Hajj and Umrah
on behalf of others

Hajj and Umrah by proxy are established by the Sunnah and confirmed by the great scholars of Islam.

Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen (رحمه الله) — Liqa' al-Bab al-Maftuh no. 152

Part 1

Hajj and Umrah by proxy are permissible

The hadith of Shubrumah shows that the Prophet ﷺ permitted pilgrimage by proxy.

The hadith of Shubrumah

The Prophet ﷺ heard a man saying: “Labbayk on behalf of Shubrumah.”

The Prophet ﷺ asked: “Who is Shubrumah?”

He replied: “A brother of mine.”

The Prophet ﷺ asked: “Have you performed Hajj for yourself?”

He said: “No.”

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Perform Hajj for yourself, then perform Hajj on behalf of Shubrumah.”

Reported by Abu Dawud (no. 1811) — authenticated by Sheikh Al-Albani

open_in_newSource (in French): 3ilm char3i

Part 2

Consensus of the main schools of jurisprudence

The three main Sunni schools agree that Hajj by proxy is permissible, even by someone who is not a relative.

Hanbali schoolImam Ahmad ibn Hanbal

Source: Al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah, Volume 3

“It is permissible to appoint a non-relative for Hajj, just as it is permissible to appoint a relative, because it is a right that may be delegated; kinship is therefore not a condition, as with the repayment of a debt.”

Evidence cited: the hadith of the man performing Hajj for Shubrumah — the Prophet ﷺ did not ask about his kinship, only whether he had performed his own Hajj. (Abu Dawud no. 1811)

Shafi'i schoolImam Ash-Shafi'i

Source: Al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhdhab by An-Nawawi, Volume 7

“The position of our school is that it is permissible to perform Hajj by proxy for someone who has died or for a living person unable to perform it themselves. It is valid for a non-relative to perform it, even if they are not family, because it is the settling of a right.”

Evidence cited: the hadith of the woman from Juhaynah — “If your mother had a debt, would you not pay it? Pay the debt of Allah.” (Al-Bukhari no. 1852)

Hanafi schoolImam Abu Hanifa

Source: Bada'i al-Sana'i by Al-Kasani, Volume 2

“If he sends someone else to perform Hajj, this is permissible because the act is delegated out of necessity due to inability. Kinship is not a condition, because the proxy is based on the instruction of the one who appoints.”

Evidence cited: the hadith of the woman from Khath'am — the Prophet ﷺ permitted Hajj for her elderly father without requiring the performer to be the sole heir. (Al-Bukhari no. 1513)

Words of Imam An-Nawawi

Al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhdhab — Volume 7, page 121 (Chapter on Hajj)

“It is permissible for a non-relative to perform Hajj for someone who has died or for a living person who is permanently physically unable, even if this non-relative has not been authorised by the heirs. This is valid and frees the deceased from their obligation, because it is a debt that a non-relative may repay, just as they may repay their financial debts.”

Sharh Sahih Muslim — Volume 9, page 115

“Our school (Shafi'i), as well as that of Ahmad (Ibn Hanbal) and the majority of scholars, hold that Hajj by proxy is only valid if the person performing it has already performed their own obligatory Hajj. If they have not, the Hajj counts for themselves and not for the person who appointed them.”

The view of Sheikh Ibn Baz

Sheikh Ibn Baz (رحمه الله) was asked precisely about this question:

“Is Hajj on behalf of others permissible in general, or is it restricted to family?”

He answered clearly:

“Hajj on behalf of others is not restricted to family. It is permissible for family and for those who are not family, because the Messenger (ﷺ) likened it to a debt, which shows that it is permissible for family and for others.”

Majmu' Fatawa Ibn Baz, 16/423

May the person performing the pilgrimage for someone else receive money?

Sheikh Ibn Baz (رحمه الله) was asked about money given to the person who performs Hajj on behalf of another:

“If a person performs Hajj on behalf of a Muslim, the latter's guardian gives him a sum of money and part of it remains, may he use it, given that the guardian let him keep it, or must he return it?”

He answered:

“Yes. If he gave him the money to perform Hajj with it and let him keep the rest, there is no harm: he uses it as he wishes, spends what is needed and uses the rest for his own needs. […] If he told him: ‘it is yours, whether some remains or not’, he does not need to return it: it is his money to use, once he has fulfilled the duty.”

Fatwa no. 7321, Nur 'ala ad-Darb, translated from Arabic — binbaz.org.sa

The scholars’ quotations above are English translations of the French renderings shown on our French page. For a specific situation, please consult a qualified scholar.

Learn more