Dr. Asiya Staff asked 1 week ago
I live in Saudi Arabia, near Riyadh. I want to perform Hajj with my husband this year. I have a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son.
According to the Saudi Ministry, bringing children to Hajj is prohibited, and we have no one here who can look after them in our absence. Is it possible for me to travel to Makkah for Hajj with a group of women without a mahram? And could my husband stay home to care for the children? Hajj here only lasts for five days.
1 Answers
Dr. Asiya Staff answered 1 week ago
The reality of the matter is that while Hajj is obligatory for both men and women, Sharia has established certain conditions for its capability (Istita'ah). If those conditions are not met, the obligation of Hajj is waived until the requirements set by Sharia are fulfilled.
For women, one of these conditions is the presence of a Mahram; this is a fundamental requirement. When your Mahram is not with you, Hajj is not even obligatory upon you at that time.
This is supported by a Hadith: "There was an Ansariya woman who could not join the Hajj. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked her, 'O Umm Fulan, what prevented you from performing Hajj with us?' She replied that they only had two camels: one for her husband and son to use for Hajj, and the other was needed to irrigate their land. The Prophet (peace be upon him) then told her that when Ramadan comes, she should perform Umrah, for the reward of Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to performing Hajj (with him)."
Allah knows best
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