Is it permissible to do ‘Umrah on behalf of living people who are able to do it?

It is not permissible to do Hajj or ‘Umrah on behalf of
anyone who is able to do Hajj or ‘Umrah himself. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

With regard to appointing others to do Hajj or ‘Umrah on
their behalf, there is something that, unfortunately, people at present have
taken to extremes, that may be invalid according to Islam. That is because
there are two reports from Imam Ahmad as to whether it is permissible to
appoint someone else to perform a naafil duty on one’s behalf. One report
says that it is not permissible for a person to appoint someone else to do a
naafil duty such as Hajj or ‘Umrah on his behalf, whether he is sick or
healthy. This report seems to be more correct, because acts of worship
should be done by a person himself, so that he may attain whatever worship
and humility before Allaah he can attain. You can see the difference between
a man who does Hajj for himself and a man who gives money to someone else to
perform Hajj on his behalf. The latter does not gain the benefits of worship
such as reforming his heart and humbling himself before Allaah. It is more
like a financial transaction whereby he appoints someone else to buy and
sell on his behalf. If he is sick and wants to delegate someone to do a
naafil deed on his behalf, we say that this is not something that is taught
in the Sunnah. Rather the Sunnah is to appoint someone to do things on one’s
behalf with regard to fard (obligatory) actions only. The difference between
fard and naafil is that the fard deed is binding upon a person, and if he
cannot do it then he may appoint someone to do Hajj and ‘Umrah on his
behalf. But naafil deeds are not obligatory, so it is said: So long as you
are sick and you have done the obligatory action, then give praise to Allaah
for that, and spend the money that you wanted to give to someone to do Hajj
or ‘Umrah on your behalf in other ways; use it to help a poor man who has
not done the obligatory Hajj yet. That is better for you than saying, “Take
this and do Hajj on my behalf,” even if you are sick. As for the obligatory
Hajj, people are not negligent about it, praise be to Allaah. You can hardly
find anyone who appoints someone else to do the obligatory Hajj on his
behalf unless he is unable to do it. This is something that is mentioned in
the Sunnah, as in the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with
him), according to which a woman came to the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “O Messenger of Allaah, the
command of Allaah to His slaves to perform Hajj has come when my father is
an old man who cannot sit firmly in the saddle. Can I perform Hajj on his
behalf?” He said: “Yes.” 

Conclusion: There are two reports from Imam Ahmad about
appointing someone else to perform a naafil duty on one’s behalf. One of
them says that it is not valid, and the other says that it is valid whether
one is able or not. But in my view it is undoubtedly more correct to say
that it is not valid to appoint someone to do a naafil deed on one’s behalf,
whether one is able to do it or not. With regard to obligatory Hajj, the
Sunnah says that the one who is unable to do it and has no hope that the
situation will change may send someone on his behalf. End quote. 

Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 21/140 

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (11/68): 

The Muslim who is able
to perform Hajj should hasten to do it and in this case it is not
permissible for him to appoint someone else to do Hajj on his behalf, and
the Hajj of someone else will not suffice for him so long as he is able to
perform Hajj himself. End quote. 

The scholars of the Standing Committee favoured the view that
one may perform Hajj and ‘Umrah on behalf of a living person who is unable
to do them, even if it is naafil. 

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 11/81 

If you have done ‘Umrah
on your own behalf, it is permissible for you to do ‘Umrah on behalf of your
mother and father if they are unable to do it because of old age or sickness
for which there is no hope of recovery. End quote. 

This was also the view favoured by Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may
Allaah have mercy on him), who was asked: I want to perform Hajj on behalf
of my mother. Is it essential to ask her permission, knowing that she has
already performed the obligatory Hajj? 

He replied: 

If your mother is unable
to perform Hajj because of old age or sickness from which there is no hope
of recovery, there is nothing wrong with your performing Hajj on her behalf,
even if that is without her permission, because it is proven that a man
asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for
permission saying: O Messenger of Allaah, my father is an old man who cannot
do Hajj or ‘Umrah. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “Do Hajj and ‘Umrah on behalf of your father.” And
a woman asked him for permission, saying: “O Messenger of Allaah, my father
is an old man and he cannot perform Hajj or travel. Shall I perform Hajj on
his behalf?” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “Do Hajj on behalf of your father.” Hajj may also be performed on
behalf of the deceased, because of the saheeh hadeeth that have been
narrated to that effect, and because of these two hadeeths. End quote. 

Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 16/414 

Conclusion: 

It is not permissible to do Hajj or ‘Umrah on behalf of any living person who is able to do that, but in the case of one who is not able, if it is the obligatory Hajj then it is permissible, but if it is naafil then it is the subject of a difference of scholarly opinion.