The Correct Method of Delegating Hajj
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People have expanded the practice of delegating Hajj. What is the correct method? I hope you will clarify this clearly.
The expansion of people in delegating Hajj is, in reality, a matter of regret, and it may be incorrect according to the Shari'ah. This is because there are two narrations from Imam Ahmad regarding the permissibility of delegating in voluntary acts of worship:Narration: That it is not permissible for a person to delegate someone to perform Hajj or 'Umrah on his behalf, whether he is sick or healthy.
And this narration is most worthy of being correct and strong; because acts of worship require the person of obligation to perform them himself, so that he may attain from the worship and the humility before Allah the Exalted what he attains. You see the difference between a person who performs Hajj himself and a person who gives money for someone to perform Hajj on his behalf. The latter has no share in the worship of rectifying his heart and humbling himself before Allah Mighty and Majestic. It is as if it were a sales contract in which he appointed someone to buy for him or sell for him.
And if he is sick and wants to delegate in a voluntary act of worship,It is said: this is not what the Sunnah brought. Rather, the Sunnah came with delegation only in the obligatory act,And the difference between the obligatory and the voluntary: because the obligatory act is a binding matter for the person. So if he cannot do it himself, he appoints someone to perform Hajj or 'Umrah on his behalf. But the voluntary act is not obligatory.It is said: As long as you are sick and you have performed the obligatory act, thank Allah for that, and spend the money you intended to give to someone to perform Hajj or 'Umrah for you in other expenditures. Help a poor person who has not performed the obligatory Hajj with this money; it is better for you than saying: Take this and perform Hajj with it on my behalf, even if you are sick.
As for the obligatory act, people—praise be to Allah—have not been lax in it. You hardly find anyone who appoints someone to perform the obligatory Hajj on his behalf except that he is unable to do so. And this is what the Sunnah brought, as in the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), that a woman came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, "O Messenger of Allah! The obligation of Allah upon His servants in Hajj has overtaken my father, who is an old man who cannot stay on the mount. Should I perform Hajj on his behalf?"He said: "Yes, perform Hajj on his behalf" .
In summary: That there are two narrations from Imam Ahmad regarding delegation in voluntary acts of worship:One of them is: That delegation is not valid,And the second narration: That delegation is valid for both the capable and the incapable.
And the closer to the truth, without doubt, in my opinion: That delegation in voluntary acts of worship is not valid for the incapable nor for the capable, whereas for the obligatory act, it is for the incapable who does not hope for the removal of his incapacity, and this is what the Sunnah brought.
The expansion of people in delegating Hajj is, in reality, a matter of regret, and it may be incorrect according to the Shari'ah. This is because there are two narrations from Imam Ahmad regarding the permissibility of delegating in voluntary acts of worship:Narration: That it is not permissible for a person to delegate someone to perform Hajj or 'Umrah on his behalf, whether he is sick or healthy.
And this narration is most worthy of being correct and strong; because acts of worship require the person of obligation to perform them himself, so that he may attain from the worship and the humility before Allah the Exalted what he attains. You see the difference between a person who performs Hajj himself and a person who gives money for someone to perform Hajj on his behalf. The latter has no share in the worship of rectifying his heart and humbling himself before Allah Mighty and Majestic. It is as if it were a sales contract in which he appointed someone to buy for him or sell for him.
And if he is sick and wants to delegate in a voluntary act of worship,It is said: this is not what the Sunnah brought. Rather, the Sunnah came with delegation only in the obligatory act,And the difference between the obligatory and the voluntary: because the obligatory act is a binding matter for the person. So if he cannot do it himself, he appoints someone to perform Hajj or 'Umrah on his behalf. But the voluntary act is not obligatory.It is said: As long as you are sick and you have performed the obligatory act, thank Allah for that, and spend the money you intended to give to someone to perform Hajj or 'Umrah for you in other expenditures. Help a poor person who has not performed the obligatory Hajj with this money; it is better for you than saying: Take this and perform Hajj with it on my behalf, even if you are sick.
As for the obligatory act, people—praise be to Allah—have not been lax in it. You hardly find anyone who appoints someone to perform the obligatory Hajj on his behalf except that he is unable to do so. And this is what the Sunnah brought, as in the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), that a woman came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, "O Messenger of Allah! The obligation of Allah upon His servants in Hajj has overtaken my father, who is an old man who cannot stay on the mount. Should I perform Hajj on his behalf?"He said: "Yes, perform Hajj on his behalf" .
In summary: That there are two narrations from Imam Ahmad regarding delegation in voluntary acts of worship:One of them is: That delegation is not valid,And the second narration: That delegation is valid for both the capable and the incapable.
And the closer to the truth, without doubt, in my opinion: That delegation in voluntary acts of worship is not valid for the incapable nor for the capable, whereas for the obligatory act, it is for the incapable who does not hope for the removal of his incapacity, and this is what the Sunnah brought.