Fard Hajj or marriage of daughter! What to do first?

Darulifta Ahlesunnat

(Dawateislami)

Question

What do respected scholars of Islam say about the following issue? If someone has a young daughter and Hajj becomes Fard upon him, so should he go to perform Hajj or he should first marry his daughter to someone? Some people say that they will first fulfil the responsibility of the marriage of their daughter and then they will go to perform Hajj. They have not yet found a match for their daughter. They are trying to do. Is it permissible to delay Hajj for this reason?

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

If Hajj has been Fard upon a person, it is Fard upon him to go to perform Hajj the same year. Not performing Hajj the same year without any Shari’ah-approved reason is a sin. Islamic jurists have issued the ruling that there are certain valid reasons due to which performing Hajj is not Fard but they have not included the marriage of a daughter in them. Therefore, the person delaying the Hajj for this reason will be sinner. If he does not perform Hajj for some years, he will become Faasiq. His testimony will be rejected. However, when he performs Hajj, it will be fulfilled and it will not be considered ‘Qada’.[قضاء]

Some people are under the impression that they will run out of money for meeting the expenses of the marriages of their daughters if they go to perform Hajj. Remember! Spending a lot of money on marriages is neither Fard nor obligatory. In some cases, it may even be sin such as spending money on songs, music and impermissible traditions. Therefore, one should marry his daughter to someone with simplicity conforming to Shari’ah, which does not need a lot of money to be spent. Moreover, performing Hajj does not cause destitution but rather Hajj makes the Hajj-performing person Ghani(prosperous). Therefore, perform Hajj and make Du’a at sacred places. Merciful Allah عَزَّوَجَلّ will create better means.

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Answered by:Mufti Muhammad Hashim Khan Attari