Performing Hajj Multiple Times

Question: Someone who has not yet performed the hajj but seeks to please Allah will naturally desire to perform the hajj. But those who have already performed the hajj have the same desire compounded multiple times, as those who have seen the house of Allah and visited the graves of the Prophet and Ahlul Bayt (a) will feel they have left part of themselves behind in the holy land. But there are those who criticize people for performing hajj multiple times. They say that the money should instead be given to charity, or that it should be gifted to others who don't have financial means to peform hajj on their own. Is this criticism valid?

Answer: We have multiple traditions from the Ahlul Bayt (a) that state that the reward for performing hajj is more than the reward for giving money in charity (sadaqah). On the other hand we have other traditions which state that the reward for helping a fellow believer (mu'min) in severe need is more than the reward for performing hajj multiple times. These two sets of traditions can be reconciled by saying that performing hajj multiple times is desirable (mustahab). However, if there is fellow believer in severe need who approaches you and asks you for help, and the only way you can help him/her is by using the money you were planning to use for hajj, you should do so and not go to hajj. Helping someone to perform their wajib hajj does not count as severe need, as hajj is not wajib on someone until they have the financial means to perform hajj (please refer to your marja's risalah for details).

Source: Question posed to a teacher of the hawzah, Shawwal 1427, November 2005