Should I pay off my debts before performing Hajj, or can I take a loan to go?

Hajj is obligatory only upon the one who has the means (istitāʿah), and Allah says: "And due to Allah from the people is Hajj of the House — for whoever is able to find a way to it" (Quran 3:97). The jurists count freedom from due debt as part of that ability: if a person's wealth is not sufficient for both the debt and the journey, he settles the debt first — unless the creditor is content to wait — because the creditor's right is a binding claim already due, while Hajj has not yet become obligatory upon him. The seriousness of debt is clear in the Prophet's ﷺ words: "All the sins of a martyr are forgiven except debt" (Sahih Muslim 1886). If, however, his wealth covers both the debt and the journey, Hajj is obligatory upon him and the debt is no excuse. Borrowing money in order to perform Hajj is not required by the Sharīʿah, and most scholars discourage it, although it is not forbidden if the loan is modest, repayment is realistically assured, and no ribā is involved. Allah's command "and take provision, for the best provision is taqwā" (Quran 2:197) directs the pilgrim to set out with his affairs settled, without becoming a burden on others.

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