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:
Yes, you can go to Hajj if your debts are not due before the Hajj season and the loan is interest-free, provided you have the means to repay them on time. However, if the debt is interest-based, it is preferable to pay it off first, even if that means delaying Hajj.
Responding to your question about going to hajj while in debt, Dr. Wael Shihab, PhD in Islamic Studies from Al-Azhar University, and currently the Imam of the Downtown Toronto Masjid in Canada, states:
Hajj Is Obligatory for the Capable
Hajj is obligatory, once in a lifetime, on every Muslim, man or woman, who is financially and physically capable to afford it. Allah the Almighty says: {Pilgrimage thereto is a duty people owe to Allah, those who can afford the journeyโฆ} (Aal `Imran 3:97)
Reward of an Accepted Hajj
Acceptable hajj (hajj mabrur) brings about great rewards and blessings of Allah. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, โ(The performance of) Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed (between it and the previous one). And the reward of the accepted Hajj (mabrur) is nothing but paradise.โ (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Hajj Expiates All Sins
Hajj, moreover, expiates all sins. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, โWhoever performs Hajj for Allahโs pleasure and does not have sexual relations with his wife, and does not do evil or sins then he will return (after Hajj) free from all sins as if he were born anew.โ (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Financial Prerequisites Before Hajj
Regarding your question, it should be clear that Hajj is obligatory only if a Muslim has enough funds to pay for his trips and expenses (including the expenses of those who are dependent on him such as oneโs wife, children and parents who cannot support themselves), and after paying off oneโs debts that are due before the hajj season.
Dealing with Interest-Based Debt Before Hajj
Moreover, if a person owes an interest-based debt, which is not permissible in principle, one should pay off such debts as soon as possibleโeven at the expense of delaying hajjโin order to avoid incurring interest on his payments as much as he can.
If, however, he incurs no interest on his debt payments, and he has paid all the outstanding dues, then he may go for hajj as long as he has the means to pay his debts off when he comes back.
Hajj with Non-Urgent, Interest-Free Debt
Given the above, if your debts are not due before the hajj, as it is clear in your question, and you have the ability to pay off your debts on the due time, and the loan is interest-free, then you are absolutely allowed to go for hajj. Moreover, you are not obliged to seek your brotherโs permission to go for hajj since your performance of hajj would not affect repaying your debts on the due time.
Allah Almighty knows best.
Editorโs note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholarโs archive and was originally published at an earlier date.