if a person has epilepsy – is Hajj obligatory for him?

[allah is with me]

if a man who has suffered epilepsy for 17 years, and it has not stabilized even though he take medication. A seizure may strike at any time, and it is not regular, and he wet himself (during seizures). he want to ask you about Hajj in his case. Is it permissible for him to send someone to do Hajj on his behalf, knowing that he owe his brothers a lot of money and they will inherit from him as he do not have any children? if they have already let him off for the debt, which was for his treatment.

 

[sandra canada]

Assalamu Alikum wahrmu Allah wabaraktu i Ask Allah to recovery him soon Ameen

Praise be to Allaah.

Allaah says in His Holy Book:

“. . . Hajj to the House [Ka‘bah] is a duty that mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence]; and whoever disbelieves, then Allaah stands not in need of any of the ‘Aalameen [mankind and jinn].” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:97]

The scholars’ discussion of the ability to perform Hajj revolves around the availability of a means of transport and sufficient money for the journey there and back, as well as sufficient funds to cover one’s family’s needs during one’s absence, freedom from debt, good health, security on the way, and - for women - a mahram (blood relative within the prohibited degrees of marriage, or a husband).

The issue of your Muslim friend revolves around the question of health, so we will focus on this matter here:

With regard to the interpretation of the aayah (verse of the Qur’aan) quoted above, ‘Ikrimah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “Sabeel [paraphrased in the phrase ‘those who can afford the expenses’] means health.” (Tafseer Ibn Katheer).

One of the conditions of Hajj being obligatory is that a person should be free of physical illness and disability that would prevent him from performing Hajj. If a person is suffering from a chronic illness, permanent disability, paralysis (that makes him unable to walk) or is very old and unable to move about, then there is no obligation to perform Hajj.

If a person is able to perform Hajj with the help of another, then it becomes a duty to perform Hajj when such help is available. (al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 17/34).

Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy on him, said: “There may be different categories of ability. Sometimes a person may be able to perform Hajj by himself, and sometimes with the help of others, as is stated in the books of Ahkaam (Islamic rulings).” (Tafseer of the aayah previously quoted).

Whoever suffers from a permanent disability that prevents him from performing Hajj must appoint someone to perform Hajj on his behalf. If his disability is not permanent, then he should wait until he has recovered, then perform Hajj for himself; he is not permitted to appoint someone to perform Hajj on his behalf.

Ruling on performing Hajj before paying off debts

One of the conditions of Hajj is that one should be able to do it, which includes being financially able. Whoever owes a debt and is being asked to repay it in the sense that his creditors will not let him go for Hajj until after he has paid off the debt should not go for Hajj, because he is not able to. But if they are not asking him to repay and he knows that they don’t mind, then he may go for Hajj and his Hajj will be valid. It is also permissible to go for Hajj if there is no set time limit for repayment of the debt and he is allowed to repay when it is easy for him. Hajj may be a good thing that may lead to his paying off the debt. And Allaah knows best.


See Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 11/46; Fataawa Islamiyyah, 2/190.