“O Messenger of Allah, my father has been overtaken by Allah’s obligation upon His servants to perform Hajj, while he is an elderly man unable to remain seated on a riding mount. May I perform Hajj on his behalf?” (1) The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, approved her description of Hajj as an obligation upon her father, despite his physical inability. Had it not been obligatory upon him, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would not have approved her statement, for he could not approve an error. This shows that one who is physically incapable but financially able must appoint a proxy. If he is unable both financially and physically, Hajj is waived from him.

Thus, there are four categories:

First: one who is financially well-off and physically able. Such a person must perform Hajj and Umrah himself.

Second: one who is physically able but not financially able. Hajj and Umrah are obligatory upon him if performing them does not depend on money—for example, if he is among the people of Mecca and going out to the sacred sites does not cause him hardship. Likewise, if he lives far from Mecca but says, “I can serve the people and eat with them,” then he is able, and Hajj and Umrah are obligatory upon him.

Third: one who is financially able but physically incapable. Hajj and Umrah are obligatory upon him by proxy.

Fourth: one who is unable both financially and physically. Hajj and Umrah are waived from him.

His statement, “once in his lifetime”: it would have been better had he placed “once” first.

That is, they are obligatory once in a lifetime, because Allah stated the matter without qualification, saying: “Pilgrimage to the House is a duty owed to Allah by all people who are able to make their way to it” [Al Imran 3:97].