Pilgrims Taking Goods There and Bringing Goods Back

Question

The amount of money the government exchanges for Hajj is limited. Therefore, may pilgrims take with them Madrasi waist-cloths, perfumed oil, sandalwood and the like, or not? There are no government restrictions on them — so that by trading in them one may meet one’s expenses with peace of mind. Or, from there, goods on which the Saudi government has no restrictions, for example cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, dried skink (used in traditional medicine) and other herbs and roots?

Answer

Goods on whose export from here and import from there there are no legal restrictions — taking them from here and bringing them from there is permissible (ja’iz) for everyone, pilgrim and non-pilgrim alike. Doing so does not diminish the reward of Hajj; but this much is certain: the pilgrim’s attention stays caught up solely in trade and the like.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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