Hajj while having bank loan

17-8-1999 | 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?

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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, is His slave and Messenger.

If your debt is not immediate and you could 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 takes priority over your Hajj. In any case, since you are going to perform Hajj with your lawful money, your Hajj is valid.

However, you should know that while going for Hajj, you have committed one of the grave major sins which is dealing in Ribaa (interest or usury).

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

May Allaah enable you to do what pleases Him.

Allaah Knows best.