What is Hajj Badal, Hajj e Badal, Badal Hajj, حج البدل and بدل حج ?

Hajj Badal and Hajj e Badal are terms generally used by the Muslims who originate from the Indo-Pak region; whilst Badal Hajj [ بدل حج ] and Hajj al-Badal [ حج البدل ] are Arabic terms.

The doing of the obligatory hajj on behalf of others can be done in following scenarios:

1. who have died whilst not having done so;
2. who are unable due to illness or disability;
3. wishing to offer a voluntary hajj on behalf of someone.

Follwoing are the hadith references to support above three conditions.

1) Who have died whilst not having done so

Abdullah b. Buraida (Allah be pleased with him) reported on the authority of his father:
When we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), a woman came to him and said: I had gifted to my mother a maid-servant, and now she (the mother) has died. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: There is a definite reward for you and she (the maid-servant) has been returned to you as an inheritance. She (that woman) again said: Fasts of a month (of Ramadan) are due upon her; should I observe them on her behalf? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Observe fasts on her behalf. She (again) said: She did not perform Hajj, should I perform it(Hajj Badal) on her behalf? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Perform Hajj on her behalf.

وَحَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ السَّعْدِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُسْهِرٍ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، بْنِ عَطَاءٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، – رضى الله عنه – قَالَ بَيْنَا أَنَا جَالِسٌ، عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذْ أَتَتْهُ امْرَأَةٌ فَقَالَتْ إِنِّي تَصَدَّقْتُ عَلَى أُمِّي بِجَارِيَةٍ وَإِنَّهَا مَاتَتْ – قَالَ – فَقَالَ ‏”‏ وَجَبَ أَجْرُكِ وَرَدَّهَا عَلَيْكِ الْمِيرَاثُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَلَيْهَا صَوْمُ شَهْرٍ أَفَأَصُومُ عَنْهَا قَالَ ‏”‏ صُومِي عَنْهَا ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَتْ إِنَّهَا لَمْ تَحُجَّ قَطُّ أَفَأَحُجُّ عَنْهَا قَالَ ‏”‏ حُجِّي عَنْهَا ‏”‏ ‏.‏

Reference : Sahih Muslim 1149 a
In-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 203
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 6, Hadith 2558

2) Who are unable due to illness or disability

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Abbas: Al-Fadl (his brother) was riding behind Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and a woman from the tribe of Khath’am came and Al-Fadl started looking at her and she started looking at him. The Prophet (ﷺ) turned Al-Fadl’s face to the other side. The woman said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! The obligation of Hajj enjoined by Allah on His devotees has become due on my father and he is old and weak, and he cannot sit firm on the Mount; may I perform Hajj(Hajj Badal) on his behalf?” The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, “Yes, you may.” That happened during the Hajj-al-Wida (of the Prophet (ﷺ) ).

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ كَانَ الْفَضْلُ رَدِيفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَجَاءَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ خَثْعَمَ، فَجَعَلَ الْفَضْلُ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهَا وَتَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ، وَجَعَلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَصْرِفُ وَجْهَ الْفَضْلِ إِلَى الشِّقِّ الآخَرِ فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ فَرِيضَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ فِي الْحَجِّ أَدْرَكَتْ أَبِي شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا، لاَ يَثْبُتُ عَلَى الرَّاحِلَةِ، أَفَأَحُجُّ عَنْهُ قَالَ ‏ “‏ نَعَمْ ‏”‏‏.‏ وَذَلِكَ فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ‏.‏

Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 1513
In-book reference : Book 25, Hadith 1
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 2, Book 26, Hadith 589

3) Wishing to offer a voluntary hajj on behalf of someone.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) heard a man say: Labbayk (always ready to obey) on behalf of Shubrumah. He asked: Who is Shubrumah? He replied: A brother or relative of mine. He asked: Have you performed hajj on your own behalf? He said: No. He said: perform hajj on your own behalf, then perform it(Hajj Badal) on behalf of Shubrumah.

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ الطَّالْقَانِيُّ، وَهَنَّادُ بْنُ السَّرِيِّ، – الْمَعْنَى وَاحِدٌ – قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ – حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَةُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عَرُوبَةَ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ عَزْرَةَ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَمِعَ رَجُلاً يَقُولُ لَبَّيْكَ عَنْ شُبْرُمَةَ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏”‏ مَنْ شُبْرُمَةَ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَخٌ لِي أَوْ قَرِيبٌ لِي ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏”‏ حَجَجْتَ عَنْ نَفْسِكَ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ لاَ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏”‏ حُجَّ عَنْ نَفْسِكَ ثُمَّ حُجَّ عَنْ شُبْرُمَةَ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

Grade : Sahih (Al-Albani)
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1811
In-book reference : Book 11, Hadith 91
English translation : Book 10, Hadith 1807