Full Lecture Transcript (Cleaned)
The Question — 0:00
Sister Sajida emails: she was planning to go for Hajj but the government has announced the cancellation of international Hajj. She had saved money for this purpose. Now, due to the COVID-19 crisis affecting her family's finances, she needs that money for living expenses. Is she sinful for using it?
On the Cancellation Itself — 0:40
Yasir Qadhi addresses the legitimacy of the cancellation first. Some Muslims were upset, wondering whether this has any precedent in Islamic history.
He acknowledges that this may be the first time in all of Islamic history that Hajj has been cancelled in this manner for people outside the Arabian Peninsula. However, he notes: the very ability to cancel it universally is itself a modern phenomenon — 500 years ago, a pilgrim from Morocco would spend three months traveling to Makkah, completely unaware of what was happening there. The concept of visas, stamping, and preventing entry from abroad simply did not exist until modern nation-states.
More importantly, Yasir Qadhi says he is not of the philosophical school that requires a precedent for every fatwa. He has said this multiple times during the COVID crisis: two paradigms exist within Islamic scholarship. One insists on finding a classical precedent. The other says: we have new knowledge, new circumstances, and we need to apply the Sharia's principles — particularly the preservation of life (hifz al-nafs), one of the five primary objectives of the Sharia — to new realities.
The decision to restrict Hajj was made by people who understood both the Sharia and the epidemiological reality of COVID-19. We know now that the Hajj involves over three million people in extremely tight, congested conditions — tents, shared bathrooms, shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. Bringing millions of people from across the globe into this setting during a pandemic that had already killed over 120,000 in the United States alone in a matter of weeks would have been catastrophic. The decision was correct.
Your Intention Is Already Rewarded — 3:00
Here is the beautiful news for everyone who intended to perform Hajj this year: the Prophet ﷺ said, "Innama al-a'mal bil-niyyat" — all deeds are judged by their intentions. And he also said in a hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn 'Amr: if a Muslim falls ill or is prevented from something they habitually did, Allah tells the angels: "Write for him the full reward of what he used to do in the best of his condition."
You had the intention to go for Hajj. You saved the money. You made preparations. Circumstances beyond your control prevented you. Allah has already written that Hajj for you in full. Be certain of this.
Can She Use the Money? — 4:00
The direct answer: yes, absolutely, with no sin whatsoever. The money is yours. It was never transferred to someone else's ownership. It was set aside with the intention of using it for Hajj, but Hajj has been cancelled by circumstances entirely beyond your control. The circumstances changed — and when circumstances change, the ruling changes accordingly.
The saved money is like any other money you own. You may use it for rent, bills, food, or whatever your family needs.
If in the future — next year, or whenever the situation normalizes — you are able to save the money again and perform Hajj, you should do so. Hajj is obligatory upon those who have the financial and physical means. This is the stronger of two scholarly positions: that Hajj should not be delayed once one has the ability. If you have the ability next year, you should go.
But if due to the financial impact of COVID-19 you are unable to save again in time, there is no blame on you. "La yukallifu Allahu nafsan illa wus'aha" — Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. Hajj will become obligatory again only when you are financially able. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala knows best.