In principle, the Hajj pilgrimage is a syakhshiyyah (personal) act of worship that cannot be delegated to another person. Every Muslim who meets the required conditions is obligated to perform it personally. This is a direct act of devotion to God.
For that reason, performing Hajj on behalf of another person (badal/proxy Hajj) is not the general rule. Instead, it is seen as a narrowly defined exception strictly limited by scriptural sources. Islamic law permits badal Hajj only under specific circumstances. It is only allowed particularly for individuals who are permanently unable to perform Hajj themselves or who have passed away. Even within this exception, not just anyone may act as a substitute.
A proxy pilgrimage must be carried out by someone with a clear familial relationship to the person represented, such as a child acting for a parent or a sibling acting for another sibling, regardless of gender. Accordingly, badal hajj cannot be performed by arbitrary individuals, let alone turned into a commercialized service.
Conditions for Proxy Hajj in Hadith Perspective
First, the person performing Hajj on behalf of another must have already completed their own Hajj. This requirement is established in the following authentic hadith:
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَمِعَ رَجُلًا يَقُولُ: لَبَّيْكَ عَنْ شُبْرُمَةَ، قَالَ: «مَنْ شُبْرُمَةُ؟» قَالَ: أَخٌ لِي أَوْ قَرِيبٌ لِي، قَالَ: «حَجَجْتَ عَنْ نَفْسِكَ؟» قَالَ: لَا، قَالَ: «حُجَّ عَنْ نَفْسِكَ، ثُمَّ حُجَّ عَنْ شُبْرُمَةَ» (رواه أبو داود وابن ماجه وابن خزيمة وابن حبان)
From Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) heard a man say, “Here I am, O Allah, on behalf of Shubrumah.” He asked, “Who is Shubrumah?” The man replied, “My brother or a relative of mine.” The Prophet asked, “Have you performed Hajj for yourself?” He said, “No.” The Prophet said, “Perform Hajj for yourself first, then perform it for Shubrumah.”
This hadith establishes that proxy Hajj is invalid until the proxy completed their own pilgrimage.
Second, badal Hajj is permitted for parents who are unable to perform Hajj. Therefore, it may be carried out by their children. Another hadith states:
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: إِنَّ أَبِي أَدْرَكَتْهُ فَرِيضَةُ اللَّهِ فِي الْحَجِّ وَهُوَ شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَثْبُتَ عَلَى الرَّاحِلَةِ، أَفَأَحُجُّ عَنْهُ؟ قَالَ: «أَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ كَانَ عَلَى أَبِيكَ دَيْنٌ أَكُنْتَ قَاضِيَهُ؟» قَالَ: نَعَمْ، قَالَ: «فَاحْجُجْ عَنْهُ» (رواه النسائي وأحمد)
A man said, “O Messenger of God, my father has become obligated to perform Hajj, but he is and cannot sit firmly on a mount. May I perform Hajj on his behalf?” The Prophet replied, “If your father had a debt, would you repay it?” He said, “Yes.” The Prophet said, “Then perform Hajj on his behalf.”
This narration confirms the legitimacy of children substituting for their parents, drawing an analogy with the obligation of settling debts.
Third, the intention (niyyah) in the proxy Hajj must be clearly directed toward the person on whose behalf the pilgrimage is performed, as reflected in the Shubrumah hadith. This underscores the importance of specifying the subject of the act of worship.
Fourth, the execution of proxy Hajj must not be based on employment relationships or commercialization but rather on kinship ties. This aligns with the Qur’anic principle:
وَأَنْ لَيْسَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ (النجم: ٣٩)
“And that man will have nothing except what he strives for.” (Qur’an 53:39)
This verse affirms that, in principle, individuals bear responsibility for their own deeds, making badal Hajj a limited exception rather than a general practice. Fifth, one person may only perform badal Hajj for one individual in a single pilgrimage. This is implied in the specific formulation of the talbiyah:
لَبَّيْكَ عَنْ شُبْرُمَةَ
“Here I am, O Allah, on behalf of Shubrumah.”
This expression indicates a singular intention for a single individual, not a collective one.
Sixth, the cost of badal Hajj is fundamentally borne by the person on whose behalf the pilgrimage is performed, either from their wealth during their lifetime or from their estate after death, while taking into account the rights of heirs.
From these evidences, it becomes clear that badal Hajj is not a practice open to unrestricted participation. It is bound by strict conditions: the proxy must have completed their own Hajj, must have a familial relationship with the represented individual, and must act only in cases of legitimate necessity such as permanent incapacity or death.
Therefore, the growing phenomenon of “proxy Hajj services” involving unrelated individuals deserves scrutiny. Not only does it risk deviating from the spirit of Islamic law, but it also threatens to shift worship from an act of devotion into a transactional activity.
Reference:
Central Board of Muhammadiyah, “Tuntunan Manasik Haji”, in Berita Resmi Muhammadiyah: Tanfidz Keputusan Musyawarah Nasional Tarjih XXVIII, 2015.
