All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear brother in Islam, let's, first and foremost, commend your pursuit of knowledge and keenness in getting yourself well-acquainted with the teachings of Islam. It is, in fact, the duty of every Muslim, males and females, to observe the ordinances of Islam in the sound way. In doing so, a Muslim has to acquire knowledge either by means of study or asking knowledgeable Muslims.

The majority of scholars have said Hajj should be made “immediately”, and those who postpone it are committing a sin. If the person passes away without making it although he/she is able, then he/she is mistaken and would be punished unless Allah the Almighty forgives him/her.

In his response to your question Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the prominent Muslim scholar, states:

Hajj has been made mandatory only on those who can afford it as Allah the Almighty and His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) have said. It is mandatory only once in the lifetime of every Muslim as Muslim scholars unanimously stated. Al-Bukhari and Muslim have narrated that once the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) was asked about Hajj; he was asked, "Do we make it every year?" His response was: “if I say yes, then it would be prescribed upon you, and you won’t be able to make it annually”. However, the question remains that if the condition of performing Hajj is available, would it be mandatory to make it immediately or can it be delayed? The majority of scholars have said it should be made “immediately”, and those who postpone it are committing a sin. If the person passes away without making it although he/she is able, then he/she is mistaken and would be punished unless Allah the Almighty forgives him/her.

In fact, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has encouraged Muslims to take advantage of their health, and financial ability to make Hajj before getting sick, or financial conditions may change. It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, “Make Hajj, you never know what will happen.”

However, Imam Ash-Shafi`i said that Hajj is mandatory and there is no harm in delaying it. His proof is that, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has made Hajj in the 10th year after Hijrah although it was prescribed in the sixth year. If it is an immediate, then the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) would have made it immediately, but Ash-Shafi`i supports the opinion that prefers making Hajj immediately whenever conditions are conducive. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said that Allah the Almighty says in a Qudsi hadith, “A slave of mine whom I granted good health, showered him with bounties, and five years passes and he/she doesn’t come to Me in Ihram is deprived.” And when Allah the Almighty has said (Pilgrimage thereto is a duty - men owe to Allah - those who can afford the journey; but if any deny faith, Allah stands not in need of any of His creatures} (Aal `Imran 3:97).

This is why Allah the Almighty said at the end of the verse, “Allah stands not in need of any of His creatures.”

In conclusion, the Prophet’s Sunnah maintains the idea of making Hajj whenever conditions are available.