Should a Wife Wait for Her Husband Before She Goes for Hajj?

Should a Wife Wait for Her Husband Before She Goes for Hajj ?

Question
Respected sheikh, as-salamu `alaykum. I performed Hajj before I married, al-hamdulillah. Now my wife wants to perform Hajj, and I have other important financial obligations (children's education and so on). Is Hajj fard (obligatory) on her in this situation? If not, does she have to wait? If she has enough money for herself only, and I do not have sufficient money for the Hajj expenses for myself and four children (since we cannot leave them here, as we do not have any close relatives here), will the Hajj still be fard on her, or does she have to wait till I, as the mahram, can also afford to accompany her? Jazaka Allahu Khayran for your answer.

Answer

Wa `alaykum as-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Brother, thanks for your question, and your concern about your wife and your family.

If your wife has enough money to perform Hajj, it is obligatory upon her to do so. She is not advised to delay performing Hajj and should offer it as soon as possible. She may go in the company of trustworthy women who have their own mahrams (a non-marriageable male relative) or husbands, with whom her safety is assured.

In his response to your question, Sheikh Muhammad Nur `Abdullah, former president of the ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) and member of the Fiqh Council of North America, states:

I don’t believe she has to wait until you can afford to accompany her. If she has a sufficient amount of money for her Hajj expenses, she can join a company of trustworthy and reliable Muslim sisters who are also going to perform Hajj.

In this case, you can stay home with the children and allow your wife to go and fulfill her religious obligation. The problem that many people face is that they continue delaying it for ongoing reasons that do not seem to end. A Muslim never knows what might happen and when he is going to meet his Lord.