Q: What is the ruling on a person who comes to Makkah during the Hajj season and finds a chance to perform Hajj but has not made the intention to perform it from the country he set out from? Is it permissible for this person to perform Hajj in this circumstance?

A: A person who comes to Makkah for work, visiting or similar purposes and then makes the intention to perform Hajj after his arrival in Makkah, is permitted to enter Ihram (ritual state for Hajj or `Umrah) for Hajj from the place where he resolves the intention of performing Hajj, even if his intention is made while being in Makkah itself. If he makes the intention to perform Hajj when he sets out from his country and then enters Makkah during the months of Hajj, but without starting Ihram for Hajj, he should return to the Miqat (site for entering the ritual state for Hajj or `Umrah) by which he has passed to enter Ihram for Hajj from that place. If he enters Ihram beyond the Miqat, his Hajj is valid, yet he has to offer Dam (sacrificial animal offered as an atonement) to make up for the missed part of the ritual. The sacrificial animal should be slaughtered in Makkah and its meat should be distributed among the poor of Al-Haram (all areas within the Sacred Sanctuary of Makkah).May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.