The Fourth Topic: If a person has children who have not reached puberty, should he perform ihram with them or leave them behind?

The Shaykh : The fourth topic is: If a person has children who have not reached puberty, whether male or female, is it better for him to perform Hajj with them, or is it better for him to leave them behind and not perform ihram with them? We say that this requires a detailed explanation. If performing ihram would be difficult for them or for you, then it is better not to have them perform ihram, because Hajj is not yet obligatory upon them, and doing something that is difficult for them or for you without need for it is contrary to what is correct. What is expected in our times regarding difficulty or its absence? Yes? The expected reality is difficulty during the Hajj season. An adult man of advanced age cannot get through it without difficulty, so how much more so if he has children to carry or children to lead, which is a great difficulty? He will be preoccupied with them and distracted from performing the rites. He will circumambulate with his heart pounding, and he will walk between al-Safa and al-Marwah with his heart pounding. How can he walk between al-Safa and al-Marwah with these small children with him? Therefore, we see that in such times, it is better not to perform ihram with them. It is permissible to accompany them, and when he arrives in Makkah, he can leave them in the house or in the tent, and he can go down to the place of circumambulation and the place of walking between al-Safa and al-Marwah by himself, so that he can rest and let his children rest.