Q: Some people say it's better to give money to poor instead Qof performing Hajj. ?ey don't go for Hajj by showing this logic that there are many poor around and they prefer to give money to them. Is that allowed?
A: A Muslim's ultimate objective of existence is submission Ato Allah Ta'ala. Allah Ta'ala says: وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ (سورة الذاريات)
I did not create the Jinns and the human beings except for the purpose that they should worship me.
In another Surah Allah Ta'ala mentions: الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ (سورة الملك)
The One who created death and life, so that He may test you as to which of you is better in his deeds. And he is the All-Mighty, the Most- forgiving The message of the above verses and many others that the Ulama have distilled is that, Allah, the Giver of prosperity and poverty in his ultimate and absolute wisdom, has designed the circumstances of our existence to test our unquestioning submission to him.
Neither is charity intrinsically a virtue, without the acceptance and approval of Allah Ta'ala, nor is any other religious or social act. Any act earns its virtue or otherwise only through Allah (Ta'ala) affording it such virtue or status.
Our duty, as Muslims, is to submit to what the command of Allah Ta'ala is in any given circumstance. If it is to fulfil the need of the
poor by sacrificing one's own comforts and extravagance, then this done sincerely, will insha'allah be virtuous, not in its own right
but due to fulfilling the dictate of the occasion. Similarly, if the command of Allah Ta'ala is to ful?l His right of Hajj, then no
amount of charity could be recognized as virtuous, if it is done contrary to the command of Allah Ta'ala at the cost of missing
Hajj.
صلى الله عليه وسل م " مَنْ مَلَكَ زَادًا وَرَاحِلَةً ? عَنِ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ ا َِّ
َ يَقُولُ فِي ? وَلَمْ يَحُجَّ فَلاَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَمُوتَ يَهُودِيًّا أَوْ نَصْرَانِيًّا وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ ا َّ ? تُبَلِّغُهُ إِلَى بَيْتِ ا َِّ
عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِي لاً ) ? كِتَاب هِ : (وَ َِِّ
The Messenger of Allah r said: "Whoever has the provisions and the means to convey him to Allah's House and he does not perform Hajj, then it does not matter if he dies as a Jew or a Christian. That is because Allah said in His Book: 'And Hajj to
the House is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, for whomever is able to bear the journey.' (Jami` at-Tirmidhi - 810)
Allah Ta'ala Knows Best
Shafiq Jakhura (Mufti) M.D. Mangera (Mufti)
Fatwa Dept. Fatwa Dept.
