Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (7/96)

because when he returns to his hometown and then comes back in ihram for Hajj, he has set out for Hajj on an independent journey and is therefore performing ifrād, not tamattuʿ. But if he travels to another place, he is performing tamattuʿ, because he has not begun a new journey: his travel to that other place is a continuation of his first journey and does not interrupt it.

Issue: If a person enters ihram for Hajj and reaches Makkah, it is recommended for him to convert his Hajj into an ʿumrah so that he becomes one performing tamattuʿ. But if he converts his Hajj into an ʿumrah in order to free himself from Hajj by means of the ʿumrah, this is not valid, because it is a legal stratagem to evade the obligation of Hajj.

If someone were to ask: What is the difference between one who cancels his Hajj in order to perform tamattuʿ and one who cancels his Hajj by making it an ʿumrah in order to free himself from it?

The answer is that the difference is clear. Whoever converts his Hajj into an ʿumrah in order to free himself from it is resorting to a stratagem to evade the obligation of continuing his Hajj. But whoever converts his Hajj into an ʿumrah in order to perform tamattuʿ has moved from what is lesser to what is superior, for tamattuʿ is superior to both qirān and ifrād. This is what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, instructed his Companions to do: to convert their Hajj into an ʿumrah so that they would perform tamattuʿ, not so that they could free themselves from Hajj through the ʿumrah.

An example of this is a man who travels to Makkah during the months of Hajj and enters ihram for Hajj, but finds the remaining time before Hajj too long. He therefore converts his Hajj into an ʿumrah so that he may perform tawāf, saʿy, and shorten his hair, then return to his hometown.

This is not permissible, because once he has commenced Hajj, he is obliged to complete it. If he converts it into an ʿumrah in order to free himself from it, he is resorting to a stratagem to evade an obligation incumbent upon him, and this is not permissible.

لأنه إذا رجع إلى بلده، ثم عاد محرماً بالحج فقد أفرد الحج بسفر مستقل فيكون مفرداً، وليس بمتمتع، فإن سافر إلى بلد آخر، فإنه متمتع؛ لأنه لم ينشئ سفراً جديداً، إذ إن سفره إلى البلد الآخر استمرار لسفره الأول، وليس قاطعاً للسفر. مسألة: إذا أحرم الإنسان بالحج، ووصل إلى مكة فإنه يسن له أن يجعل الحج عمرة ليصير متمتعاً، فلو جعل الحج عمرة ليتخلص بالعمرة منه، فإن ذلك لا يصح؛ لأن ذلك احتيال على إسقاط وجوب الحج عليه. فإن قال قائل: ما الفرق بين من فسخ الحج ليصير متمتعاً ومن فسخ الحج بالعمرة ليتخلص منه؟. فالجواب: الفرق ظاهر: من فسخ الحج إلى عمرة ليتخلص بها منه، فهو متحيل على سقوط وجوب المضي في الحج، ومن فسخ الحج إلى عمرة ليصير متمتعاً، فإنه منتقل من الأدنى إلى الأعلى؛ لأن المتمتع أفضل من القارن والمفرد، وهذا هو الذي أمر به النبي ﷺ أصحابه أن يفسخوا الحج ويجعلوه عمرة، ليصيروا متمتعين، لا ليتخلصوا بالعمرة من الحج. مثاله: رجل سافر إلى مكة في أشهر الحج وأحرم به، وكأنه تطاول المدة الباقية على الحج، ففسخ الحج إلى عمرة من أجل أن يطوف ويسعى ويقصر ويرجع إلى بلده. فهذا لا يجوز؛ لأنه لما شرع في الحج وجب عليه إتمامه، فإذا حوله إلى عمرة ليتخلص منه، صار متحيلاً على إسقاط واجب عليه، وهذا لا يجوز.