Penalty of Hunting while on Pilgrimage - Sahih al-Bukhari 1853

A woman from the tribe of Khath'am came in the year (of Hajjat-al-Wada` of the Prophet (ﷺ) ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! My father has come under Allah's obligation of performing Hajj but he is a very old man and cannot sit properly on his Mount. Will the obligation be fulfilled if I perform Hajj on his behalf?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied in the affirmative.

Commentary on the Narration

This hadith establishes the permissibility of performing Hajj on behalf of someone who is physically incapable due to old age or chronic illness. The scholars derive from this that the condition for such deputization is the permanent inability to perform Hajj oneself.

The woman's question demonstrates her understanding that Hajj is obligatory upon her father, but his advanced age prevents him from undertaking the journey. The Prophet's affirmative response indicates that the spiritual obligation is transferred through this deputized performance.

Classical scholars like Imam Nawawi and Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani explain that the deputized Hajj must be performed after the original person's incapacity is established and must fulfill all the pillars and conditions of Hajj. The reward reaches the intended person while the performer also gains spiritual benefit.

Legal Rulings Derived

The deputized Hajj is valid only for obligatory Hajj, not voluntary pilgrimage. The deputy must have already performed their own obligatory Hajj before performing on another's behalf.

If the incapacitated person recovers after deputization but before the Hajj is performed, the deputization becomes invalid. If recovery occurs after performance, the obligation is considered fulfilled.

Scholars differ on whether women can perform Hajj on behalf of men, with the majority permitting it based on this very narration where a woman performs Hajj for her father.