Can You Perform Umrah for a Living Person?
بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
Can ʿUmrah Be Performed on Behalf of a Living Person?
Darulifta Ahlesunnat (Dawateislami)
Question
What do the noble scholars and jurists of Islamic law say about the following: Can ʿUmrah be performed on behalf of a living person?
Answer
Performing ʿumrah on behalf of someone is essentially conveying the reward of ʿumrah to them. Just like the reward of good deeds can be conveyed to the deceased, it can also be conveyed to the living. Conveying reward is not specific to the deceased. Therefore, just like ʿumrah can be performed on behalf of a deceased with the intention of conveying its reward to them, ʿumrah can also be performed on behalf of a living person.
It is proven from the Prophet ﷺ himself that the reward of good deeds can be conveyed to the living and the deceased. There is a ḥadīth which states that the Noble Prophet ﷺ performed qurbānī on behalf of the entire Muhammadan ummah, and the Muhammadan ummah includes both the living and the deceased. Read the following ḥadīth:
The ḥadīth is narrated in Sahīh Muslim:
عن عائشة: أن رسول اللہ صلى اللہ عليه و سلم أمر بكبش أقرن، يطأ في سواد، و يبرك في سواد، و ينظر في سواد، فأتي به ليضحي به، فقال لها: يا عائشة، هلمي المدية. ثم قال: اشحذيها بحجر، ففعلت ثم أخذها و أخذ الكبش فأضجعه ثم ذبحه ثم قال: باسم اللہ، اللهم تقبل من محمد، و آل محمد، و من أمة محمد. ثم ضحى به
Translation: It is narrated from ʿĀʾishah رضي اللہ تعالى عنها that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ commanded that a horned sheep which walks in black, sits in black, and sees in black be brought. It was brought before him to be slaughtered. Then, He ﷺ said to ʿĀʾishah رضي اللہ تعالى عنها: “Bring a knife”. Then he said: “Sharpen it with a stone”. (She states) “I did so”. Then He took the knife and took the sheep and laid it down. Then he intended to slaughter it and said: “In the name of Allāh, Oh Allāh! Accept this from Muhammad and the lineage of Muhammad, and the ummah of Muhammad ﷺ.” He then slaughtered it. (Sahīh Muslim, Vol. 03, p. 1557, Ḥadīth No. 1967, Publ. Dār Iḥyaʾ al-Turās, Beirut)
It is similarly mentioned in another ḥadīth that Abū-Hurairah رضي اللہ عنه said to those traveling for Ḥajj: Which one of you can guarantee me that he will offer two or four rakʿāt in Masjid ʿIshār and convey its reward to me? Read the following ḥadīth: It is narrated in Sunan Abī Dāwūd:
إبراهيم بن صالح بن درهم، قال: سمعت أبي يقول: انطلقنا حاجين فإذا رجل، فقال لنا: إلى جنبكم قرية يقال لها: الأبلة؟ قلنا: نعم، قال: من يضمن لي منكم أن يصلي في مسجد العشار ركعتين أو أربعا، و يقول: هذه لأبي هريرة؟ سمعت خليلي رسول اللہ صلى اللہ عليه و سلم يقول: "إن اللہ يبعث من مسجد العشار يوم القيامة شهداء، لا يقوم مع شهداء بدر غيرهم"
Translation: Ibrāhīm Bin Sāliḥ Bin Dirham stated: I heard my father saying: When we set off with the intention of Ḥajj, we met a person. He asked us, “Is there a village near you called al-ʾUbullah?” We said: Yes. He said: “Which one of you guarantees me that he will pray two or four rakʿāt in Masjid al-ʿIshār and then say: ‘this is for Abu-Hurairah’?” I heard my beloved, the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ saying: “Indeed Allāh will resurrect the martyrs from Masjid al-‘Ishār on the day of judgement. No one other than them will stand with the martyrs of Badr.” (Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Vol. 06, p. 366-367, Ḥadīth No. 4308, Publ. Dār al-Risālah al-ʿĀlamiyah)
It is stated in al-Baḥr al-Rāʾiq:
من صام أو صلى أو تصدق و جعل ثوابه لغيره من الأموات و الأحياء جاز و يصل ثوابها إليهم عند أهل السنة و الجماعة كذا في البدائع و بهذا علم أنه لا فرق بين أن يكون المجعول له ميتا أو حيا
(Al-Baḥr al-Rāʾiq, Vol. 03, p. 63, Publ. Dār al-Kitāb al-ʾIslāmi, Beirut)
When conveying the reward of good deeds, it is better to direct it to all Muslims males and females, which will obviously include the living and the deceased. Thus, it is stated in Radd al-Muḥtār:
فی زکاۃ التاترخانیۃ عن المحیط: الأفضل لمن یتصدق نفلا أن ینوی لجمیع المؤمنین و المؤمنات لأنھا تصل الیھم و لا ینقص من اجرہ شئ
(Radd al-Muḥtār ʿAlā al-Durr al-Mukhtār, Vol. 03, p. 180, Publ. Dār al-Maʿrifah, Beirut)
Muftī Amjad ʿAlī Aʿzamī رحمة اللہ عليه states in Fatāwā Amjadiyah:
ایصال ثواب مستحب ہے۔ اور جو کچھ نیک کام کیا ہو اور اس کا ثواب کسی کو پہنچانا چاہتا ہو تو یہ دعا کرے کہ الہی اسے قبول فرما اور اس کا ثواب فلاں فلاں کو پہنچا۔ بلکہ بہتر یہ ہے کہ جمیع مومنین و مومنات کو پہنچائے۔ امید کہ سب کو پورا پورا ثواب ملے اور اس کے ثواب میں کوئی کمی نہ ہو بلکہ سب کے مجموعے کے برابر ملے۔
Translation: Conveying rewards is Mustaḥab. Whoever performs a good deed and wants to convey its reward to someone, he should make the following supplication: “Oh my lord! Accept this and convey its reward to so and so person.” It is better that he conveys the reward to all Muslim men and women. It is hoped that the entire reward will reach everyone, and the reward of the one who conveyed it will not be decreased; instead, he will receive the reward equal to the total of everyone. (Fatāwā Amjadiyah, Vol. 01, p. 336, Publ. Maktabah Razawiyah, Karachi)
وَ اللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَ سَلَّم
(Allah Almighty knows best and His Messenger صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَ اٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم knows best.)
Answered By: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari
Ref No: FAM-978
Date: 20th Jumād al-ʾŪlā 1447 AH/ 12th November 2025