Question
Is it permissible to do Hajj (major pilgrimage) on behalf of a person who had performed it before he passed away?
Fatwa
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Him and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
Scholars have different opinions on whether dedicating reward for a righteous deed to a deceased person, benefits him or her. However, they agree that supplicating in favor of those who have passed away, invoking forgiveness for them and giving charity on their behalf, is beneficial to them.
Most of the scholars hold that performing obligatory Hajj, as opposed to a voluntary one, in the name of a dead person benefits him or her. However, certain proofs indicate that to be the case for even a supererogatory Hajj.
The latter view is supported by the narration of Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, which states that the Prophet heard a pilgrim uttering the [intention for performing] Hajj rites on behalf of another person, saying, “Labbayka (Here I am), on behalf of Shubrumah.” So, he asked: “Have you performed your own [obligatory] Hajj?” The man said, “No.” The Prophet told him: “Perform your own Hajj first; then, do it on behalf of Shubrumah.” [Abu Daawood, Saheeh –Al-Albaani]
The Prophet did not ask the man whether that pilgrimage was obligatory or voluntary; that is to say, he did not inquire if Shubrumah himself had ever performed Hajj or not, which indicates generality.
Moreover, the Prophet said to ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas, may Allah be pleased with him: “If your father had attested to Tawheed (monotheism), and then you fasted and gave charity on his behalf [after his demise], this would benefit him.” [Ahmad, Saheeh –Al-Albaani] Thus, he set the prerequisite that the deceased be a Muslim, so that he would benefit from the reward of good deeds done on his behalf.
Ibn Al-Qayyim studied this subject of granting the reward of good deeds to the dead. He excellently discussed the issue at length in his book Ar-Rooh. He chose the opinion adopted by Imaam Ahmad in this regard, as well as the many scholars who maintained that the deceased people benefit from righteous acts, including Hajj, among others, done on their behalf. This view was also held by a group of late Shaafi‘i scholars like An-Nawawi and others, as well as the Maaliki scholar Al-Qurtubi . It was also supported by Ibn Abi Al-‘Izz, the Hanafi scholar, in his commentary on At-Tahaawiyyah, and further maintained by Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah all.
Allah knows best.