The ruling in short
Allah says that pilgrimage to the House is a duty owed to Him by people who are able to find a way to it (3:97). The Prophet ﷺ said that Hajj is once, and whoever does more, it is voluntary. Whoever performs Hajj for Allah's sake, without obscenity or disobedience, returns as on the day his mother bore him.
1
Who must perform it
- Every Muslim who is adult, sane and free, who is able to make the journey (istita'ah): enough money for the journey and for his family while away, safe roads and health.
- A woman needs a mahram with her, according to the majority, and she must not travel alone. Some scholars (Maliki, and Shafi'i in a view) allow travel in a trustworthy group.
- It is obligatory once in a lifetime and at once, once the conditions are met, in the view of most scholars.
2
Why it matters
- It is one of the five pillars of Islam.
- Aisha asked the Prophet ﷺ about jihad for women, and he said that their best jihad is an accepted Hajj.
The four Sunni schools agree on the main ruling above and differ in these points. No school is preferred here.
- Doing it at once or delaying it. the Hanafi, Maliki and Hanbali schools say it should be done at once; the Shafi'i school says it may be delayed, though it is better to hurry.
- Hajj on behalf of another (Hajj badal) is allowed for the one who cannot go because of old age or illness, by one who has performed his own Hajj.
The evidence
From the Quran
فِيهِ ءَايَٰتٌۢ بَيِّنَٰتٌۭ مَّقَامُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ۖ وَمَن دَخَلَهُۥ كَانَ ءَامِنًۭا ۗ وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ حِجُّ ٱلْبَيْتِ مَنِ ٱسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًۭا ۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ عَنِ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ ﴿٩٧﴾
Wherein are plain memorials (of Allah's guidance); the place where Abraham stood up to pray; and whosoever entereth it is safe. And pilgrimage to the House is a duty unto Allah for mankind, for him who can find a way thither. As for him who disbelieveth, (let him know that) lo! Allah is Independent of (all) creatures.
وَأَذِّن فِى ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِجَالًۭا وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٍۢ يَأْتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍۢ ﴿٢٧﴾
And proclaim unto mankind the pilgrimage. They will come unto thee on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every deep ravine,
From the Sunnah
1 Sunan Abi Dawud 1721
The point of the hadith: Hajj is once; whoever does more than that, it is voluntary.
Graded by
- Al-Albani: Sahih
- Muhammad Muhyi Al-Din Abdul Hamid: Sahih
- Shuaib Al Arnaut: Sahih
- Zubair Ali Zai: Hasan
Read the Arabic text
حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَعُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ الْمَعْنَى، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ حُسَيْنٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي سِنَانٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ الأَقْرَعَ بْنَ حَابِسٍ، سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ الْحَجُّ فِي كُلِّ سَنَةٍ أَوْ مَرَّةً وَاحِدَةً قَالَ " بَلْ مَرَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَمَنْ زَادَ فَهُوَ تَطَوُّعٌ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ هُوَ أَبُو سِنَانٍ الدُّؤَلِيُّ كَذَا قَالَ عَبْدُ الْجَلِيلِ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ وَسُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ جَمِيعًا عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ وَقَالَ عُقَيْلٌ عَنْ سِنَانٍ .
Read it in the hadith library 2 Sahih al-Bukhari 1521 Authentic collection
The point of the hadith: Whoever performs Hajj for Allah, with no obscenity and no disobedience, returns as on the day his mother bore him.
Read the Arabic text
حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا سَيَّارٌ أَبُو الْحَكَمِ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا حَازِمٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " مَنْ حَجَّ لِلَّهِ فَلَمْ يَرْفُثْ وَلَمْ يَفْسُقْ رَجَعَ كَيَوْمِ وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ ".
Read it in the hadith library 3 Sahih al-Bukhari 8 Authentic collection
The point of the hadith: Islam is built on five: the testimony of faith, prayer, zakat, Hajj and fasting Ramadan.
Read the Arabic text
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا حَنْظَلَةُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " بُنِيَ الإِسْلاَمُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، وَإِقَامِ الصَّلاَةِ، وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ، وَالْحَجِّ، وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ ".
Read it in the hadith library This is general information, not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar.
Fiqh questions
Hajj: who must perform it
Allah says that pilgrimage to the House is a duty owed to Him by people who are able to find a way to it (3:97). The Prophet ﷺ said that Hajj is once, and whoever does more, it is voluntary. Whoever performs Hajj for Allah's sake, without obscenity or disobedience, returns as on the day his mother bore him.
Is this a fatwa?
No. It is a summary of well-known rulings with their evidence. For your own case, ask a qualified scholar.
What if my school differs from this answer?
Follow the view of the school you follow and the scholar who teaches you. The page lists the differences of the four schools.
