Ruling on Prioritizing the Mother's Hajj Over Marrying the Brothers and Repairing the Farms

Question:
The following message was received by the program from the brother Sa'id al-Sa'id al-Sudani. His message is lengthy, and he says in it: Your Eminence, I am a Sudanese contract worker in the Kingdom. Whenever I go to my country on leave, my mother asks me to perform Hajj for her. She has become insistent and repeats the request every time I come down for my annual leave. I do not refuse out of stinginess; rather, there are things I prioritize over her Hajj, such as repairing the houses and building them up, as well as repairing the agricultural lands, for the sake of my brothers and marrying them, to protect them and preserve their religion.
First: Do all the matters I mentioned take precedence over my mother's request for Hajj? Knowing that Hajj has become very costly in our country, or should I proceed with repairing my family's houses and farms?
Second: Does responding to her request for Hajj fall under obedience to parents?
Third: My father is an old, elderly, and sick man who is unable to perform Hajj or travel. I fear that if I bring my mother for Hajj, it will affect his mental state, especially since they have been living alone for a long time, and we have no sister to serve my father until my mother returns from Hajj.
Fourth: She always tells me: If you do not make me perform Hajj, I will sell my properties, which are agricultural lands, and fulfill the obligation from them.
Finally: Is my marrying my brothers, or preparing them for marriage, better than my mother's Hajj, or which of the two is better?
Please issue a ruling on these matters. May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
Dutifulness to parents is among the most important matters and the greatest of obligations. Considering the mother's feelings and striving for her satisfaction, and for the peace of her heart and mind, is a very important matter. However, Hajj is not obligatory upon her unless she is able and capable, in terms of wealth; due to His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He) : [Al-Imran: 97].
It is also not obligatory upon you to make her perform Hajj, because the obligation of Hajj is upon her, not upon you. But among the noble morals, the beautiful deeds, and the great dutifulness is to consider her request and fulfill her desire, as far as possible, and to postpone what concerns marriage and marrying the ones you mentioned until your return from Hajj. This is because Hajj is a great matter with a great benefit, and the mother herself is attached to it. So if you treat her well, take her feelings into account, and make her perform Hajj, that is among the closest acts of drawing near to Allah and the greatest of acts of obedience.
As for your father, perhaps he will permit it. You can tell him that Hajj is difficult for you and that you are in this condition, so perhaps he will permit it so that you can make your mother perform Hajj. Or she can permit patience until he recovers, so they can all perform Hajj together, or she can permit Hajj after that.
The point is: You must consider these matters and strive to get her permission to postpone Hajj, or your father's permission so that you can make her perform Hajj without hardship for him.
As for leaving her and not caring about her, that is not something that should be done. Because repairing the farms and marrying the ones you mentioned, all of this can be postponed after Hajj. The period is not long. So considering the mother's feelings, responding to her request, and striving to make her perform Hajj is a required matter, especially if Hajj is obligatory upon her because she is capable. If she is not capable, then responding to her request and making her perform Hajj, even if she is not capable, is good for you and a great virtue, and it is dutifulness to her, kindness to her, and reassurance of her heart. So strive for that and do your best to fulfill her desire, unless the father wants to perform Hajj with her and you are unable to do so.
So use kind words and a good manner in postponing their Hajj both to another time, perhaps he will recover and perhaps things will be easier in the future, with good phrases and a good manner, or by interposing someone you see among the relatives and friends so that they advise her and suggest postponement, out of kindness to your father and kindness to you. If you do that, then you are, if Allah wills, upon good and will be rewarded.

The presenter: May Allah bless you. Your Eminence, it is mentioned that his mother has an estate, and she says: If you do not make me perform Hajj, I will sell my properties and perform Hajj from them. Is Hajj obligatory upon her?

The Shaykh: If her properties are sufficient for this and she does not need them for her maintenance, there is no harm. If the father provides for her needs and is wealthy enough to provide for her needs and maintenance, otherwise her maintenance is in her wealth if he is unable. And I fear that these monies do not yield her anything of importance, such that what remains from them is enough to make her perform Hajj. If this money makes her perform Hajj along with what she needs for her maintenance, if her husband is unable, then Hajj is obligatory upon her. But the issue of the mahram in travel must be considered. If she has no mahram except her son, she is in need of him, and there is no Hajj upon her except with the presence of a mahram; due to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): So the presence of a mahram is among the conditions of her Hajj, the conditions of the obligation of Hajj upon her. If her money is sufficient for Hajj, there is no objection to making her perform Hajj from her money, or making her perform Hajj from his money and leaving her money for her, as is apparent from his words. He has a great reward in this if he considers her, honors her, and makes her perform Hajj from his money. That is better for him, and among the greatest of dutifulness to her, and among the things that please her. But the issue of her father must be considered so that Hajj does not become difficult for her father in the condition he mentioned of illness. And likewise, it becomes difficult for the son to do this while he is unable due to the illness he is currently in. So the result, as mentioned before, is that one should interpose someone one sees among the righteous, so that he advises the mother and suggests postponement until her father recovers and until things are easier than at this time.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.