Taking a fee for performing Hajj on behalf of another

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, those who take a fee for performing Hajj on behalf of others and exaggerate in taking these sums of money, Honorable Shaykh, is that permissible for them?

Answer:
This is not a fee, my brother. One does not take a fee for acts of worship. However, one may take what is needed to perform Hajj, the expenses of Hajj, such as the provisions, transportation, and necessities that one cannot perform Hajj without. He may take that. But if he takes it with the intention that his purpose in acting as a proxy for Hajj is to obtain money, then he has no Hajj. He has no Hajj because his intention is the money. But if he takes it in order to perform Hajj, there is a difference between taking it to perform Hajj and performing Hajj to take it. Performing Hajj to take what is permissible is fine, but taking it to perform Hajj is not permissible. Yes.