Can husband and wife stay together during Hajj?

December 23, 2021
General

Here is an article on Can husband and wife stay together during Hajj offered by our travel agency with Cheap Hajj Packages. One of the prohibitions that apply during the period of ihram or consecration is that one must refrain from having sex with one's wife or a woman with her husband. When we journey to Makkah for Hajj or Umrah, we are well aware that we must reach a state of dedication at a specific point along the way. We remain in this state until the Hajj, or the pilgrimage responsibilities that become due on the day of sacrifice is performed.

Men are not permitted to wear conventional or fitted clothing at this period, and no pilgrim is permitted to wear perfume or to slaughter game animals, even for sustenance. Similarly, having sex with one's wife is prohibited. All of these constraints are lifted once one is emancipated from the state of consecration. Any restriction doesn’t extend beyond the fulfillment of the relevant duty. I must add a word of caution because ihram is released in two stages during the pilgrimage. The first stage begins after the two tasks of stoning at the Jamrah and shaving or trimming one's hair are completed.

Both responsibilities must be completed on the day of the sacrifice. All restrictions related to the state of ihram, excluding those relating to sex, maybe relaxed once they have been completed. This last restriction is lifted only once the tawaf of ifadah is completed, which is also due on that day. As a result, completing these three responsibilities frees one from all restraints. This signifies that, even though the pilgrimage is not yet complete, he may have sexual relations with his wife.

A muhrim's Hajj shall be invalidated if he has sexual relations with his spouse before the first tahallul from ihram, whether before or after Arafa. However, such a person must continue to do the balance of his Hajj obligations. He must slaughter a camel the following year to make up for his Hajj. Sheikh Sayyed Sabiq, in his well-known book Fiqh As-Sunnah, writes:

A fatwa was proclaimed by Ali, Umar, and Abu Hurairah concerning a man who has sexual contact with his spouse while in ihram, stating that they must both complete Hajj and slay an animal the following year. If a muhrim has sexual intercourse with his spouse before the first tahallul from ihram, whether before or after Arafa, his Hajj will be invalidated, according to Abu Al-Abbas At-Tabari. However, such a person must continue to do the rest of his Hajj obligations. He must slaughter a camel the following year to make up for his Hajj.

If the wife is in ihram and accepts what her husband did, she must continue to conduct Hajj. But she must make up for it the next year, and she must also offer a sacrifice. Some scholars believe that a husband and wife can only make one sacrifice. So, there are three possibilities:

  1. First, if sexual intercourse occurs before completing Hajj and before standing on Mount Arafa.
  2. If it occurs after the person has completed Hajj and is still in ihram while standing on Arafa.
  3. Third, it is when Hajj is still ongoing until all Hajj manasik are completed and ihram is removed.

For the first two cases, the Sharia-based judgment is that a whole camel or whole cow must be sacrificed, and the person must repeat Hajj. In the third scenario, a goat or lamb must be sacrificed, and Hajj is valid and accepted, in-sha-Allah.

Abdullah Saif

Abdullah Saif is professional travel writer especially for Hajj and Umrah Trips and services. He also writes about the general topic of Islam and Society.

Related Posts

Stay in Touch

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form