Mohammed Faqih – Chai Talk Season of Hajj and Q&A
AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the importance of performing Hajj as soon as possible, rather than waiting for later, and the cultural and political implications of it. They stress the need for financial freedom and willingness to perform it, as it is necessary to avoid reckless behavior. The speakers also discuss the importance of performing the defensive hedge and avoiding reckless behavior, and address the shortage of talented individuals in the US. They emphasize the importance of doing it on behalf of others and finding someone who has performed it on their own and in a trustworthy manner.
AI: Summary ©
The three questions that
that I would like to entertain tonight and address. Question number one, we know hedges. an obligation is fault, right? It's one of the pillars of Islam. As in the Hadith says Islam was structured upon five pillars. Now
who and when are you obligated to perform Hajj?
Who is obligated to perform Hajj. And when, obviously,
Hajj is an obligation upon
every Muslim,
every adult, someone who has reached the age of puberty and who has the mental capacity, and has both the physical and the financial ability to perform it.
So any person who has the physical, financial and mental capacity to perform Hajj any Muslim,
that person is obligated to perform Hajj. Now, when like how soon? Is it immediate? Or is it deferred?
Can you perform Hajj anytime you want meaning in the future when it's convenient? Is there flexibility? Or are you supposed to perform Hajj as soon as you possess the means?
And this is a matter of debate amongst the scholars.
This whole concept of
is had an obligation immediately, or is it something that is done based on your convenience or whenever you can, it's a matter of debate now.
According to the MaHA Vela, our teachers and our Messiah and an opinion within the Hanafi school of film, as a matter of fact, it's the email Abu Hanifa has opinion now behind his personal opinion.
And one of the narrations to all the Abu Yusuf who's one of the major students of Imam Abu Hanifa.
And also, it's an opinion within the Maliki school of thought when I say within that doesn't mean that it's the mainstream or the official stance of the metal hub itself. But I just wanted to want you to see how wide
or or how popular this opinion is, right.
And many of the many of the contemporary scholars are of the opinion that it's actually an obligation immediately. It's an immediate obligation. As soon as you have the capacity, the ability and the means to perform Hajj. Once you have the opportunity to perform hajj, you must and you should perform how you right away
unless you have a valid reason.
Now, again, this is not necessarily the madhhab of a Shafilea like many of our teachers, my teachers traditionally, or the madhhab have the enough like the mainstream opinion within the high enough school of fifth or within the Maliki School of Film.
The opinion there is that it's actually what they call what they would say at a Telavi
it's really an obligation, you're obligated to perform Hajj as long as you possess the means. But it's up to you when to perform it. You can do it as soon as you can, or whenever it's convenient, right? However, they say if a person becomes negligent, but you have the ability, you have the capacity, you don't have anything but your schedule is wide open and the like you know No, I don't feel like doing it in the month of July is too hot. I'll wait 10 years 20 years, I can do it anytime I want. Right? And then the person misses the opportunity for some reason. There are some scholars who are of the opinion that that person has an ulcer that person has indeed fallen short, and that
person has committed a sin.
Right. So practically speaking,
as soon as you possess the means, and you have the ability and the capacity to perform hajj, you should hasten and perform Hajj or almost there's consensus amongst the mazahub that it's better to do that.
And that is why that's where the famous statement comes from her Joe Kabila to hurt you perform hedge as soon as you can, before you can no longer perform hedge. Some people think that no, I'm gonna you know, put it off until I'm ready.
or until I'm old. And by then they may they may lose either the mental capacity, the
physical capacity or the financial means to perform Hajj. So they miss out on this, you know, once in a lifetime, very important obligation in our religion.
Right? Keep in mind, my dear brothers and sisters, that less than 1% of the world's
Muslim population, the global Muslim population performance hedge
for practically not everyone is able to do Hajj. So if you have the means to perform hajj
and you have the opportunity to do it, you're up, you're part of that less than 1%.
Right. There are so many people that actually it takes them, you know that they it takes a lifetime of saving in order for them to perform Hajj. And there are people who have the financial and the physical ability, but they cannot because wherever they live, unlike those of us who live here in the United States of America, they have to wait for their turn. Or they have to wait until they are within that age group that is allowed to perform Hajj.
And it really hurts. You know, it really like it's painful for me to see people whom Allah azza wa jal has blessed with health and wealth. And they have
you know, they have the paperwork they have they have citizenship that allows them to get a visa any here they want.
And they have the the freedom to perform hajj, and they just delay it. They put it off.
When not not yet. I don't feel like it. Well, I have the villa.
This is not a good sign.
And I can't tell you what are you one of the stories that brought tears to my eyes is Dr. Mohamed Salah one time shared with us. The story of someone that used to say outperform whenever I want
and I'm going I can afford the most luxurious most convenient hedge package
twice.
Each time paid 10s of 1000s of dollars.
And he failed twice. Without going into details. So much so that he started crying.
And he ended up not performing twice. He was prevented from performing Hajj.
He thought he had everything lined up for himself. It didn't happen. And he said Allah subhanaw taala must be punishing me for that statement that I made. arrogantly
and only those, those whom Allah azza wa jal welcomes those who
are given permission by Allah subhanaw taala and chosen are the ones who do that. So whenever you have the opportunity to do it, jump on it. And guess what? We're just gonna get older, weaker, right? And if we have the financial means we may lose it. And even if you have the financial means, remember what happened last year and the year before global pandemic global war may Allah Subhana Allah preservice May Allah save the world from the recklessness and from the madness that is happening that we see globally, anything could happen that holds hedge. So as soon as you have the opportunity to perform hajj, do it.
So that's that's the message.
The second question, what if I have the financial means but at the same time, I have deferred debts? I have long term debts, house payment, car payments, student loan, different things that are not all do.
Is it better, that I pay off a good portion of my debt or perform Hajj? And
can I do that? First of all, can I do that? And if I can, then what is better to pay to pay off the debt or to to perform hedge with that money? Well, so that question has two parts, part number one, can you perform hedge if you have debt? If there's
if you owe someone money?
Yes.
Given that you seek the permission
of the person you owe money to, if the person that you owe money to gives you permission to perform hajj, then you may perform Hajj. So it is permissible, right.
contingent on permission from the person that you owe money to. But what about those long term loans where we make payment
as scholars said these these life, some of them can take 30 years.
These loans do not.
They're deferred. They're not do they do not disqualify you from performing hedge because we do other things, you know, we pay as a car, we do different things, right? That we can't use the, the, this this loan as an excuse not to perform. However, they said you must be able to write, pay your due
payment, whatever payments, you have the installment that is due, right,
this month, and next month, you must be able to prove to do that, and you must have enough also that sustains your family. So if you're financially in a state where you can for a couple of months, take care of your family obligations, and pay off your installments. Right, and on top of that you can afford to perform hajj, then by all means you may perform Hajj so you can perform Hajj.
The third question
what if someone has does not have the capacity to perform hedge any longer or someone passed away before they performed hedge? What is that person exempt from hedge.
Now, if a person does not have the their life and they don't have the physical capacity to perform hajj, they're not obligated to perform Hajj.
Because Allah subhanaw taala says many so far lady Sabina, so they may have the money but they don't have the what the physical ability to do Hajj, they're not obligated.
However,
if they choose to have someone perform hajj on their behalf, they may they may do so.
So they can actually ask someone to do it voluntarily or pay someone to perform hajj on their behalf. Likewise, if a person dies, without performing Hajj, right, one of the best things that you can do for that individual, especially if it's a parent, and in my opinion, my humble opinion, if it's a parent, then it becomes an obligation.
Right if you have the ability, if you have the financial ability on behalf of your parents, or your grandparents, who have not performed Hajj, one of the best things that you can do for them after they pass away is to fulfill their Hajj obligation and perform hajj on their behalf. And it actually reaches in the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam approved of it with the condition that the person performing Hajj has fulfilled their obligation.
As in the famous statement, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam heard one of the Sahaba say Ella Baker. Here I am Oh ALLAH and sugar mama.
So the province Arsalan said, Woman show Brahma who's your Brahma that you are performing hajj on his behalf. He said my brother he passed away without performing Hajj. So the process I'll tell him I asked him, he said, did you perform Hajj yourself? He said no messenger of Allah. This is the first time he said then her Jan Neff sick, then perform hajj on your own behalf, fulfill your obligation, and then you can perform hajj on behalf of your brother.
And from that the scholar said, as long as you have fulfilled your obligation, you may perform hajj on behalf of a relative or a friend.
May Allah subhanaw taala accept and may Allah subhanaw taala forgive us our sins. Remember that the Prophet SAW said and said I'll help you in my role Lai Salah who Jana a sound accepted hedge has no reward except Jana. woman had Jeff LM er fourth one and we have so clever performs hedging does not violate hedge. Roger, I mean, zubi he, that person will come back from out of their sins Kiyomi well, who are more like the day his mother gave birth to him or her? So may Allah azza wa jal allow you and I to experience that. And for those who are kind of hesitant, and they're overwhelmed, and they find, you know, oh my god hedged must be a big deal. Some people think that after how they're
gonna die or getting hurt, they're gonna die. I don't know where that came from, which is one of the most wonderful experiences that you can have. And as those people who have performed Hajj, ask those people who perform Hajj every year as those of us whom Allah azza wa jal has blessed with the opportunity to perform Hajj multiple times how we feel out of place every time the high season comes. And we're not in Mecca. We're not in Ottawa, we're not in MENA. We feel out of place. We feel that we feel empty. You feel like you belong there.
And no matter
How much I talk to you about it unless you have experienced it, unless you have lived it, you won't know what I'm talking about. And again, if you have not performed hedge, or if you're a little, you know, hesitant, and you're, you know, some people are, you know, kind of, if someone told me, you know, I want to perform hedging, I have the means, and I have the time and I have everything, but I'm just scared. I'm like, scared of what? I don't know, scared of what this is from Shaytaan until you miss out, and the sooner you make hedge, especially when you have your strength,
right, and when you're when you're at at the peak of your mental and physical ability, right, then then how you will become a very powerful life changing experience. May Allah azza wa jal allow all of us to perform hajj, may Allah subhanahu wa taala accept it from us. May Allah subhanaw taala allow us to perform Hajj this year. And shell and if you remember, Ramadan, first hotbar I told you about the DUA that sister made. Who did not even have she didn't even have the means she's not have the money. Subhana Allah.
Right. And back then this was this is 2014.
Right? 2014 not too long ago, she was able to find a hedge and economy hedge package for $5,000.
Now that's not that's not the case anymore. The lowest I was just looking at the some of the 16,000.
And it's just gonna get more expensive. Hmm.
Well, I heard about that quality level. I know people two years ago, they have the ability to do it three years ago, they had the ability to do it, they could have done it, what half of that price. Now they're there, you know.
And that's why I say Don't delay, don't delay. Just just do it when you have the opportunity. May Allah subhanaw taala is that process for all of us? If you have any question regarding Hajj, or regarding,
you know, anything that I said, any follow up question, please feel free to ask Yes.
Yes.
What's the ruling in Islam for people who are making it hard on others to perform these prices? Airline tickets? I mean,
I think it was like $2,000.
had actually, you cannot find how, you know, hedge tickets or hedge reservation has to be
at what do they call the full fare? So you can't find anything for less than 3000 Depending on where you're flying for. Yeah.
Quad is no longer an option.
Yeah, I think it's like triples, single doubles, everything like that.
Yeah. But this year, it's because you know, the hotels and the accommodation that they have they're at, they're not at full capacity. Even when we went for Umrah. They did not. They were not even at 10% capacity. They don't even have a staff. Because during the COVID year they, you know, most of the expats and the workers were went went to their homelands. And they were not able to bring enough people in time, who basically have the ability, the training, and they have, you know, all the, you know, health restrictions fulfilled and all that. So it's it was a mess. I'm always a mess, you know? Yeah, no no's. All these five star hotels are no longer a five star service. They provide you
with like two and a half. Yeah, yeah. Yes.
Yes.
No, if you have performed Hajj, you have fulfilled Hajj, you're performed Hajj, Hamdulillah. And it was sound, you fulfilled all the rights of Hajj, you did it to the best of your ability, then you have fulfilled your obligation. Even if you have the means.
Someone might say it, let me maybe you're asking, is it good? To perform hedge frequently again, and again, you have the financial stability, yes. Just like it's good to perform Umrah David Rubin and had you on camera, you know whom I am Fanny alpha. The process I'm said it repels poverty. When you follow hedge with Amara, right, so it's it's and you still get the reward. Now.
It's no longer an obligation, right. It's no longer an obligation, someone might say but the promise of the performed he wants in his lifetime. Yeah, that's fine, if you want to, because the problem has died the following year. So a lot is said. So yes, you perform Hajj once in your lifetime if you have other obligations or other places that places that you can allocate other causes you can ama
Que the funds do by all means, do whatever is best for you spiritually. Right. But one thing that we have to be careful of sometimes we look at people who have whose passion is to perform Hajj every year. They love to perform Hajj.
Don't make them feel bad,
right? Don't put them down.
Some people, they're like, Oh, look at this person show off, they go to church every year, they should donate that money to some good cause. Yeah, that's maybe that is their, their, you know, their spiritual cleansing. Maybe that is that is how they, they get through through the stresses of life. If Allah Subhana Allah bless someone with the ability to do that, may Allah Subhana Allah bless him. May Allah Subhana Allah accept from them, as long as they're not.
As long as they're not failing in fulfilling their other obligations. May Allah Subhana Allah
that's, that doesn't apply to us. Here. You see, we are in a very urgent matter of Allah, Allah, Allah who you really have to think, you know, to think hard about this like to to reflect, we are in a special place. I am I'm ashamed of myself. Allah Subhana. Allah will hold us accountable for the blessings and privileges that we have here. In America, we have freedom. We have financial ability, we have a passport that allows you to perform every year. This is unheard of. So So you're really not taking anyone's space. Maybe maybe now, because of the shortage of visas. Yeah, maybe this year, right. But hopefully starting from next year, or two years ago, there was no shortage of visas. So
if someone says, Well, Allah He this year because there's waiting lists, and there are people who have not performed Hajj, I'm going to give my and I performed Hajj once or twice before. I'm going to give my spot to someone else may Allah Subhana Allah bless that person. Yeah, because there is a limited number of visas this year, even for Muslims in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. Yes.
There are some programs that basically help people fulfill their dream of performing hajj. But remember that if the person cannot afford to perform hedge on their own, or they don't have an easy mean to perform it, then they're not obligated to do it. But if someone wants to perform hedge, and they're able to basically secure you're not supposed to borrow money to go ahead. Yeah. But if someone you know,
I tell you, as I said, you never know. Right? Because ultimately who's who's the giver?
Who's the one that invites? Who is the one that allows who's on that welcomes us, if Allah hit Allah, not you know, so So you make dua, you turn to Allah Subhana Allah Allah if your heart is there and you really want to perform it turn to Allah Subhana Allah to Allah and Allah azza wa jal will find a way for you be there like that. And I've seen that happen with multiple people alive people who have who had they did not even possess the means.
But they had confidence in Allah subhanaw taala Yes.
Has been approached from the masjid, for example, for conducting
well,
most major companies are sold out, and some of them have a waiting list from 2019. So they're not even but there are some few that opened up and then there's one particular group from California that that approached me or sent me a message saying that they and I checked with them yesterday to verify whether they have available a sponsor or not, and they do have available spots very limited number I don't think it's going to last because they just launched the they just made the because you see the most of this information was not available. So So if anyone is interested, please contact me and I can forward you the the flyer that they sent me. Right. And I intentionally I'm not
putting it on my social media, because
because I know once it goes there, it's gonna it's gonna be sold out.
Replacement of
hedge Bedell that if you also need more information about that talk to me sha Allah azza wa jal, you know, we'll, we'll see how we can facilitate that. Yes, Michelle? Yes.
The notion that people feel that they they will go to high school and they feel like after high school makes her genius. So for example, after I go to a hunch, I don't want to do 100 until I'm ready to pray five times a day. Or like four sisters. I will go to Hajj and I'll do it.
Java,
stuff like that, that concept itself, is that prevalent. That's actually scholars talk about this, this line of thinking as one of the, one of the tricks of shadecloth as part of the deception of shared plan is actually even classical scholars have addressed this, right? This is this from the deception of Shangela.
You know, you shouldn't pray until
you, you're ready to quit a particular lifestyle.
Right? So Hello, Hola salah.
Right we say Allahu Akbar. We begin Salah by saying in the DUA Allahumma barik benei obeying the hatachi Some people say I'm too ashamed of myself to stand before Allah azza wa jal because I perform you know, I commit sins.
But Salah itself is a way to cleanse yourself from the sense
you should come back to Allah subhanaw taala when he when you commit a sin, you shouldn't say I'm gonna just commit the sins until I'm How are you going to purify yourself from the sin
by coming back to Allah Subhana Allah and one of the best ways to do that is through salah. As a matter of fact, you know, there's two loci that you perform for Toba as well, right? And I'm also Hatha forgives, and somehow one of the drivers that we begin Salah with is Allahabad benei, obeying
Allah distance between me and my sins.
Right. So this is from the deception of chiffon. Likewise, you know, the example that you mentioned, people will say things like, I'm not going to perform Hajj until I'm ready to commit or until I'm ready to make this life, lifestyle change, or until I'm ready to reform or until I'm ready to transform. Hajj in and of itself is transformative. It's a life changing experience. People should go to perform hedge, right? Because you never know.
We don't know how much time we have left. Right. That's the whole that's the whole idea. So, so know, if a person has obviously had
the ability to perform hajj, they have the means to perform Hajj. They should they should do that immediately. This again, concept is and I
and I can't tell you how why. I mean, you know, it's so common.
And, you know, I mean, all these people, it must be the same shaytaan giving them the same idea over and over again.
Right, it's so, so twisted, I'm not ready. I'm not ready. All right. And if a person says I'm not ready, they will never be ready.
Right? But
yeah, Michelle, and I say if you know someone who actually has the means and but that is what they're please get them some help get them you know, help them get counseling, spiritual and religious counseling. So they can resolve this issue, as Jay Paul tried to get in their way in the way to Utah is trying to block them from
right, coming back to Allah subhanaw taala.
And shaytaan has made that very clear in the Quran, Allah subhanaw taala told us that she upon said that I will come at them from every direction from in front of them above the two he didn't say above, because that's you know, Allah will not allow him he said I will come from in front of them try to block them from behind them push them right. Use scare tactics from their right from the left from everywhere.
So this is Caitlin, obviously trying to block them from Access accessing, what are the greatest ways to
to receive the mercy and the forgiveness of Allah? subhanaw taala? Yes.
Yes, you can, you can perform hajj on behalf of
not only can you is highly recommended, and I tell people
it's highly recommended to perform hajj on behalf of your parents starting with
starting with who to the question, Who Who should you start with obviously, you can only perform Hajj for one person at a time you cannot perform Hajj for two people.
Right. So, so if with bother why
is that Hedy Ross has happened as he behaves in this way. So you start with with your mother first and then the father right
Allahumma Allahumma hematoma come out of battle band I say no. Yes
life
is if you have
no
No, it's not an obligation, it's highly recommended. It's an it's a, it's an act of maruf. Now, if they do Asiya
if they write bequeath, if they tell you perform hajj on my behalf, then that's that's a different story. But it's just one of the greatest things that you can do for them just like can we make dua for them? Right? Or we give sadaqa on their behalf? Yeah.
But you have to do your own. Yes.
There is a process where you go through a procedure, where the ministry of Saudi Arabia gives permission, there's established processes. Yes. So that goes without saying that the question
or anybody has about doing
pre release, right. And doing
the seeds? Yes. So there are people.
Yeah, I mean, but, but it's not a well organized program. This happens through personal contacts. Yes. Either you do it yourself? Or if you can't do it, then you can designate someone to do it. Yes. But, but there isn't anything like for like, there isn't an organization or a structure for this. These things usually happen through personal contacts of trustworthy people.
Some person that we arranged for the has to be done to another person.
And here's a list that comes out and the procedures and I'm not sure of that. Yeah. Because the person is going to get
get a permit for themselves. But there are Nia between them and Allah subhanaw taala. Declared Nia when they verbalize it is for on behalf of the other person. Yes. Yeah.
Oh, yeah, there is this there is? Yeah, I've done it before I've done it. I mean, I've arranged for people. Yes. Before Yes.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, they do still apply. But the only trick is that this year, it's very tight.
The reason is, because again, there's a very limited number of people. So it has to be someone who has already performed Hajj.
So, so of the people who are performing high this year, because they're only given visas. In many places, they're only given visas for people who have not performed height before.
And also people who are below 65.
Right, and they're not allowing children. So there are a lot of restrictions that that limit the number of spots that are available. So you have to have to find someone who's willing to do that. Right, who has performed Hajj in the past and who's also trustworthy. So this is where it gets tricky. And also they're cracking down on the locals. Because in the old days, no locals used to be you know,
yeah, easier to to, to actually hire for something like this. Right now. It's it's not as easy because they are really they're automating everything, they're tracking everything, all everybody's movement, so that's why it's it's it's tighter this time.
It may become better in the future, but it's getting tighter because they're they're monitoring everything. They have limited capacity, limited space, they're only allowing 1 million people to do it so they're not going to allow locals to perform it without permission. And locals can get a permit to perform Hajj once every five years. Yes.
So that's that's the main difference now. Yeah, well Allahu Allah animal Salah Allahu ala Sayidina Muhammad Ali, he also have you send them to see McAfee Allah Subhana Allah who have taken the show to Allah Allah hadeland The Self you're gonna to Willick Santa Monica