Became Very Ill Upon Arriving for Hajj: Should I Continue?

04 August, 2019
Q I want to make Hajj this year but I am not sure if I can physically perform the rituals. I have had Rheumatoid Arthritis for 40 years. My left foot is deformed making it nearly impossible to walk without shoes for support. I have a very hard time walking for long periods of time and find it difficult to walk down stairs. I have to sit to pray. I want to believe I can physically handle it but I’m just not sure. Do you have any advice? Thank you.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.


In this fatwa:

Hajj is obligatory only with the financial and physical ability. However, if you can perform Hajj with the help of others, we encourage you to do so.


Responding to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:

Hajj is obligatory only when you are able to undertake the journey both financially and physically.

However, you should know that most of the rituals of Hajj such as tawafsa`i, etc. can be done by people who are in similar conditions like yours by the assistance of others and by using wheelchairs, etc.

So if you are able to do that, you should not be discouraged or deterred.

Having said this, I should also point out that if your physician has advised you against it, because of your specific conditions, then you need to listen to him. If that is the case, you are allowed to pay someone to perform Hajj on your behalf.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.