11-12-2004, 05:56 AM
Bismillah
as salam alykom
I am so sorry Deen for being late on here, to the best of my knowledge Haj becomes obligatory only if one can as per:
"And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka'bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, <b>those who can afford </b>the expenses (for one's conveyance, provision and residence); " (quran 3:97)
I am not sure if u r a native arabic speaker, but the inderlined part bears in sense more than finanical affordability. however, since we are here talking about financial affordability, now this Ayah is more than enough to say that if one is indebted it means that he/she can not afford which makes him/her execused from the Fard till one is financially capable. The capability also includes health, time, social constraints like if a woman is looking after her ill husband and more.
Even if u r indebted and did apply to go for haj, u r supposed to pay back the debt before leaving, lest one dies in Haj. Of course u know that debts are the first to be settled in case of death to free the desceased.
wallahu a`alam