Issue 971: Pilgrimage (Hajj) means to visit the House of Allah (Ka’bah) and to perform all those worships which have been ordered to be performed there. It only becomes obligatory to a person once in their lifetime if they fulfill the following conditions:

1- They must be mature.

2- They must be sane and free.

3- They must not commit an illegal act or abandon an obligatory one whose commitment or abandonment count as more important than the Hajj itself, in order to make a pilgrimage to Mecca.

4- They must be capable of performing the Hajj.

Issue 972: Factors which indicate one’s capability for Hajj are as follows:

1- One must possess provisions and necessities and means of transportation, or have enough money to provide them.

2- One must be healthy and strong enough to go to Mecca and perform the acts of worship.

3- There must be no obstacle on the way. If the way is blocked, or if one fears that they will lose their life or reputation, or if they fear that they will be robbed of their property, it will not be obligatory for them to go on the pilgrimage; but if they can take another route to Mecca, they should take it even if it is a longer one; however, the other route should not cause a lot of hardship and it should not be very uncommon.

4- They must have enough time to perform all the acts of worship.

5- They must have sufficient money to meet the needs and expenses of their dependents whose expenses are obligatory for them to undertake, such as one’s wife and children as well as who are known by people as to be liable for such payments.

6- They must have some means of making their living like one’s making profit from one’s property, farming etc. so that they may not lead a life of hardship when they return home Hajj.

Issue 673: If a wife can go to Mecca on pilgrimage, but she does not have any property herself to make her living on it, and her husband is so poor so that he cannot provide her subsistence, and she has to lead a life of hardship when she comes back from Hajj, it will not be obligatory for her to go on pilgrimage.

Issue 974: If a person becomes capable of going on pilgrimage but they don’t go to Mecca and then become poor, they should go on pilgrimage against all odds; and if they cannot go on pilgrimage at all, and if someone hires them for the Hajj, they should go to Mecca and perform the worships on behalf of that person and stay there for a year if possible and make their own pilgrimage; but if they are hired and paid in cash to make the pilgrimage on behalf of a person who agrees about their pilgrimage to be made the next year, they should, in the first year, make their own pilgrimage and then make the pilgrimage on behalf of the person who has hired them for that the next year.

Issue 975: If a person does not go on pilgrimage the first year they become capable of making it, and then they cannot make it due to old age, weakness, or illness, and do not hope that, in the future, they are able to make it, they should send someone else to Mecca to make the pilgrimage on their behalf; it is also a recommended precaution to do so if they can financially afford the pilgrimage but cannot go to Mecca due to old age, illness or weakness, and they do not lose hope to make it later.

Issue 976: It is recommended for a person who goes on pilgrimage to go to Medina to visit the shrines of the Holy Prophet(A.S.) Her Holiness Fatimat-al-Zahra (A.S.) And graves of the Holy Imams (A.S) buried in Baqee’ Cemetery, and the other sacred places. There is a quotation from His Holiness Imam Sadiq (A.S) which says”, anyone of you that makes pilgrimage may end it with a visit to our graves and this visit counts as the complement to Hajj.”

Issue 977: It is a recommended precaution to pay a visit to the shrines and graves of the Holy prophet and the Infallible Imams, and it does not matter if it is from far or near, or if it is short (e.g. saying, “Assalamu alayka ya Rasulallah”) or lengthy (e.g. reciting the prescribed salutes and prayers); it is also recommended to offer two Rak’ats of prayers at the same place (the Holy shrine or Grave); however, it will also suffice if they offer such prayer elsewhere.

Q978: Is it allowable to sell and transfer one’s Hajj registration bill if one who has registered for Hajj a few years ago (when they could afford the pilgrimage), but now that their turn has come, they are not able to afford it?

A: Such people are not considered capable of going on Hajj anymore. Therefore, it is allowable for them to sell their registration bill to someone else. However, if once they were capable of going on Hajj, and the government offered them the means and facilities to do so, but they did not make it, it will remain obligatory for them to go on Hajj even if they suffer many hardships.

Q979: A woman has some ornamental jewelry selling which she can afford to go on Hajj. Is she considered capable of making the pilgrimage?

A: Ornamental jewelry does not count for a woman’s capability to go on Hajj.