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What is the authenticity of the hadith, "He whom Allah has granted health, but does not visit the House of Allah every five years, is indeed deprived"? And does it refer to Hajj or Umrah, or both?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The Hadith transmitted from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri states that Allah the Almighty says: "Indeed, a servant whom I have granted a healthy body and expanded his livelihood, yet five years pass him by without him coming to Me, is deprived." This Hadith was narrated by Abu Ya'la and Al-Bayhaqi.

Scholars have differed in their ruling on this Hadith. Some have weakened it or ruled it to be fabricated, while others have authenticated it, such as Ibn Hibban and Al-Albani.

Some scholars interpreted the Hadith by understanding its meaning to refer to Hajj or Umrah, or to Hajj only. Some used it as evidence for the obligation of Hajj every five years for the one who is able, which is a weak opinion, either due to the weakness of the Hadith or because the Hadith is understood to indicate desirability, not obligation. Scholars have unanimously agreed that Hajj is an individual obligation once in a lifetime for the one who is able. Those who said it is obligatory every five years have dissented from this consensus. Some scholars denounced using this Hadith as an argument due to its weakness or fabrication. If its authenticity is accepted, then it is understood to indicate desirability and emphasis.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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