Is the fact that the boss refuses to give the employee time off for Hajj regarded as an excuse that allows him to delay Hajj?
Question

                During the Hajj period, we are under pressure at work and the boss does not allow me to travel. If I go without his consent, it is most likely that I will lose my job. Does this count as an excuse for delaying the obligatory Hajj until Allah makes it easy for me, which I do not think will be far off, in sha Allah?
Praise be to Allah.
	The correct 
	scholarly view is that Hajj is obligatory straightaway for the one who is 
	able to do it, and it is not permissible for him to delay fulfilling this 
	important pillar of Islam. We have explained this in the answer to question 
	no. 41702.

	A Muslim may be 
	able to afford the expenses of travel, and the route may be safe, but he is 
	prevented by other impediments from going for Hajj. In such cases he is 
	undoubtedly excused, such as if he has a wife who is sick or a father who is 
	dying, or if the state restricts the numbers of people who can do Hajj, and 
	he cannot go because his name is not drawn in the lottery, or because he is 
	not of the specified age group, and other legitimate reasons that allow 
	delaying Hajj in the case of one who can afford the travel expenses and for 
	whom the route is safe. 

	Based on that, 
	those who have these excuses come under the heading of those who are not 
	able to perform Hajj.

	What appears to 
	us to be the case is that the fact that an employee, in either the public or 
	private sector, is not given time off to go for Hajj does count as an excuse 
	for that employee, and he does not have to leave his job – if it is 
	permissible. But he should ask permission every year to go for Hajj, and try 
	his hardest to perform Hajj, even if that means taking unpaid leave, if that 
	will not affect his spending on his family.

	The scholars of 
	the Standing Committee were asked:

	I want to do 
	‘umrah in Ramadan and connect it to Hajj tamattu‘ [by exiting ihram after 
	‘umrah and entering ihram again for Hajj]. What do I have to do until the 
	time for Hajj comes? I am working and I cannot be absent from work except 
	during leave for Hajj and leave for ‘umrah in Ramadan. Is it permissible to 
	travel from one area to another?

	They replied:

	Firstly: ‘umrah 
	during Ramadan was encouraged by the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah 
	be upon him), but it is not an ‘umrah that can be connected to Hajj tamattu‘; 
	rather that which may be connected to Hajj tamattu‘ is ‘umrah that is 
	performed during the months of Hajj, which are Shawwaal, Dhu’l-Qa‘dah and 
	the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, then one should do Hajj in the same 
	year.

	Secondly: if the 
	situation is as described, that you cannot leave work for Hajj or ‘umrah, 
	then it is not permissible for you to leave work except with the permission 
	of your boss. 

	Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez 
	ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Ghadyaan, 
	Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Qa‘ood

	Fataawa 
	al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah 
	(11/163, 164)

	Shaykh Muhammad 
	ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

	If a man cannot 
	do Hajj because of his work, then there is no blame on him, because he is 
	not able to do it. But I often hear that brothers in the army or others go 
	to Makkah as part of their job, then when the time for Hajj comes, they are 
	given permission to do Hajj. So if they give you permission, then do Hajj 
	and there is nothing wrong with that, but if they do not give you 
	permission, then you are not able to do it, and you do not have to do Hajj.

	Liqa’ al-Baab 
	al-Maftooh 
	(92/question no. 8)

	Shaykh Ibn 
	‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:

	I have only come 
	to this land for the sake of doing Hajj, but I am afraid that the person for 
	whom I am working will not give me permission to do this obligatory duty. I 
	am now in Saudi and not far away from the places of the Hajj rituals. I hope 
	that Allah will guide my sponsor and that he will agree to me doing Hajj, 
	but if he does not agree to that, will I have fulfilled the obligation by 
	virtue of my intention, or not? Because the Prophet (blessings and peace of 
	Allah be upon him) said: “Actions are but by intentions, and each man will 
	have but that which he intended.” Does this come under the heading of doing 
	what one is able to do? I hope that you can clarify and urge sponsors to 
	allow those who are with them to perform the pilgrimage to the Sacred House 
	of Allah. 

	He (may Allah 
	have mercy on him) replied:

	We wish that 
	Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will guide all sponsors and that 
	they will allow their brothers who are working for them to perform the 
	obligatory Hajj, because this comes under the heading of cooperating in 
	righteousness and piety, which Allah has enjoined, as He, may He be exalted, 
	says (interpretation of the meaning):

	“Help 
	you one another in AlBirr and AtTaqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but 
	do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah. Verily, 
	Allah is Severe in punishment”

	[al-Maa’idah 
	5:2].

	Moreover, this 
	may be a means of attaining barakah in their work and provision, because 
	during these ten days if work ceases, Allah may send down barakah upon the 
	rest of their work, which may result in a great deal of goodness, and if 
	this happens, that is what one wants. This is what we hope for from our 
	sponsor brothers.

	But if that is 
	not possible, then this worker is not regarded as being able to do Hajj, so 
	the obligation is waived in his case, because Allah, may He be exalted, says 
	(interpretation of the meaning): “for 
	anyone who is able to undertake it” 
	[Aal ‘Imraan 3:97], 
	but in this case he is not able to undertake it.

	With regard to 
	the questioner asking whether he will be like the one who did Hajj, the 
	answer is no; but Hajj is waived in his case until he is able to do it, and 
	if he dies before he is able to do Hajj, then he will not have died in a 
	state of disobedience towards Allah, because Hajj is not obligatory unless 
	one is able to do it. End quote.

	Majmoo‘ Fataawa 
	ash-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen 
	(21/62).

	And Allah knows 
	best.