Putting condition allows dissolution of Ihram before completing rituals and frees one from liability

23-8-2016 | IslamWeb

Question:

I live in Jeddah. My mother, my wife, and I wanted to perform ‘Umrah. I put on my Ihram (ritual state of consecration) clothes and uttered my intention for performing ‘Umrah, saying, "O Allaah! I intend to perform ‘Umrah, and I will end my Ihram whenever I am prevented." Then I left the house and headed to my car. I tried to start it, but it did not. Some minutes later, my mother and my wife came out, and I asked them if they had made their intention for ‘Umrah, and they replied, "Not yet." Then I told them not to make their intention because the car did not work. We then returned home as I made that condition, and they did not make their intentions. What is the Sharia ruling on that?

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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.

There is nothing wrong with what you have done, and you are not liable for anything. This is because you have made a condition before putting on your Ihram. So you were allowed to end your Ihram for ‘Umrah and are not liable for anything. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, "This condition frees you from liability before your Lord."

According to the wording of another narration, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, "If you will be prevented (by something) or become sick, your dissolution will be by virtue of the condition that you made, and you are free from liability before your Lord." [Ahmad]

Allaah Knows best.