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:
There is nothing wrong as far as Islam is concerned if one engages in some business, trade, or work during the Hajj season, since this is included under the benefits that are mentioned to be one of the things gained in Hajj.
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)
Almighty Allah knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.