Is a debt prioritized over the obligatory Hajj?

Question:
The questioner, whose name is indicated by the initials (A. A. M.), is Egyptian and works in the city of Riyadh. He says: I have resolved and intended to perform the obligatory Hajj this year, if Allah wills, but my brother has a sum of money that I owe him, and I am unable to pay him this amount at this time due to my circumstances. Does this mean the Hajj is dropped from me? And what do you advise me to do?

Answer:
We advise you to pay him whatever money is easy for you to give, and to prioritize it over the Hajj; because this is a binding debt, and the Hajj is not binding except with the ability to perform it. So if the matter is thus, you start with the debt, and the Hajj is postponed, and praise be to Allah, unless the creditor is known and has given you permission, in which case there is no harm. Otherwise, the obligatory thing is to prioritize the debt. Even if the debt is large, you pay what you can, which will lighten your burden. The expenses you spend on the Hajj, whether one thousand riyals or less or more, you give to this debt, and praise be to Allah. As for the Hajj, Allah has given you respite and made your matter easy. He said: [Al-Imran: 97], and you are not able to perform it. Yes.