الْأَلْفِ عَلَى الْمَحَاوِيجِ فَهُوَ أَفْضَلُ لَا أَنْ يَكُونَ صَدَقَةً فَلَيْسَ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ إنْفَاقِ أَلْفٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَالْمَشَقَّةُ فِي الْحَجِّ لَمَّا كَانَتْ عَائِدَةً إلَى الْمَالِ وَالْبَدَنِ جَمِيعًا فُضِّلَ فِي الْمُخْتَارِ عَلَى الصَّدَقَةِ. اهـ. قَالَ الرَّحْمَتِيُّ:

وَالْحَقُّ التَّفْصِيلُ، فَمَا كَانَتْ الْحَاجَةُ فِيهِ أَكْثَرَ وَالْمَنْفَعَةُ فِيهِ أَشْمَلَ فَهُوَ الْأَفْضَلُ كَمَا وَرَدَ «حَجَّةٌ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ عَشْرِ غَزَوَاتٍ» وَوَرَدَ عَكْسُهُ فَيُحْمَلُ عَلَى مَا كَانَ أَنْفَعَ،

Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fitr, https://shamela.ws) v.2 p.621

 

(5)

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ، وَمُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ،

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سُئِلَ أَىُّ الْعَمَلِ أَفْضَلُ فَقَالَ ‏”‏ إِيمَانٌ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ‏”‏‏.‏ قِيلَ ثُمَّ مَاذَا قَالَ ‏”‏ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ‏”‏‏.‏ قِيلَ ثُمَّ مَاذَا قَالَ ‏”‏ حَجٌّ مَبْرُورٌ ‏”‏‏.‏

Sahih Al-Bukhari (https://sunnah.com) b.2, ch.18, no.19 (26)

 

 

 

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Alimah Humairah Badshah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham