Am I Exempt from Performing Hajj Due to My Neurological Condition?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

Given my incurable neurological condition, which causes severe vertigo and balance issues that worsen with air travel, would I be exempt from performing Hajj if my health would likely deteriorate to the point of needing hospitalization and being bedridden upon reaching Makka?

Answer

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

I pray this finds you in the best of states.

Yes, you don’t have to perform a Hajj because of your condition. Hajj is only obligatory on believers who are healthy. [Quduri, Mukhtasar]

Allah (Most High) says: “Allah desires ease for you; He does not desire difficulty for you.” [Quran, 2:185]

And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found. Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani. He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others. He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.