Should he do Hajj for a third time or take his wife and daughter for ‘umrah?

Praise be to Allah.

Undoubtedly the reward for Hajj is greater than the reward for ‘umrah. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, explaining the reward for both of them: “From one ‘umrah to another is an expiation for whatever comes in between them (of sins), and an accepted Hajj brings no less a reward than Paradise.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1650) and Muslim (2403).

But in some cases the lesser of the two may be preferable.

You may think that it is better to do ‘umrah with your wife and daughter, because that comes under the heading of being kind to them, and it will have a good impact on their relationship with you, or you may see that this will be the cause of them adhering more closely to the rulings of Islam and being more committed to the religion, and so on.

Or you may think that your going for Hajj may open the door to the Shaytaan and let him spoil your relationship with them, for the Shaytaan may make them think that you prefer yourself to them and that you only care about yourself, or that you are being stingy towards them, and the like.

The point is that you should examine your situation and that of your family. If they are not very concerned about doing ‘umrah, and the fact that you do Hajj and they do not do ‘umrah will not affect them, then doing Hajj is better for you.

But if your doing Hajj will lead to some of the negative outcomes mentioned above, or if doing ‘umrah will lead to some of the positive outcomes mentioned above, then doing ‘umrah is better for you.

May Allah, may He be exalted, enable you to do that which He loves and is pleased with, and may He guide you.

And Allah knows best.