The Ruling on Taking Money for Performing 'Umrah on Behalf of a Deceased Person
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Question:
Honorable Shaykh, this questioner asks: What is the ruling on taking a fee for performing 'Umrah on behalf of a deceased person?
Answer:
There is nothing wrong with it, provided that his intention is not the money. His intention should be the 'Umrah and drawing near to Allah in the Sacred Mosque, through circumambulation, walking between al-Safa and al-Marwah, dhikr, and supplication. This should be his intention, and he takes the money to help cover the expenses of the ritual.
As for the one who wants the money, he has no Hajj and no 'Umrah. If he wants only the money, trading in Hajj and 'Umrah without wanting the reward, then he has no Hajj and no 'Umrah. So if he intended the worldly life, [Hud 11:15-16] then what they did with it is not permissible. One must not make acts of worship a means to obtain money; this is not permissible. However, taking money to obtain acts of worship is permissible. Therefore, they said: "Let the one who takes [money] to perform Hajj take it, and let the one who performs Hajj to take [money] not perform Hajj." Yes.
The matter hinges on intention, and Allah knows best what is in hearts. There are people who play games; they take twenty or thirty pilgrimages, and the people do not know. They give [money] and they do not know, and perhaps he does not perform Hajj even once. He stays in the country, and no one knows about him, because this is a scam. This is a scam, and may Allah protect us from it. Yes.
Honorable Shaykh, this questioner asks: What is the ruling on taking a fee for performing 'Umrah on behalf of a deceased person?
Answer:
There is nothing wrong with it, provided that his intention is not the money. His intention should be the 'Umrah and drawing near to Allah in the Sacred Mosque, through circumambulation, walking between al-Safa and al-Marwah, dhikr, and supplication. This should be his intention, and he takes the money to help cover the expenses of the ritual.
As for the one who wants the money, he has no Hajj and no 'Umrah. If he wants only the money, trading in Hajj and 'Umrah without wanting the reward, then he has no Hajj and no 'Umrah.
Every person is judged by his intention.
إنما لكل امرئ نوى(15) Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornments - We fully repay them for their deeds therein, and they therein will not be deprived. (16) Those are the ones for whom there is not in the Hereafter but the Fire. And lost is what they did therein, and worthless is what they used to do.
كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا نُوَفِّ إِلَيْهِمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فِيهَا وَهُمْ فِيهَا لَا يُبْخَسُونَ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا النَّارُThe matter hinges on intention, and Allah knows best what is in hearts. There are people who play games; they take twenty or thirty pilgrimages, and the people do not know. They give [money] and they do not know, and perhaps he does not perform Hajj even once. He stays in the country, and no one knows about him, because this is a scam. This is a scam, and may Allah protect us from it. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 23 من 83 / شرح مختصر زاد المعاد / هديه في حجه وعمرته / صالح الفوزان / السيرة / كبار العلماء — youtube.com (49:59)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.