Can I Perform Umrah While Still in Debt?

Sep 4, 2010 | Hajj and Umrah

Question

I am a student who unfortunately has a lot of school loans. My question is, can I go to Umrah using this money?

Answered by: Mufti Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf

Assalamu alaykum

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious Most Merciful.

It would be permissible for one to go for Umra, even if one is in debt. This is if the traveling will not delay the repayment of the loan due upon him.

If going for Umrah will cause him to delay in his repayment then it would be prohibitively disliked to travel unless permission is granted by the creditor (as explained by Ibn Abidin in Radd al-Muhtar).

Please remember that unnecessarily delaying in repaying a loan and incurring interest is not permissible, and highly sinful. Wassalam
Mufti Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf