I have heard that we cannot perform Hajj if we have outstanding bills and loans. I live in Karachi these days and formerly was in Sialkot. I learnt tennis there and thereafter was posted to Karachi. I forgot to pay my tennis coach his fees and now its really difficult for me to go there and pay him his money. The other thing is that I did lots of childish things with friends and we also used to pinch things from our school canteen. I feel very guilty and depressed when I remember all these things. And what’s more, I still keep on sinning and sometimes, as a result, do not feel like praying. Also, I have some student loan in my name. However, my parents want to take me to Hajj. Now I want to know what I should do. Should I refuse or should I clear my dues first?

That persons in debt cannot perform Hajj is not a correct opinion. If you have to pay outstanding dues such as the ones you have referred to, and you are getting the chance to go to Hajj, do not loose it. At the most, write the exact amount and other details in a will document saying that if you (God forbid) do not return then such and such an amount should be paid to these people.

We must also remember that none of us can live without blemishes; the sins done after maturity and the pranks done in childhood are a common feature of every person’s life. Muslims are not expected to lead sinless lives; they are required to repent sincerely and ask forgiveness from the Almighty whenever they sin. Also, one must never loose a chance of earning reward and asking for the Almighty’s mercy. Sins should not stop us from praying or fasting – and certainly not from Hajj, for the opportunity might not come again. I think that Satan’s last and most effective weapon to lead a person astray is to make him feel frustrated and to make him loose hope from Allah’s mercy. This is what one should not succumb to, and the moment this element of frustration creeps in, one should realize that the Almighty is Ever-forgiving. Even to the subscribers of polytheism, He gives the following glad tidings:

Tell them [O Prophet]: O my slaves who have wronged their souls [by polytheism], despair not of the mercy of Allah who forgives all sins. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. (39:53)

One must remember that polytheism is the gravest sin a person can commit; if the Almighty can forgive it as a result of true repentance, he can forgive all others; the only thing is that we should keep repenting sincerely even if we commit the same sin over and over again.