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Fatwa CenterDoes the pilgrim return free of sins even if he was making Hajj on behalf of someone else?
Question
The one who performs Hajj returns as free of sins as he was in the day when his mother gave birth to him, so what about the one who performs Hajj on behalf of another person? Will both of them be free of sins just as the day they were born, because the pilgrim is rewarded without affecting the reward of the one on whose behalf the Hajj is performed?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
If someone performed Hajj on behalf of another person, the reward of Hajj and the virtues that result from it go to the one on whose behalf Hajj was performed. Among these virtues is what was reported on the authority of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, that the pilgrim returns free of sin just like the day he was born. This, however, does not contradict the fact that the one who makes Hajj on behalf of others has his reward for his goodness towards his fellow Muslim and his performance of the rites on his behalf. He is also rewarded for the independent acts of obedience that are not part of Hajj and that he performs at Al-Bayt Al-Haraam such as praying, remembering Allaah, performing Tawaaf and so forth.
The following was mentioned in the Fatwas of the Permanent Committee: If someone performed Hajj or ‘Umrah on behalf of another person, either with or without a charge, the reward of Hajj or ‘Umrah goes to the one on whose behalf he performed them. He will also be greatly rewarded according to his sincerity and his desire to do good deeds. Anyone who goes to Al-Masjid Al-Haraam and performs voluntary acts of worship will get a great reward if he offers that with full sincerity to Allaah.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen 
said that the reward of all acts of worship that are related to performing the rites is for the one on whose behalf Hajj is performed. However, the double reward of the optional prayer or Tawaaf that is not included in the rites and the recitation of the Quran goes to the one who performs Hajj on behalf of another person.
Some scholars said that the reward of Hajj goes to both the one who makes Hajj on behalf of another person and the person on whose behalf Hajj is performed as the Mercy of Allaah is great and He Is The Possessor of great bounty.
Ibn Hazm narrated that Daawood said, "I said to Sa‘eed ibn Al-Musayyib, 'O Abu Muhammad! To whom does the reward go, the one who makes Hajj on behalf of another person or the one on whose behalf Hajj is performed?' Sa‘eed said, ‘The Bounty of Allaah The Almighty can encompass both of them.’ Ibn Hazm said, ‘Sa‘eed, May Allaah Have mercy upon him, told the truth.’"
The scholars of the Permanent Committee said: "As for the assessment of performing Hajj on behalf of another person, whether it is the same as performing Hajj on his own or less or more in virtue, this depends on the Will of Allaah.”
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