What is your opinion of the one who goes to Makkah in Ramadan to perform the 'Umrah with his children, leaving them to wander in the markets and streets while he is occupied with worship?
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The questioner : Noble Shaykh. What is your opinion of the one who goes to Makkah in Ramadan to perform the 'Umrah with his children, leaving them to wander in the markets and streets while he is occupied with worship?
The Shaykh : I see that this is closer to sin than to reward, because caring for and raising children is more obligatory than going to perform the 'Umrah. In fact, going to perform the 'Umrah is a recommended practice (sunnah), not obligatory. So how can one leave the obligatory and do the recommended? It is well known that worshipping Allah is not by desire, but by guidance and what the Shari'ah has indicated. If we were to let every person worship Allah by his own desire, people would be scattered and become divided into different groups and types.
So it is obligatory for a person to care for his family, even if it is assumed that his family remained behind while he traveled to Makkah, he has sinned, unless he goes to Makkah, performs the 'Umrah, and returns on the same day. In that case, I hope there is no sin on him.
The Shaykh : I see that this is closer to sin than to reward, because caring for and raising children is more obligatory than going to perform the 'Umrah. In fact, going to perform the 'Umrah is a recommended practice (sunnah), not obligatory. So how can one leave the obligatory and do the recommended? It is well known that worshipping Allah is not by desire, but by guidance and what the Shari'ah has indicated. If we were to let every person worship Allah by his own desire, people would be scattered and become divided into different groups and types.
So it is obligatory for a person to care for his family, even if it is assumed that his family remained behind while he traveled to Makkah, he has sinned, unless he goes to Makkah, performs the 'Umrah, and returns on the same day. In that case, I hope there is no sin on him.