Weaning an infant in order to perform Hajj

Question:-

A lady is accredited for Hajj and Hajj is Fardh on her. Her baby will be 3 months old. Is it necessary for her to wean the baby and go for Hajj?

Answer:-

The Fuqaha have written that if a lady intends performing Hajj but there isn’t anyone available to take care of her infant then this is a valid reason to delay the Hajj irrespective of whether the infant is healthy or not. [Re:- Muallimul Hujjaj Pg.81]

However, in your instance we assume that there are family members available to take care of your child. Your concern pertains primarily to breastfeeding the child. Hence, you could either have the child breastfed by some righteous Muslim female that is prepared to breastfeed the child or alternatively you could use a milk formula as nourishment. In conclusion, you should wean the child as delaying a Fardh Hajj on the basis of breastfeeding one’s child will not be correct, particularly when alternatives are available. Also check Fataawa Darul Uloom Deoband Pg. 328 Vol.6    

ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Mohammed Desai

Date: 24 Rajab 1444 / 15 February 2023