The Obligation of Fasting for One Who Performs al-Hajj al-Tamattu’ but Cannot Find an Offering

“I once asked abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) about a man who is for al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous) but does not find an offering-animal. He (the Imam) said, ’He must fast before al-Tarwiyah (eight of Dhu al-Hajjah) on the day of al-Tarwiyah and on the day of ‘Arafah. I then said that he has arrived on the day of Tarwiyah. He (the Imam) said, ‘He must fast three days after the days of Tashriq.’ I then said that transporting people do not wait for him. He (the Imam) said, ‘He can fast on the day of al-Hasabah and two days thereafter.’ I then asked, ‘What is al-Hasabah?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is the day he leaves.’ I then asked, ‘Can he fast when traveling?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, was he not traveling on the day of ‘Arafah? We, Ahl al-Bayt say it because of the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘. . . three days of fasting in al-Hajj.’ (2:196) He says this (fasting) is in Dhu al-Hajjah.’”

“One of the two Imam, (abu Ja’far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘One who cannot find an offering and likes to fast the three days during the first ten days, it is not an offense for him to do so.”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who is for al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous) and does not find offering-animal. He (the Imam) said, ‘He is required to fast three days in al-Hajj, one day before al-Tarwiyah (eight of Dhu al-Hajj ah), on the day of al-Tarwiyah and on the day of ‘Arafah.’ I then asked, ‘What is the rule if he misses it?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘He can eat food before dawn on the day of al-Hasabah, fast that day and two more days thereafter.’ I then asked, if camel man does not wait for him, can he fast on the way?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, if he likes he can fast on the way or when he returns home to his family.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who is for al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous), arrives on the day of al-Tarwiyah (eight of Dhu al-Hajj ah) and he does not have offering animal with him. He (the Imam) said, ‘He must not fast that day or on the day of ‘Arafah. He can eat food before dawn on the day of al-Hasabah, and in the morning he will be fasting; it is the day to leave, and two more days thereafter.’”

“I once asked abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), about a man who is for al-Hajj al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous), and has clothes in his bag; if he can sell them and buy offering animal from the sale of the clothes. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, believers dress up with clothes. He must fast and must not take anything from his clothes.”’

“This is about the case of a man for al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous) who is able to pay but cannot find offering animal. Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘He must leave the cost of the offering animal with someone in Makkah. He must instruct him to buy an offering animal and slaughter it for him. This is sufficient. If it did not happen in Dhu al-Hajjah, he can delay it until next Dhu al-Hajjah in future.’”

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about a man for al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous) who has enough funds for the offering animal available but he delays until the evening when prices become high and the funds that he has now are not enough to buy what he could buy earlier in the day. He (the Imam) said, ‘He is required to fast three days after the days of tashriq, 11, 12 and 13.’”

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about a man for al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous) who could not find an offering animal and he fasted the three days. When he completed the acts of his al- Hajj he found out that he needed to remain in Makkah. He (the Imam) said, ‘He must wait for the arrival of the people from his town and when he thinks that they have entered (Makkah) he then must fast the seven days.’”

“I once asked one of the two Imam, (abu Ja’far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, about a man for al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous) who cannot find an offering animal until the day for departure when he finds enough funds to buy a sheep, should he slaughter or fast? He (the Imam) said, ‘He must fast; the days for slaughtering have passed.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘One who does not fast in Dhu al-Hajjah until it is the month of Muharram, he owes one sheep to slaughter and fasting is not obligatory on him, he must slaughter it in Mina’.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man for al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous) who fasts for three days and on the day of departure finds an offering animal. He (the Imam) said, ‘His fast is sufficient.’”

“He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said, ‘If one who did not have an offering animal for his al- Tamattu‘ (advantageous), dies; it becomes obligatory on his guardian to fast on his behalf.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man for al-Hajj al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous) who did not have an animal for offering. Therefore, he fasted for three days in al-Hajj : then he died after returning to his family and before fasting the seven days: if it was obligatory on his guardian to fast on his behalf. He (the Imam) said, ‘I do not see any Qada’ (compensatory fast) obligatory on him.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man for al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous) who does not have anything to buy an animal for offering. He fasts three days in al-Hajj but then it becomes possible for him to buy an animal for offering. Must he buy an animal for offering and slaughter it or leave it alone and fast the remaining seven days when he is back home in his family? He (the Imam) said, ‘He must buy an animal for offering and his fasting is of extra benefit for him.’”

“This is about the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘If he cannot find (offering) he must fast three days in al-Hajj and seven days when you return and this becomes ten complete.’ (2:196) He (the Imam) (a.s.), said that completing fasting is completing the offering obligation.’”

“I once asked al-Rida’ (a.s.), about a man for al-Tamattu‘ (advantageous) who arrives but does not have any animal for offering with him; if he can fast before the time to slaughter the offering. He (the Imam) said, ‘He must wait until the day of al-Nahr (slaughtering the offering, 10th of Dhu al- Hajjah); and if he did not find any animal for offering, then he is of ‘those who cannot find’ (2:196) an animal for offering.’” (Fatwa best explains Hadith 3-16 of this Chapter)