The ruling on whoever intends to go to Makkah for other than Hajj and Umrah

Question :

What is the ruling of the Islamic law concerning someone who leaves from Ar-Riyadh to Makkah and he does not intend to perform Hajj or 'Umrah? Then after his arrival in Makkah he wants to perform Hajj, so he assumes Ihram from Jeddah for the Hajj of Qiran. Is his Ihram acceptable from Jeddah or does he have to sacrifice an animal? And does he have to go to one of the known Mawaqit places? Please give us a ruling, and may Allâh reward you.

Answer:

Whoever leaves from Ar-Riyadh or any other place intending to go to Makkah, but he does not intend to make Hajj or 'Umrah, but he only intends to do something else, like business or visiting some relatives or something similar to that, then after he arrives in Makkah he decides to perform Hajj, he should assume Ihram from his place where he was. If he was in Jeddah, he assumes Ihram from Jeddah, and if he was in Makkah, he assumes Ihram from Makkah. Similarly, any place from where a person decides to perform Hajj or 'Umrah while he is in that place, he assumes Ihram from where he is for Hajj or 'Umrah if he is within (the boundaries of) the Mawaqit. There is no harm on him in this, because his Miqat is the place from where he intends to perform Hajj. This is due to the statement of the Prophet when he designated the Mawagit places:
"Whoever is closer (to Makkah) than that, then his place of Ihram is from where he began. Even the people of Makkah assume Ihram from Makkah."
Source:
The Permanent Committee
Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 4 Pages 82-83