Can One Go to a Country Other Than One’s Own and Then Leave for Hajj?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

With difficulties regarding attaining a Hajj package from the UK, some people have tried to go to the subcontinent (Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, etc., to their motherland) and have gone from there to Saudi Arabia for Hajj.

However, some Imams have stipulated that this is not permissible, but I needed clarification as to why. They mentioned some issues with passing the equatorial line (Dubai etc.), but it needed to make more sense. Please provide clarity regarding this issue.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.

Yes, Islamically, one can perform Hajj from any country as long as they fulfill the necessary requirements and guidelines of the country of departure and of Saudi Arabia to obtain a Hajj visa. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

For example, the current law as of 2023 Hajj states that citizens of Europe, the Americas, and Australia can only book their Hajj through this website. If one is not, then they have to book through the platforms and Hajj missions in their countries.

You can search for more related answers on SeekersGuidance Answers.

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Related: A Hajj Reader – SeekersGuidance

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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.