Q: After a man's mother died, he contributed towards a voluntary Hajj for her, and hired someone to perform this task. The person traveled on a bus that carries pilgrims for free. Another person hired a man to perform the obligatory Hajj for (Part No. 11; Page No. 83) a deceased man who, prior to his death, had asked his trustee to employ someone to perform Hajj on his behalf. That man also traveled on a bus that carries pilgrims for free. Do these performances of Hajj suffice and discharge the obligation in both cases?

A: As long as the person who is employed to perform the Hajj for someone else performs it in the manner required of pilgrims by Allah, they have discharged the responsibility of performing Hajj entrusted to them, whether they pay for the transport, take free transport, or go by foot. This Hajj is sufficient for the deceased, whether it is an obligatory Hajj or a voluntary Hajj, because going to Makkah and the places of the sacred rites is just a means to perform the rituals, and the real purpose is performing the Hajj itself, whether it is obligatory or voluntary. If the Pillars and obligations are performed in the way ordained by Allah, this is enough to discharge the responsibility, regardless of the means of transport used to reach Makkah. However, a Muslim should not make performing the acts of ‘Ibadah (worship) that they do on behalf of others a means of worldly income, as this is not good morally.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.