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COVID-19: Can I Use Money Meant for Hajj on Other Things?

04 July, 2020
Q I had set aside some money and now most travel agents are able to return the hajj costs. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has affected me or my husband. Is it permissible to utilize that money for my daily expenses?

Answer

Dr. Yasir Qadhi
04 July, 2020

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:

There is nothing wrong with using saved money for hajj to cover family expenses such as paying the rent or bill.

Answering your question, Dr. Yasir Qadhi, Dean of Al-Maghrib Institute, Resident Scholar of the Memphis Islamic Center, and a professor at Rhodes Colleg, states:

There is absolutely no sin on you to utilize this money because circumstances have changed. Also the money does not become earmarked and demarcated that you are no longer having access to it; rather the circumstance has changed and so the status of the money changes as well.

If you have saved up some money for hajj and you are able to keep this amount for next year’s hajj, then you should do that. This is because hajj is obligatory as soon as one is able to go. This is the stronger position.

There are two positions in Islamic Fiqh; that can you delay Hajj for no reason or should you do hajj as soon as you’re financially capable?

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was asked, ‘What is it that makes Hajj obligatory?’ The Messenger of Allah replied, “Az-ad wa al-rahilah (Provision of food and means to make the journey).” (Related by Ad-Daraqutni and rendered authentic by Al-Hakim)

The hadith means that you need to have enough money to take care of you on the way and on the way back. And you need to have an animal or transportation to take you there as well.

So, what has happened now is that you had the money (the zad) and you had paid for the ride (the rahilah). But now you need this money. So if you need this money to pay your rent or you are having problems with your bills, there is no sin whatsoever that you take from this money saved for hajj.

If, by next year, you are not able to save up enough money to go for Hajj, then Hajj has been forgiven for you until you are able to save up.  

We read in the Quran what means:

{Allah does not require of any soul more than what it can afford.} (Al-Baqarah 2:286)

This means the Shariah is not something that is so difficult. So, dear sister do not feel any sense of blame. There is no sin on you to take advantage of your own money for circumstances that have now occurred beyond your control.

If you are able to save up for , then Al-hamdulillah. If not, then whenever you can save up, then hajj will become obligatory upon you.

May Allah make it easy for all of us to perform the Hajj soon.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Source: Yasir Qadhi Channel

About Dr. Yasir Qadhi
Yasir Qadhi was born in Houston, Texas and completed his primary and secondary education in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He graduated with a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston, after which he was accepted as a student at the Islamic University of Madinah. After completing a diploma in Arabic, he graduated with a B.A. from the College of Hadith and Islamic Sciences. Thereafter, he completed a M.A. in Islamic Theology from the College of Dawah, after which he returned to America and completed his doctorate, in Religious Studies, from Yale University. Currently he is the Dean of al-Maghrib Institute, the Resident Scholar of the Memphis Islamic Center, and a professor at Rhodes College, in Memphis, TN.