Istiṭāʿa
Definition
Istita'a is the condition of capability that makes Hajj obligatory — the pilgrim must have the physical health, financial means, and safe passage to make the journey. Al-Ghazali discusses the legal details of what constitutes capability and what exempts a person, and then raises the spiritual question: for those who are capable, the delay of Hajj is a form of procrastination with potentially eternal consequences. The person who is istita'a and yet postpones Hajj year after year, waiting for the perfect moment, has misunderstood both the urgency of the obligation and the unpredictability of the life they are counting on.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
Appears in
1 book in the library
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