Question:
What is the wisdom of not mentioning fasting and Hajj when the Prophet sent Mu’aath, may Allah be pleased with him, to Yemen to call its people to Islam, although he stated most of the pillars of Islam which are the two testimonies of faith, prayer and Zakat?
Fatwa:
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, may Allah exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
The narration about this incident when the Prophet sent Mu’aath, may Allah be pleased with him, to Yemen is reported by Al-Bukhari, At-Tirmithi, An-Nasaa'ee, Abu Daawood, Ibn Maajah and Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on them. The wisdom in this is that Islam concentrates on the prayer the prayer and Zakat, and it is for this reason that they were so often repeated in the Quran. When the prayer and Zakat become obligatory on the pubescent, he will never be exempted from them. On the contrary, a person who has a chronic disease, or an old man and an old woman who could not fast, could be exempted from fasting, however, they are required to feed a poor person for every day they break the fast.
Similarly, a person who is not able to perform Hajj because of his chronic disease or illness, or because of being unable to walk, or unable to get on a means of transport, and the like, is exampled and another person could perform Hajj on his behalf.
Allah Knows best.