Title: Umrah on behalf of Ohers Question: Assalamualikum , I was wondering if I can perform Umrah on behalf of my grandparents. If so, does Hajj become fardh on them? They are not alive and did not get a chance to perform Umrah or Hajj . Please enlighten me on this. Thank you, Walaikumassalam Nizami Answer: Performing acts of worship on behalf of a deceased relative, in my opinion, should be restricted to a situation where the deceased relative had pledged to undertake that particular act of worship, but could not get a chance to carryout his pledge during his/her life. For instance, had your grandparents pledged go for Umrah , but did not live long enough to carryout their pledge, then I would definitely have recommended your going to Umrah on their behalf and, thereby, relieving them of the responsibility that their pledge had put upon them. Carrying out the responsibilities entailed in such pledges is comparable to paying a loan on behalf of a deceased relative. However, under ordinary circumstances, every person is responsible and shall be rewarded for his own deeds and intentions. The deeds of one person cannot be transferred to the account of another. As for the second part of your question, that is whether undertaking Umrah makes it obligatory upon the person to go for Hajj , I do not agree with this opinion. Hajj , as we know, is independently obligatory upon all those Muslims, who can undertake to complete it. Umrah is an act of worship, which is independent of Hajj . The two referred acts of worship should be seen independent of each other. Successfully undertaking each one of these acts of worship should be seen as a blessing of the Almighty. Performing Umrah before performing Hajj does not alter the original status of Hajj in Islam. I hope this helps. Regards, Moiz Amjad December 10, 2001