Umrah is a sacred traveling for
Muslims towards the Makkah. Literally, it means to visit the place which is
densely populated. Umrah can be performed at any time of year except for “5”
days of Hajj which comes in the last month of Islamic Lunar Calendar. These
days are started from the 8th day and ended on the 12th day of Last month
(Dahul Hijjah).
A lot of Muslims consider the
Umrah is a “Minor Pilgrimage” while Hajj is a “Major Pilgrimage”. So Umrah is
not important and essential for all Muslims as the Hajj because Hajj is one of
five pillars of Islam.
What happens in the Umrah?
According to Islamic traditions,
the Umrah is that Tawaf around the Kaaba as well as Sai between the 2 mountains
that lay in the Al-Haram Mosque in the city of Makkah. These two mountains
names are Al-Safa and Al-Marwah. These steps also contain in Hajj. After these
steps, men have to perform a Halq, where they have to shave their head
completely, and woman have to perform a Taqsir, where they have to cut their
hairs only for one inch.
Special Requirements for Umrah:
Before traveling the Umrah, you
will need a passport, visa, airline ticket, and hotel reservation. You will
need the best travel agency which arranges everything for you that is essential
for your Umrah journey by the Umrah Packages all inclusive.
For Umrah, every pilgrim will
need a special dress. This is not a normal dress because there are some rules
for it. Its name is Ihram which would be wear before the crossing of Miqat. It
is different for men and women. Men wear simple 2 white sheets which are
unstitched. Women wear normal dresses which they wear in their normal lives.
They cover their normal dress with Abayas. Abaya is a long loose over-garment.
There are some restrictions that
are associated with Ihram:
1: Hunting the animals are
prohibited in the state of Ihram.
2: Sexual activities are
prohibited in the state of Ihram.
3: Women must uncover their faces
and hands.
4: Use of any scents on the body
or on the clothes are prohibited in the state of Ihram.
5: Men must uncover their heads.
Why is Umrah so important?
In Islam, the Umrah is 2nd holy
journey after the Hajj. Umrah removes
the sins of those who perform it with full intentions. If anyone performs Umrah
in Ramadan then he/she can get a great reward which is equal to the reward of
Hajj. Umrah removes poverty. You make yourself a guest of Allah when you
perform the Umrah’s parts as Tawaf and Sai.
Remove the Poverty_ Hazrat Ibn
Abbas (RA) reported that Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said:
“Perform Hajj & Umrah
consecutively; for they remove poverty & sin as bellows removes impurity
from iron.”
Remove the Sin_ Hazrat Abu
Hurairah (RA) reported that Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said:
“From 1 Umrah to another is the
expiation for what comes in between and Hajj Al-Mabrur brings no reward less
than Heaven.”
Equivalent to Jihad for some
Muslims_ Hazrat Abu Hurairah (RA) reported that Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be Upon
Him) stated:
“Jihad of elderly, the young, the
weak & the women, is Hajj & Umrah”
Every Muslim should perform the
Umrah at least one time of life because it is a Sunnah of our beloved Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH).
