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:
Islamic Guidance on Business During Hajj:
- Initially, pilgrims avoided trade fearing it was forbidden.
- Allah revealed Surat Al-Baqarah 2:198 allowing trade.
- Ibn `Abbas clarified it’s permissible during rites.
- Guiding pilgrims is also a valid earning with reward.
- Business must not interfere with Hajj obligations.
Highlighting this issue, Sheikh Sayyed Sabiq states in well-known book Fiqh us-Sunnah:
There is no harm if a pilgrim engages in trade and business during Hajj or `Umrah. Ibn `Abbas said: In the beginning when Hajj was prescribed, the people used to trade at Mina, Arafah, and the market place of Dhul-Majaz (a place close to Arafah) during the Hajj season, but they feared it might be forbidden for them while in a state of ihram. Thereupon Allah revealed the verse:“There is no blame upon you for seeking bounty from your Lord [during Hajj].” (Al-Baqarah 2:198)
Commenting on the above verse, Ibn `Abbas added: The people used to shun business while in Mina, so they were instructed to engage in business or trade while departing from `Arafah.
Ibn `Abbas says that a man asked him, “I hire myself to these people to guide them in performing their rites of Hajj; will I have a reward for Hajj?” Ibn `Abbas said, “Yes.” (And then he recited) “Those will have a share of what they have earned, and Allah is swift in account.” (Al-Baqarah 2:202)
For more explanation, refer to these fatwas:
- What Actions of Hajj Are Essential, Obligatory and Sunnah?
- Individual and Collective Benefits of Hajj
- Essentials of Hajj
- Lessons from Hajj
Almighty Allah knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.