My wife’s uncle who is in Singapore is planning to go for Hajj this year 2011. But he has got a house through bank loan (with interest, which is according to fatwa given there as valid). He has been paying the EMI, a minimal amount, of this loan. Now, for the past two years he had been saving some amount and now he has got sufficient amount to do Hajj for him as well as for his wife. My Question is that is Hajj obligatory (fardh) upon him under this situation (i.e. having this monthly debt)? Note: – He has got the health wise and wealth wise conditions fulfilled for him and his wife.
Answer
(Fatwa: 1793/1267/L=1432)
If the uncle of your wife has that much money that he may travel to and fro Makkah for hajj and can arrange the instalment of debt as well as the expenses of family then hajj is fardh on him. If he has that much money that may suffice for the hajj expenses of both (the husband and wife) then they should perform their hajj. The obligation of hajj shall be discharged from both of them. Ulama have written that if a poor man performs hajj then it will not be fardh on him to perform hajj again after he turns rich later.
Allah (Subhana Wa Ta’ala) knows Best
Darul Ifta,
Darul Uloom Deoband