Elderly and Wheelchair Pilgrims
Short answer: Elderly and frail pilgrims can perform Tawaf and Sa’i in a wheelchair or electric cart, and their Umrah is complete. Someone should stay with them at all times, give their medicines on time and avoid peak hours.
At a glance
- Tawaf and Sa’i: permitted in a wheelchair or electric cart
- Wheelchair: take your own or get one at set points in the Haram
- Electric carts: available for hire on the Haram’s upper floors
- Prayer: sitting if they cannot stand
- Companion: someone with them at all times
Step-by-step guide
- Before travel: get a medical check-up and take medicines for the whole trip, with the prescription.
- Tell the airline: through your agent, request wheelchair assistance when booking so it is ready at the airports.
- Hotel: choose a hotel near the Haram with a lift.
- Wheelchair in the Haram: take your own folding wheelchair, or get one at the set points in the Haram.
- Tawaf and Sa’i: when it’s less crowded, use the wheelchair or electric-cart route on the upper floor.
- Rest breaks: let them rest and drink water after each stage.
Prayer and purity
- Someone who cannot stand prays sitting, and makes ruku’ and sujud by gesture.
- Someone who cannot keep wudu has the rulings of a ma’dhur (excused person). Ask a reliable scholar for the details.
- Someone who cannot do rami themselves can have another person do it for them during Hajj.
Do
- Put a slip with the hotel card and your number in their pocket.
- Sort their medicines into a box by morning, afternoon and night.
- Keep their phone charged, with your number saved at the top.
Don’t
- Never leave an elderly person alone in a crowd, even for a few minutes.
- Don’t take them out in the midday heat.
- Don’t make them walk more than they can manage.
Common mistakes
- Thinking Umrah in a wheelchair is not valid.
- Not requesting airport wheelchair assistance in advance.
- Packing their medicines in checked luggage.
Frequently asked questions
Does the person pushing the wheelchair also complete their own Tawaf? If they make the intention for their own Tawaf, it counts for them too. Ask a reliable scholar for the details.
Where can I get a wheelchair in the Haram? At set points by some of the Haram gates. Ask Haram staff or hotel reception for the nearest one.