A woman travelling to Hajj with a non-practicing Mahram
17-9-2014 | IslamWeb
Question:
Assalamu alaykum. I'm absolutely dying to go to hajj and perform my duty towards Allah while still young (I'm nineteen). The only mahram I have is my father, who would be funding the trip for both of us. We are both physically and financially able to undertake the pilgrimage. The only problem is that my father is only a Muslim "by name". He's completely lost touch with his religion, he drinks, and I haven't seen him pray in many years, though he fasts during the month of Ramadan and claims to be Muslim. As hajj is a very spiritually demanding trip, I'm wondering if performing the pilgrimage with a barely-practicing Muslim would be right. Would it be better for me to wait until I marry a serious-minded and fully-practicing Muslim (insha'Allah), so that I may experience hajj properly with my future husband, or does Islam demand that I fulfil this duty as soon as possible, regardless of the religious zeal of my available mahram? Also, a part of me feels like hajj could be the motivation my father needs to renew and revitalise his Islam, and that after it he may start taking his religion more seriously. He has never performed hajj before. Jazakallahu khairan for your time.
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.
There is no doubt that your father is in great danger for neglecting the prayer and consuming intoxicants. You are obliged to give him advice and remind him about Allaah and His severe punishment.
As regards going with him to Hajj, there is nothing wrong with accompanying him as it is not a condition that the Mahram with whom a woman travels be righteous; rather, she may travel with him even if he is Faasiq (a dissolute person) or a non-Muslim (but a non-Muslim should be prevented from entering Makkah).
Therefore, if you are able to go for Hajj and you have not yet performed your obligatory Hajj, you should hasten to perform it and not delay it until you get married because Hajj is an immediate obligation according to the correct opinion of the scholars of Fiqh. For more benefit on the immediate obligation of Hajj for someone who is able to perform it, please refer to Fatwa 87129.
Your father performing Hajj may be a cause for him becoming righteous and abandoning the sins that he is committing now. It is known from experience that many people who commit excessive sins become righteous after performing Hajj or ‘Umrah.
Sa‘eed ibn Jubayr 
interpreted the word 'upright' in the saying of Allaah (which means): {Allaah has made the Ka'bah, the Sacred House, upright for mankind…}[Quran 5:97] to mean, 'righteousness (for them) and strength to their religion'. So, we ask Allaah for guidance for us and you, and for success on the right path.
For more benefit on how to offer advice to one's father who is not abiding by the laws of his religion, please refer to Fatwa 21794.
Allaah Knows best.