Chapter on Impediment (iḥṣār)

If a pilgrim in iḥrām is prevented by hostile forces or struck by an illness that stops him from proceeding, he may lawfully exit iḥrām. He is instructed: “Send a sheep to the Sacred Precinct to be slaughtered there, arrange with its carrier a specific day for the sacrifice, and then come out of iḥrām.” If he is performing ḥajj and ʿumrah together (qārīn), he must send two sacrificial animals.

The sacrifice for iḥṣār may be slaughtered only inside the Sanctuary. Abū Ḥanīfah allows it to be slaughtered before the Day of Sacrifice, whereas Abū Yūsuf and Muḥammad (may Allah have mercy on them) maintain that a pilgrim prevented from ḥajj may not slaughter except on the Day of Sacrifice itself.

A pilgrim prevented from ʿumrah may slaughter whenever he wishes. Once the pilgrim prevented from ḥajj has exited iḥrām, he must later perform one ḥajj and one ʿumrah; the pilgrim prevented from ʿumrah must make up only that ʿumrah; and the qārīn must perform one ḥajj and two ʿumrahs.

If the impeded pilgrim has already sent a sacrificial animal and fixed with its handlers a particular day for slaughter, and then the impediment is lifted, the rulings are as follows:
• If he can reach both the sacrificial animal and the rites of ḥajj, he may not release himself from iḥrām; he must proceed and complete the pilgrimage.
• If he can reach the sacrificial animal but not the rites of ḥajj, he terminates his iḥrām.
• If he can reach the rites of ḥajj but not the sacrificial animal, it is permissible for him to exit iḥrām as a matter of juristic preference (istiḥsān).

Anyone who arrives in Mecca yet is barred from both standing at ʿArafah and performing ṭawāf is deemed impeded (muḥṣar). If he is able to perform either one of the two, he is not considered impeded.