Perhaps another person might ask: Why, for example, does a person perform Hajj on behalf of another person and pay him a fee for this Hajj, but does not recite for the deceased and pay him a fee?
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The questioner : Perhaps another person might ask: Why, for example, does a person perform Hajj on behalf of another person and a fee is paid to him for this Hajj, but he does not recite for this deceased person and a fee is paid to him?
The Shaykh : This issue is actually addressed, and the well-known position of the Hanbali school is that hiring someone for Hajj is not valid, the fee is invalid, and the reward of the Hajj belongs to the pilgrim, not to the person on whose behalf it was performed. Yes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And we say the same: if the pilgrim’s intention is money, and the one who performed Hajj intended money, then the hire contract is not valid, the contract is invalid, and there is no reward for the person on whose behalf it was performed in it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : However, if the man who performed Hajj intended by it the benefit of his brother and fulfilling his need, or if his intention included reaching the sacred sites and doing good there, then this is a good intention and there is no harm in it. So we say: if a person is hired to perform Hajj on behalf of someone, and if this hired person’s intention is money, then as the Shaykh al-Islam said, he has no share in the Hereafter; he has no portion of the reward of the Hereafter.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And his Hajj on behalf of this man is not valid because the contract is invalid. But if his intention by it was fulfilling his brother’s need, or the benefit of reaching these sacred sites and doing the good that is done there, then there is no blame on him for that.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : This issue is actually addressed, and the well-known position of the Hanbali school is that hiring someone for Hajj is not valid, the fee is invalid, and the reward of the Hajj belongs to the pilgrim, not to the person on whose behalf it was performed. Yes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And we say the same: if the pilgrim’s intention is money, and the one who performed Hajj intended money, then the hire contract is not valid, the contract is invalid, and there is no reward for the person on whose behalf it was performed in it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : However, if the man who performed Hajj intended by it the benefit of his brother and fulfilling his need, or if his intention included reaching the sacred sites and doing good there, then this is a good intention and there is no harm in it. So we say: if a person is hired to perform Hajj on behalf of someone, and if this hired person’s intention is money, then as the Shaykh al-Islam said, he has no share in the Hereafter; he has no portion of the reward of the Hereafter.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And his Hajj on behalf of this man is not valid because the contract is invalid. But if his intention by it was fulfilling his brother’s need, or the benefit of reaching these sacred sites and doing the good that is done there, then there is no blame on him for that.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.