Employer refuses giving employee permission to perform Hajj

22-11-2016 | IslamWeb

Question:

A man works in an Islamic institution and wants to perform Hajj, but his chief at the institution is not giving him permission, what should the employee do now? The chief at the institution is a Mufti.

---

Answer:

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, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

If this employee is unable to take leave from work to perform Hajj, then he is considered unable to perform the Hajj and it is not obligatory on him given his inability because Hajj is obligatory only on the Muslim who is able to perform it. Allah, The Exalted, says (what means): {And (due) to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way.} [Quran 3:97]

As for his employer (the institution chief), he bears no sin for refusing to give him permission to perform Hajj if he fears that this would harm the institution. However, if no such harm is feared, then he should give him permission to perform Hajj to help him do this righteous deed. This worker becomes obliged to perform Hajj once he has the ability to perform it.

Allah knows best.