Is It Permissible to Perform the Sacred Pilgrimage for a Deceased Person?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: As salam alaykum,

Is it permissible to perform the sacred pilgrimage for a deceased person if they did not leave money and instructions to do so? And if they did is it still a valid Hajj for the deceased?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I pray that this message finds you well, insha’Allah.

The basis is that the sacred pilgrimage (hajj) is due from a person if they met the conditions of necessity (wujub), even if they did not fulfil the conditions of it actually being obligatory upon them (ada’).

Thereafter, there are two cases [if such a person is unable to go themselves]:

(a) if the person is alive, they must send somebody to perform the hajj on their behalf;
(b) if deceased, they should have left a bequest (wasiyya) for it to be fulfilled on their behalf.

If neither of these happened, then another person can perform the hajj and donate the reward to the deceased, and insha’Allah, it will be accepted by Allah Most High out of His Tremendous Mercy and Generosity.

[Qari, al-Maslak al-Mutaqassit]

Please also see: Donating Reward to the Dead: A Detailed Answer and: Appointing Someone to Perform Hajj on Someone’s Behalf and: Can One Perform Hajj on Behalf of Others?

And Allah alone knows best.

wassalam,

Tabraze Azam

Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani