The question of sending father and mother to Hajj becomes complex in families where the father is polygynous (has more than one wife). Children often wish to sponsor their biological parents for the pilgrimage as an act of kindness and gratitude. However, concerns arise regarding whether excluding the father’s second wife constitutes unfairness or injustice.
Islamic scholars provide a crucial distinction based on the source of the funding to determine the permissibility of this arrangement.
The Source of Funds Determines the Ruling
The validity of sending only one wife depends entirely on whose money is being used for the journey.
- Children’s Money: If the children are paying for the Hajj expenses from their own personal wealth, it is permissible for them to send only their biological mother and father. The children are not religiously obligated to sponsor their stepmother. Their primary duty of Birr (righteousness) is to their own parents.
- Father’s Money: Conversely, if the Hajj were funded by the father’s own wealth, he would be required to treat his wives with absolute equality. In that scenario, paying for one wife while neglecting the other would be considered unjust (Zulm).
Understanding the Father’s Responsibility
The requirement for justice applies to the husband, not the children.
- The Husband’s Duty: A husband is required to be just among his wives in matters of expenditure and time. However, receiving a gift (like a Hajj package) from his children does not violate this rule, provided the funds do not originate from him.
- Acceptance of the Gift: Therefore, as long as the financial assistance comes strictly from the children, there is nothing wrong with the father accepting this gift and performing Hajj with one wife, even if the other wife does not go.
