Hajj while having bank loan

18/10/2009| IslamWeb

Question:

A man who has taken a loan from the bank, Is he allowed to go to Hajj (pilgrimage) (even when he has not paid his debt at the bank). Is the Hajj (pilgrimage) accepted?

 

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.

 

If your debt is not immediate and you may repay it in the future, it is permissible for you to go for Hajj. But, if your debt is due now, you are obliged to seek the permission of your creditor. If he gives you permission you may go, if not, he comes in priority over your Hajj. However, since you are going to perform Hajj with your lawful money, your Hajj is valid.

Besides, you should know that while going for Hajj, you have committed one of the grave major sins which is dealing with Riba (interest and usury).

The scholars asserted that Hajj and other acts of worship only wipe out the small sins, as regards major sins, they require one to make sincere repentance. Therefore, you should repent to Allah and take the initiative to abandon dealing with Riba. You should take your capital money from the bank so that you would come back from your Hajj purified from your sins, Allah willing. As regards the interest, you should not benefit from it; rather you should spend it on the poor.

May Allah enable you to do what pleases Him. 

Allah Knows best.