Attending to a disabled husband or performing Hajj
19-1-2014 | IslamWeb
Question:
I am a disabled person who uses a wheel chair. I cannot dispense with my wife's attendance on me even if she goes to a near or far place. Does refraining from going to Hajj on account of my condition incur sin on her part?
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
Scholars hold different opinions regarding whether or not it is obligatory on a wife to serve her husband. The majority of scholars view that it is not obligatory for a wife to serve her husband. Meanwhile, some scholars view that it is obligatory for her to serve him in all matters as stated by Abu Thawr 
.
Some scholars gave a detailed account of this issue saying that a wife is obliged to offer indoor services such as kneading, cooking, cleaning and tidying up. This complies with the judgment by which the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam settled the disagreement between ‘Ali and Faatimah 
. If we adopt the view stating that this kind of service is due on a wife to her husband, then is it due on her to attend and care for him if he is disabled?
It seems that if Hajj is due on her and her husband has neither children to serve him nor money to hire a servant to assist him, then his wife is obliged to stay and serve him in such a case. This is because, if she left him, he will be exposed to harm. In this case, saving a Muslim takes precedence over performing Hajj.
However, if there is someone else who can manage the husband's affairs such as his children or trusted servants, then the wife must hasten to perform Hajj because it is obligatory on an immediate basis according to the preponderant opinion of scholars.