Is the Hajj of one who has a debt valid?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : One who performed Hajj while having a debt?
The Shaykh : The Hajj of one who has a debt is valid, but Hajj is not obligatory for one who has a debt until he pays it off, because Allah the Exalted says:[Ali 'Imran 3:97] And as for the person who does not have wealth and cannot afford the journey to the House, he should first pay off his debt and then perform Hajj.
And it is amazing that some people—may Allah guide us and them—go for 'Umrah or Hajj voluntarily, not as an obligation, while they are in debt, with debts on their shoulders. And if you ask them why they come for 'Umrah or Hajj while they are in debt?
They say: "Because the debt is large." This is not a sound answer, for a small amount added to a small amount becomes large. If you suppose that you perform 'Umrah for five hundred riyals, keep these five hundred riyals with you so that you can pay off some of your debt. It is well known that if one pays one riyal out of a million, it is deducted from the debt, leaving him with a million minus one riyal. This is a benefit he gains. So my advice to my brothers who have debts is not to perform voluntary Hajj or 'Umrah, because fulfilling an obligation is more important than performing a recommended act. Indeed, even for one who has not performed the obligatory Hajj or 'Umrah, it is not obligatory for him to perform the obligation while he has a debt, because the debt takes precedence, and Hajj or 'Umrah is not obligatory except after paying off the debts.
The Shaykh : The Hajj of one who has a debt is valid, but Hajj is not obligatory for one who has a debt until he pays it off, because Allah the Exalted says:
And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way
ولله على الناس حج البيت من استطاع إليه سبيلاًAnd it is amazing that some people—may Allah guide us and them—go for 'Umrah or Hajj voluntarily, not as an obligation, while they are in debt, with debts on their shoulders. And if you ask them why they come for 'Umrah or Hajj while they are in debt?
They say: "Because the debt is large." This is not a sound answer, for a small amount added to a small amount becomes large. If you suppose that you perform 'Umrah for five hundred riyals, keep these five hundred riyals with you so that you can pay off some of your debt. It is well known that if one pays one riyal out of a million, it is deducted from the debt, leaving him with a million minus one riyal. This is a benefit he gains. So my advice to my brothers who have debts is not to perform voluntary Hajj or 'Umrah, because fulfilling an obligation is more important than performing a recommended act. Indeed, even for one who has not performed the obligatory Hajj or 'Umrah, it is not obligatory for him to perform the obligation while he has a debt, because the debt takes precedence, and Hajj or 'Umrah is not obligatory except after paying off the debts.