What is the Umrah?

Umrah is an act of worshipping Allah by entering the state of Ihram, circumambulating the House, running between Safa and Marwa, and having the head shaved or trimmed.

How do I enter into the state of Ihram?

• A Muslim enters into the state of Ihram at the place specified by Sharia, and shall abstain from the Ihram prohibitions
• He shall recite Talbiyah, saying: "Labbayka Allaahumma Labbayk, Labbayka La Shareeka Laka Labbayk. Innal Hamda Wan-ni'mata Laka Wal-Mulk, La Shareeka Lak" (Here I am at your service, o Allah, at Your service! At Your service! You have no partner! I am at Your service! Indeed, all praise and grace belong to You, and so does the supreme authority. You have no partner)

Circumambulation (Tawaf):

• He/she goes to the Haram
• When the Kaaba is to the left, they circumambulate (counterclockwise)
• He begins and ends at the Black Stone
• After completion of the seven rounds, you pray two Rakaah in an appropriate place

Sa’i (between Safa and Marwa):

He/she heads to Safa where he starts Sa’i towards Marwa. Once reaching Marwa, you have completed one round. Crossing the distance back to Safa fulfills the second round, and so on until the seventh round ends at Marwa.

Having hair of the head shaven or trimmed:

• After completing Sa’i, men go to the barber shops to have their hair shaven or trimmed
• Women gather their hair and cut from its ends about (1-2 cm)
• With this act, the Umrah would be completed, marking the end of Ihram

Umrah pilgrims should avoid any conduct that harms others in the Haram, such as jostling, entering crowded places, and reversing the direction of circumambulation. They shall carefully follow the instructions of observers and security personnel.

Performing Umrah in Ramadan

Umrah has great virtues at all times. It is one of the deeds that expiate sins, for the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said. Additionally, it has a special virtue during Ramadan.

Reward for performing Umrah in Ramadan

• The Prophet blessings and peace be upon him said: "Performance of Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj", or he said: "Equal to performance of Hajj with me"
• This virtue extends to all the days and nights of Ramadan
• The pilgrim must perform his Umrah at the time allotted to him as shown by the reservations in the official Umrah applications

When you drive for Umrah, park your car in a parking lot in Makkah.

Performing more than one Umrah during the same trip

• Performing the Umrah is one of the best and greatest deeds in the sight of Allah, as the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said: "The performance of one Umrah is an expiation for what was committed between it and the previous. And it is allowed to repeat more than once per year".

Is it prescribed to perform more than one Umrah during the same trip?

• Some visitors to Makkah are keen to repeat Umrah on behalf of themselves or some of their relatives, for fear that they won't be able to visit Makkah again. This is permissible unless it causes inconvenience to other pilgrims or it violates the terms and conditions of Umrah's official applications.
• Once one obtains the necessary permission of the concerned bodies to perform another Umrah shall go to the nearest place outside the Haram, such as the mosque of Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) in Al Taneem. He/she enters into the state of Ihram from this place, then performs the Umrah.

Umrah is a set of rituals of worshipping Allah by entering into the state of Ihram, performing circumambulation of the Kaaba, performing Sa’i between Safa and Marwa, and having one's hair shaven or trimmed.

It has great stature and virtues, including

• Allah mentioned it along with Hajj and commanded that it be completed and performed in the most perfect manner, for the sake of Allah’s pleasure. The Almighty said: {and perform properly the Hajj and Umrah for Allah}.
• It wipes out sins and reduces poverty and need: the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said: "Perform Hajj and Umrah consecutively; for they remove poverty and sin as the bellows remove impurity from iron".
• Umrah expiates sins: the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said: "From one Umrah to the next is an expiation for the sins committed between them".
• Every step in circumambulation is an increase in good deeds and forgiveness of sins: the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said about the virtues of circumambulating the honored House: "Whoever circumambulates the House does not raise a foot or put down the other, except that Allah will write down for him a good deed, erase for him a sin and raise his rank".
• Sa’i between Safa and Marwa is a reason why Allah will be thankful and rewarding to His servant: after mentioning Sa’i between Safa and Marwa, Allah informed us that He fully knows His servant’s work and that He will reward the servant for the deed and good work. He said: "And who volunteers good, Allah is All-grateful, All-knowing".

Allah singled out Makkah and honored it over all parts of the world. One of the greatest signs is that it is His sanctuary.

What is the meaning of 'Haram' (Sanctuary)?

• It is a place in which certain things, allowed elsewhere, are prohibited out of veneration and reverence for the One Who prohibited it. Allah the Exalted said: {and who observes the sanctity of the sites ordained by Allah, it will be good for him in the sight of his Lord}.
• Allah has chosen this land and made it sacred, forbidding in it what He permitted in other places, and singling it out with virtues and merits that are not found in any other place. Its sanctity and stature date back to the very first beginning of the entire universe.
• Allah has made this land into a Sanctity and assigned to it a very special rank on the day this universe was created. It will remain so until the end of time. The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said: "Allah has made this town a sanctuary from the day He created the heavens and the earth. So, it is a sanctuary by Allah's decree till the Day of Resurrection".

What does Sanctity mean to me?

• You are now in a place that Allah singled out, honored, and sacralized before He even created humans. He ordered Abrahim, peace be upon him, to raise the foundations and build the House (Kaaba) before even a single soul lived in Makkah, and chose it to be the qiblah and guidance for the whole world. Allah the Exalted said: {The first House (of Prayer) established for mankind is the one at Bakkah (Makkah): a blessed place, guidance for all worlds (of people and jinn)}.
• You are in a place where the reward for a good deed is multiplied, and where sin is not like a sin in any other place.
• Allah commanded His noblest humans, Abrahim and Ismail, peace be upon them, and then Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him), to purify, build and take care of the Kaaba.

Best time to perform Umrah

A Muslim may perform Umrah at any time. However, there are important criteria for determining the appropriate time for Umrah for each person:

• It is better for the pilgrim to choose the less crowded times so that they can perform the rituals of Umrah, go near the Haram, and pray there with ease.
• There is a special merit for Umrah in the month of Ramadan. The Prophet's blessings and peace be upon him said: "Performance of Umrah during Ramadan is equal to Hajj", or he said: "Equal to the performance of Hajj with me".
• Pilgrims must perform Umrah at the time allotted to them, according to their reservations on the official Umrah apps.
• Umrah is not allowed during the Hajj season, for those who do not intend to combine it with Hajj, to keep the Sacred sites available for pilgrims, because they are more deserving of those sites than others at that time.

Those entering the Kingdom on any type of visa can go to Makkah to perform Umrah after making a reservation through the Nusuk app.