Ads by Muslim Ad Network

Can Sick Mother Go to Hajj?

16 June, 2023
Q My mother is divorced and is currently on medication for a mental illness. Although she does have brothers, none of them would be willing to perform Hajj with her. Is it incumbent on her to do Hajj?

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:

If your mother is sick and she is not able to function normally and unable to take care of her own needs independently, then she is considered exempt from obligation to perform Hajj.


Responding to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:

Ads by Muslim Ad Network

If your mother is sick and she is not able to function normally and unable to take care of her own needs independently, then she is considered exempt from obligation to perform Hajj.

She can, however, delegate that duty to others-if she so wishes– on her behalf, by providing for the fare and other expenses for the same.

If, on the other hand, your mother is well and can do her own things, then she has an obligation to do Hajj, but only on condition that she finds a mahram (close male relative such as a brother or son or uncle) to accompany her during her journey. Finding a mahram is a stipulated condition/requirement for woman in Hajj.

If, therefore, none of her male relatives is willing to accompany her for Hajj, then she is not required to go. She is, however, allowed to go — according to some scholars – if she can find a reliable group of women who have their own mahram to travel with. For a discussion of this issue, see relevant question discussed elsewhere on this site.

For more, see these fatwas:

Can You Make Hajj on Behalf of Dead Brother?       

Can a Person with Bladder Problems Wear Diapers During Hajj?

Almighty Allah knows best.

About Sheikh Ahmad Kutty
Sheikh Ahmad Kutty is a Senior Lecturer and an Islamic Scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada