Fatwa n°: 710

Category: Fatwas of hajj

Concerning what is better between repeating hajj
and giving charity to the poor

Question:

What is better for a wealthy person according to the sharia: repeating hajj supererogatorily every year or giving the money reserved for it to the poor and the needy? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family, his Companions and his Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.

The hadiths reported about exhorting to perform hajj indicate that, in general, even if the hajj is done by way of a supererogation, it takes precedence over giving charity to the poor and the needy. Among these hadiths:

- The Prophet صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم was asked: “What are the best deeds?” He stated: “Belief in Allah Alone, jihad in the path of Allah, then hajj which is performed correctly are the best of deeds as between the sunrise and the sunset”(1).

- He صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم said: “Keep on following hajj with `umra, and `umra with hajj, for they wipe out poverty and sins as the bellows removes the dross of iron, gold and silver, and an accepted hajj brings no less a reward than Paradise”(2).

-He صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم also said: “The (performance of) `umra is an expiation of the sins committed (between it and the previous one). The reward of the accepted hajj (with which Allah is pleased) is nothing except Paradise”(3), and “Hajj erases what came before it (i.e., of sins)”(4).

- The Prophet صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم also said: “ The camel of a hajji does not raise nor put down its hoof except that Allah writes for him by it a good deed, and erases for him a bad deed and raises him to a degree”(5).

- The Prophet صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم said: “Allah عزَّ وجلَّ says: whoever I gave a good health, and made his life easy, then five years pass, yet he did not come to Me is surely frustrated”(6). It was also the fatwa stated by Ibn Taymiyya رحمه الله.

The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Our last prayer is all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon our Prophet, his Family, his Companions and his Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.

Algiers Jumâda Al-Ûla 12nd, 1428 H
May 29th, 2007



(1) Reported by Ahmad (hadith 18531), At-Tabarâni in “Al-Kabîr” (20/344), from the hadith of Mâ`iz رضي الله عنه. The hadith is authenticated by Al-Albâni in “Sahîh Al-Jâmi`” (hadith 1091).

(2) Reported by At-Tirmidhi in the chapter of “hajj”, concerning the reward of performing hajj and `umra (hadith 810), An-Nassâ'i in the chapter of “hajj”, concerning keeping on following hajj with `umra and `umra with hajj (hadith 2631), Ibn Hibbân in his “Sahîh” (hadith 3693), Ahmad (hadith 3660) and Al-Bazzâr in his “Musnad” (hadith 1722), from the hadith `Abd Allâh Ibn Mass`ûd رضي الله عنه. The hadith is authenticated by Ahmad Shâkir in his recension to “Musnad of Ahmad” (5/244). Al-Albâni considered it as Hassan (good) in “As-Silsila As-Sahîha” (3/197) and Muqbil Ibn Hâdi Al-Wâdi`i in “As-Sahîh Al-Musnad” (hadith 897).

(3) Reported by Al-Bukhâri in the chapter of “hajj”, concerning the obligation and merit of `umra (hadith 1683), Muslim in the chapter of “hajj”, on the merit of hajj, `umra and the day of `Arafa (hadith 3289), An-Nassâ'i in the chapter of “ hajj rites”, concerning the merit of `umra (hadith 2629), Ibn Mâjah in the chapter of “rites”, concerning the merit of hajj and `umra (hadith 2888), Ibn Hibbân in his “Sahîh” (hadith 3696), Ibn Khuzayma in his “Sahîh” (hadith 3072) and Ahmad (hadith 7307), from the hadith of Abu Hurayra رضي الله عنه.

(4) Reported by Muslim in the chapter of “faith”, concerning the fact that Islam, as well as both migration and hajj, efface whatever previous sins (hadith 321), Ibn Khuzayma in his “Sahîh” (hadith 2515), from the hadith of `Amr Ibn Al-Âs رضي الله عنه.

(5) Reported by Al-Bayhaqi in “branches of faith” (hadith 4116), from the hadith of Ibn `Umar رضي الله عنهما. This hadith is judged Hassan (good) by Al-Albâni in “Sahîh Al-Jâmi`” (hadith 5596).

(6) Reported by Ibn Hibbân in his “Sahîh” (hadith 3703), Abu Ya`la in his “Musnad” (hadith 1031), Al-Bayhaqi in “As-Sunan Al-Kubra”: (10530), from the hadith of Abou Sa`îd Al-Khudri رضي الله عنه. This hadith is authenticated by Al-Albâni in “Sahîh Al-Jâmi`” (hadith 1166).

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