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Husband is not obliged to accompany his wife on Hajj

Question

Salam Alaykum, Me and my husband have been on hajj last year. I have a big wish to go on hajj one more time in the future, and I already have enough of money for that. The problem is that my husband thought that hajj with me last year was stressing because he had to look after me. He said that he could not get the most out of the hajj because of his obligation to look after me, and that if he is going on hajj one more time he will go alone by himself. He said that he is allowing me to go with my parents and my brother, but not with him. I do not want to go on hajj with my brother or with my parents, mostly because they will go with a group that speak a language I am not so good at and I will not understand anything, and because the group they go with have some other practice around hajj. So my thought and question is: I know my husband has an obligation to look after me no matter what. Is he allowed to do this against me? Is he allowed to forbid me to go with him on hajj, but allow me to go with my own parents and brother?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

It is permissible for your husband to go for Hajj on his own, and he is not obliged to take you with him, and he is not sinful for anything that you mentioned in the question. Rather, he is kind to you in allowing you to go for Hajj with your parents and your brother.

However, if you encourage him to accompany you on Hajj; explain to him that he will be rewarded for doing so, and that this is an example of excellent marital relations, which are prescribed; and try to make it easier for him to take care of you and promise him to do that, then you may do so. He may be convinced and take you to Hajj with him. However, if you cannot convince him, then you should know that he is not obliged to do so.

Allaah Knows best.

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