Monday, 28 April 2025

Proxy Hajj and Ethical Precepts from the Farewell Pilgrimage


بَابُ حَجِّ الْمَرْأَةِ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ

حديث 531

عن ابنِ عبّاسٍ رضي الله عنهما، قَالَ: كَانَ الْفَضْلُ رَدِيفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ (وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: وَكَانَ الْفَضْلُ رَجُلًا وَضِيئًا، فَوَقَفَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لِلنَّاسِ يُفْتِيهِمْ)، فَجَاءَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ خَثْعَمٍ (وَفِي رِوَايَة: وَضِيئَةٌ، فَجَعَلُ الْفَضْلُ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهَا، وَتَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ (وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: وَأَعْجَبَهُ حُسْنُهَا)، وَجَعَلَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَصْرِفُ وَجْهَ الْفَضْلِ إِلَى الشِّقِّ الآخَرِ، فَقَالَتْ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! إِنَّ فَرِيضَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ فِي الْحَجِّ أَدْرَكَتْ أَبِي شَيْخًا كَبيرًا لَا يَثْبُتُ عَلَى الرَّاحِلَةِ أَفْأَحُجُّ عَنْهُ؟ قَالَ: نَعَم. وَذَلِكَ فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ.

(وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: أَنَّ امْرَأَةً مِنْ جُهَيْنَةَ جَاءَتْ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ، فَقَالَتْ: إِنَّ أُمِّي نَذَرْتُ أَنْ تَحُجَّ فَلَمْ تَحُجَّ حَتَّى مَاتَتْ، أَفَأَحُجُّ عَنْهَا؟ قَالَ: نَعَم، حُجِّي عَنْهَا، أَرَأَيْتِ لَوْ كَانَ عَلَى أُمِّكِ دَينٌ أَكُنْتِ قَاضِيَةً؟ اقْضُوا اللَّهَ، فَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ بِالْوَفَاءِ).

(وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: أَتَى رَجُلٌ، قَالَ: إِنَّ أُخْتِي نَذَرْتُ أَنْ تَحُجَّ وَإِنَّهَا مَاتَتْ...). [وَلِمُسْلِمٍ مِنْ حَدِيثِ بُرَيْدَةَ رّضي الله عنها: أَنَّ امْرَأَةً أَتَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، وَذَكَرَتْ أَنَّ أُمَّهَا مَاتَتْ، وَقالتْ: إِنَّ أُمِّي لَمْ تَحُجَّ قَطُّ، أَفَأَحُجُّ عَنْهَا؟ قَالَ : حُبِّي عَنْهَا].

 
              Chapter Five: The Permissibility of a Woman Performing Hajj on Behalf of a Man
Hadith 531

Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them): Al-Fadl was riding pillion behind the Messenger of Allah . (In another narration: Al-Fadl is described as a man of striking appearance, and the Prophet had halted to respond to the inquiries of the people). A woman from the tribe of Khath'am approached (according to another narration: she was of remarkable beauty), whereupon Al-Fadl began gazing at her, and she likewise at him (in another narration: he was taken by her comeliness). The Prophet persistently redirected Al-Fadl’s gaze towards the opposite side. The woman addressed the Prophet , saying:

"O Messenger of Allah! The obligation of Hajj, which Allah has enjoined upon His servants, has become incumbent upon my father, yet he is an aged man unable to remain steady upon a mount. Shall I perform Hajj on his behalf?" The Prophet replied: "Yes". This exchange occurred during the Farewell Pilgrimage.

(Another narration recounts: A woman from the tribe of Juhaynah approached the Prophet and said: "My mother had vowed to perform Hajj but passed away before fulfilling it. May I perform Hajj on her behalf?" The Prophet responded: "Yes, perform Hajj on her behalf. Consider: were your mother indebted to someone, would you not have settled the debt on her behalf? Then fulfil your obligation to Allah, for indeed, Allah is more deserving of having His dues fulfilled.")

(Another narration reports: A man approached and said: "My sister had vowed to perform Hajj, but she has died...").

(And in a narration transmitted by Muslim on the authority of Buraidah (may Allah be pleased with her): A woman came to the Messenger of Allah and said: "My mother died without ever having performed Hajj. Shall I perform Hajj on her behalf?" He replied: "Perform Hajj on her behalf.")

Key Lessons from the Hadith

1.     Substitution in Acts of Worship (النيابة في العبادات)

This Hadith firmly establishes the permissibility of fulfilling obligatory acts of worship, such as Hajj, on behalf of individuals who are permanently incapacitated or deceased.
It further confirms that acts associated with financial expenditure (such as the pilgrimage) may be performed vicariously.

2.     Application of Analogy (Qiyās) and Evidential Reasoning (Istidlāl)

The Prophet employed an analogy, likening the fulfilment of divine obligations to the repayment of debts. This application of Qiyās illustrates the methodology by which juristic rulings are extrapolated and underscores the imperative of fulfilling the rights owed to Allah with the same diligence as settling human debts.

3.     The General Principle of Facilitation (رفع الحرج)

Islamic law seeks to remove hardship: since the father/mother could not perform Hajj themselves, others are allowed to perform it on their behalf.

4.     Respect for Context and Circumstances

Shariah takes into account the condition of individuals (e.g., old age, death), allowing for alternative ways to fulfill duties when direct performance is impossible.

5.     The Binding Nature of Vows (نَذْرٌ)

The narrations elucidate that a vow (nadhr) imposes a binding religious duty, the fulfilment of which remains obligatory even posthumously through the agency of another.

6.     Prioritisation of Divine Obligations (حقوق الله)

The Prophet emphatically highlighted the precedence of fulfilling Allah’s rights over interpersonal claims, establishing a cardinal principle within the disciplines of Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh.

7.     Regulation of Intergender Interaction

The Prophet’s redirection of Al-Fadl’s gaze serves as an exemplar of practical measures to uphold modesty and to avert unlawful attraction (fitnah), thereby setting an enduring ethical standard for gender interactions within the public sphere.

8.     The Doctrine of Agency in Worship (وكالة)

The permissibility of proxy performance of Hajj is grounded in the broader legal framework of agency (wakālah) in acts of worship, a concept well-recognised and circumscribed within Islamic jurisprudence.

9.     The Urgency of Proxy Fulfilment

    The narrations convey the imperative of promptly discharging obligatory acts through a proxy when necessary, thereby ensuring the timely fulfilment of religious duties without undue delay.

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