Q. My wife and I offered the pilgrimage with my parents. However, my father was in very poor health. Although he tried to do the stoning the first day, he could not do so, and I did the stoning on his behalf for all three days.
When we were doing the tawaf of ifaadah he had breathing problems and he was admitted to hospital, where my wife stayed with him. I am told that I have to sacrifice a sheep each for him and my wife for missing staying in Mina. Please comment.
M. Saleem
A. I understand that you tried to take your father in a wheelchair to do the stoning himself. This was wrong, because if he could not walk by himself, he was not required do the stoning. It was good that you had to take him back and did the stoning on his behalf. No one in that condition should attempt to do the stoning by himself. The crowding and scrambling are hard even for young and healthy people. Women and elderly people should not attempt doing this duty by themselves, unless they go after midnight when the crowding is less hard. They should ask their male companions to do the stoning on their behalf. This is perfectly acceptable.
When your father was taken to hospital and your wife stayed with him, this is a clear case of emergency. Staying in Mina is a duty according to some schools of Islamic jurisprudence, and a Sunnah according to others.
If we take the second view, which is well supported by evidence, and consider the case of emergency your father and your wife were in, we conclude that no compensation is due from either. Their pilgrimage is valid, God willing.
Which Method?
Q. After returning to Jeddah in Shawal, I performed the Umrah. Later, when it was time for pilgrimage, I was told that I had to slaughter a sheep, even though I intended my pilgrimage to be in the ifraad method. I did so, and I returned to Jeddah on Dhul-Hijjah 12, but without performing the tawaf of farewell, considering that I live in Jeddah. I was told that both actions were wrong. Please advise.
A.R. Khan
A. The first piece of advice you were given is true. If a person performs the Umrah in the pilgrimage months, i.e. Shawal, Dhul-Qaadah and Dhul-Hijjah, and then performs the pilgrimage in the same season, his pilgrimage is deemed to be in the tamattu’ method, even though he intended it otherwise. This is the method the Prophet preferred for all Muslims. The tamattu’ method requires a sacrifice as a duty. Since you did the sacrifice, you have done well.
As for returning from Mina on 12 Dhul-Hijjah, this is perfectly appropriate for any pilgrim. So, there is nothing wrong with that. However, you should have performed the tawaf of farewell, which is required of all pilgrims except those who live in the Haram area, i.e. Makkah and its surrounding areas. You should have returned from Jeddah and performed it within the pilgrimage season.
There are two views concerning this tawaf, one considers it a duty and the other considers it a Sunnah. If you take the second view, you do not need to compensate for it. If you take the first view, you need to compensate by sacrificing a sheep and distributing all its meat to the poor in the Haram area.
Must I Do the Pilgrimage?
Q. If a person is ill and cannot do the pilgrimage, can he ask someone else to do the pilgrimage on his behalf?
R. Khan
A. If such a person has a chronic illness which makes him unable to undertake the pilgrimage, and the illness is unlikely to be cured, then he must get someone to do the pilgrimage on his behalf provided he can afford the expenses. He should pay that person all the expenses until he returns home — without delay. This is the proper way for someone in this condition to fulfill his duty of doing the pilgrimage.
Arab News Islam 13 June 2003
