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Fatwa CenterConditions for performing Hajj on behalf of a living person
Question
My mother is a very old woman. Traveling by car, especially for long distances, causes her severe fainting and vomiting. She lives about 450 kilometers away from Makkah. Taking into account that I performed the obligatory Hajj for myself, is it permissible for me to perform Hajj on her behalf, although she is alive?
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, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and messenger.
Delegating someone to perform Hajj on behalf of oneself is obligatory provided that one is incapable to perform it and owns enough money. If he is able to do it by himself, as when he is physically able, then performing Hajj on his behalf is impermissible, and it does not absolve him of liability. Rather, he is required to perform Hajj by himself.
Thus, if it is possible to seek a treatment for your mother whereby fainting and vomiting are prevented or even reduced, then she should seek treatment first and then perform Hajj by herself. Medical drugs for treating these diseases are available. Your mother's situation is not rare; rather, many people suffer the same when traveling by cars. If she does not suffer the same when traveling by a plane, then she is required to perform Hajj by herself as well. If she is indeed incapable to perform Hajj through any of these means and she owns money, then she has to delegate someone to perform Hajj on her behalf. This is based on the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbaas 
in which he said:
Al-Fadhl ibn ‘Abbaas was riding behind the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and a woman from the tribe of Khath‘am came and said, "O Messenger of Allah! The obligation of Hajj enjoined by Allah on His slaves has become due on my father and he is old and weak, and he cannot sit firm on the mount; may I perform Hajj on his behalf?" The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, replied, "Yes." That happened during the Farewell Hajj. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
It is also a condition that the one who performs Hajj on behalf of others has already performed Hajj for himself. It was narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, heard a man say: "Labayka ‘an Shubrumah (assuming ihram [ritual consecration] for Hajj on behalf of another man called Shubrumah)." The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, asked him: "Who is Shubrumah?" "He is my brother (or a relative of mine)," replied the man. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, asked him: "Have you performed Hajj on your own behalf?" When the man said that he had not, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "Perform Hajj on your behalf first and then on behalf of Shubrumah." [Abu Daawood and Ibn Maajah]
This is the opinion of the Shaafi‘i and Hanbali scholars 
.
Allah Knows best.
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