Q 1: It is known that Hajj has become very difficult for women nowadays. Is it one of the wife’s rights on her husband to make her perform Hajj, like her right of Nafaqah (obligatory financial support)? If this is a right that she has on her husband, is it permissible to perform Hajj on her behalf while she is still alive, should the expenses for Hajj be taken from her money or from her husband’s money, or should her husband delay performing Hajj on her behalf until after death?

A: It is not obligatory upon a husband to pay for the expenses of his wife’s Hajj, in the same way that it is obligatory on him to pay for her food, clothes, and housing. He may, however, undertake it out of good companionship and noble manners, and if he does so, he has to support her financially on the Hajj journey at the same level as he supports her when she is with him at home. (Part No. 11; Page No. 95) If she is physically and financially capable of performing Hajj, and her husband or a Mahram (spouse or unmarriageable male relative) can accompany her, it is obligatory on her to perform Hajj herself. If she is unable to go on Hajj herself, due to old age or an incurable disease, she may deputize someone to perform it on her behalf from her own money. If she dies without having performed Hajj, it should be performed on her behalf from her estate.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.