and Islam, freedom, and the capacity to undertake the journey—five conditions in all. If even one of them is absent, the obligation does not apply. When the inability to perform Hajj is financial, the duty is waived altogether, both for the person himself and for any proxy on his behalf. If the inability is physical, then—should recovery be expected—he waits until Allah restores his health and the impediment is removed. But if recovery is not expected, as in the case of advanced age, he must appoint someone to perform the pilgrimage for him.

A woman once asked the Prophet ﷺ, “My father has reached the time when Allah’s duty upon His servants has become due, yet he is an old man who cannot keep his seat in the saddle. May I perform Hajj on his behalf?” He replied, “Yes.” Thus the Prophet ﷺ confirmed her description of pilgrimage as an obligation even though her father could not perform it himself; since he possessed the financial means, the Prophet said, “Perform Hajj for him.”

These, then, are the five pillars—the pillars of Islam: to testify that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; to establish the prayer; to give the prescribed alms; to fast during Ramadan; and to make the pilgrimage to Allah’s Sacred House. When the Prophet ﷺ stated this, Gabriel said to him, “You have spoken the truth.” ʿUmar remarked, “We were amazed at him: he questions him and then affirms his answer, for one who declares another truthful must already possess knowledge of the matter. We wondered how he could ask and then say, ‘You have spoken the truth.’ And the questioner, when