What is the meaning of: “Whoever is able to find a way to it”? What is the ability?

The questioner : What is the meaning of: ? What is the ability?

The Shaykh : The answer: Among the mercy of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) toward His servants and His wisdom in His legislation is that He uses terms that He does not define; because wisdom dictates leaving them undefined. This is because ability varies from person to person. Some have said that the definition or interpretation of ability is that one possesses provisions and a mount. Indeed, some of them made this a hadith attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This is something that is not authentically attributed to him (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, the term “ability” remains general, and every person knows for himself whether he is able or not. Here, we may be close to a hundred people, and each one of us may have an ability different from the ability of the other. So who can say that ability is such and such? No. This is like his saying (peace be upon him): . So who judges for you or against you? Because due to an illness that has befallen you, you are unable to pray standing, or you are able to pray standing? No one except you, after Allah (Mighty and Majestic). You are the one who judges regarding ability or its absence.
Likewise, the prescribed ability in the verse, the verse of Hajj: . As for the hadith that says: “Whoever possesses provisions and a mount and then does not perform Hajj, let him die if he wishes as a Jew, a Christian, or a Zoroastrian,” this is a hadith that is not authentically attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Rather, it is a weak hadith when attributed to him. It is only authentic as a statement from 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). This is authentic from the statement of 'Umar, stopping at him, not attributed to the Messenger (peace be upon him). And even so, no one among the jurists can apply this authentic statement of 'Umar in its generality. . Well, he possessed provisions and a mount, but as soon as he mounts the mount, he falls off. So has he found the ability, which is one of the conditions for the obligation of Hajj? Of course not. And what indicates this is the hadith of al-Bukhari from al-Fadl ibn 'Abbas when the woman from Khath'am asked him, saying: “My father is an old man who cannot stay on the saddle; should I perform Hajj on his behalf?” He said: . As long as he cannot stay on the saddle, I will perform Hajj on his behalf, because he is not able. So this word of 'Umar cannot be interpreted as it came without other additions by which the ability required in the verse is realized.