Answer
Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
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:
If you have outstanding student loans, Hajj is not obligatory upon you. Islam requires financial and physical capability for Hajj, and all funds used must come from halal sources. Settling debts, including student loans, takes precedence before considering the pilgrimage. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized the importance of purity in both wealth and worship.
In responding to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
Hajj Is Obligatory Only for Those Who Can Afford It
Hajj is obligatory only on those who can afford it both financially and physically. It is crucial that the fare and provisions for this sacred journey be solely derived from lawful earnings, totally free of unlawful sources; it is equally important that they be free of all outstanding debts.
Outstanding Debts Prevent Hajj Obligation
Since you have accumulated arrears of student loan that are outstanding, you are not allowed to undertake the trip to Hajj.
Settling Debts Takes Precedence Over Hajj
Your first priority is to pay your debtors. Hajj is obligatory only if you have enough resources remaining after paying them. So you should not consider Hajj unless you have come clean on your record of payment.
Prophetโs Warning on Worship from Tainted Sources
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has warned us against performing acts of worship with tainted resources. We read in the hadith: โVerily, Allah, the most Exalted, is Pure and He accepts only that which is pure; Verily, Allah commands the faithful with the same order He commands the apostles: โO Messengers! Eat of what is clearly halal and wholesome, and do good works.โโ Then he mentioned (by way of illustration) the case of a man, who undertakes, after having traveled long distances, with disheveled appearance, and then raises his hands in supplication saying, โMy Lord! My Lord!โ while his food comes from unlawful sources and his drink comes from unlawful sources, his clothes are from unlawful sources, and his entire body is nurtured by haram; so how would Allah answer his Prayer?โ (Muslim)
The following fatwas provide further guidance:
- Can You Go to Hajj with Debt?
- Can I Perform Hajj I Am in Debt?
- Donating to Facilitate Hajj or to Help the Poor: Which Is Better?
- Is Gifting Hajj Permissible in Islam?
- Long Term Debts: Permissible for Rewarded Hajj?
- Can You Go to Hajj If You Have a Debt or a Loan? (Video)
- Does Having a Loan Disqualify Me from Hajj?
- Is Hajj by Installments Allowed?
Allah Almighty knows best.
Editorโs note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholarโs archive and was originally published at an earlier date.