Sayyiduna Abu Musa Al Ash’ari (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Among the greatest of sins in Allah’s sight which a man commits, after the major sins which Allah has prohibited, is that a man should die while in debt, without making any [arrangement] for it to be paid off.” (Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith: 3335)
Question:
Is it permissible for someone to do Haj or Umrah when they are in debt? Should someone hold off on doing Umrah and Haj until they pay back the debt?
Answer:
If a person’s debts are structured in monthly instalments and those payments are being maintained, then it would be permissible to perform Hajj and Umrah despite having such debt.
However, if the debt is interest-bearing, then it should be settled before going for Hajj or Umrah, as it is obligatory to free oneself from the burden of interest as soon as possible.
Rasulullah (ﷺ) cursed the one who consumes riba and the one who pays it. (Sahih Muslim #1598)
If the debt is not structured as a long-term repayment arrangement, then the debt should first be paid off, or permission should be sought from one’s creditors before undertaking Hajj or Umrah.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Mufti Muhammed Hamza Farooqui
Mufti Taahir Hansa
Fatwa Department
Jamiatul Ulama (KZN)
(The answer hereby given is specifically based on the question asked and should be read together with the question asked. Islamic rulings on this Q&A newsletter are answered in accordance to the Hanafi Fiqh unless otherwise stated.)