#umrahعُمْرَة,#umraعُمْرَة,#haj,#hajj,#Makkah,#Madinah,#madeenah,

The ʿUmrah (Arabic: عُمْرَة, lit. ‘to visit a populated place’) is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca (the holiest city for Muslims, located in the Hejazi region of Saudi Arabia) that can be undertaken at any time of the year, in contrast to the Ḥajj (/hædʒ/;^[1] “pilgrimage“), which has specific dates according to the Islamic lunar calendar.

In accordance to the Shariah (Law of Islam), for both pilgrimages, a Muslim must first assume Ihram, a state of purification achieved by completing cleansing rituals, wearing the prescribed attire, and abstaining from certain actions. This must be attained when reaching a Miqat, a principal boundary point in Mecca, like Dhu ‘l-Hulaifah, Juhfah, Qarnu ‘l-Manāzil, Yalamlam, Zāt-i-‘Irq, Ibrahīm Mursīyah, or a place in Al-Hill. Different conditions exist for air travelers, who must observe Ihram once entering a specific perimeter in the city.

Umrah requires Muslims to perform two key rituals, Tawaf and Sa’i. Tawaf is a circling round the Kaaba seven times. For men, it is recommended to do the first three circuits in a hurried pace, followed by four rounds of a more leisurely pace. This is followed by Sa’i between Safa and Marwah in the Great Mosque of Mecca, a walk to commemorate Hagar‘s search for water for her son and God’s mercy in answering prayers. Pilgrims conclude the pilgrimage with Halq, a partial or complete shortening of the hair.

Umrah is sometimes considered the “lesser pilgrimage”, in that it is not compulsory in all Islam schools of thought, but is still highly recommended. It is mandatory according to the Hanbalis. It is generally able to be completed in a few hours, in comparison to Ḥajj, which may take a few days. It is also not meant to be interpreted as a substitute for Hajj. However, both are demonstrations of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to Allah (God).

Differences between the Hajj and Umrah[edit source]

• Both are Islamic pilgrimages, the main difference is their level of importance and the method of observance.^[2]
• Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is obligatory for every Muslim once in their lifetime, provided they are physically fit and financially capable.
• Hajj is performed over specific days during a designated Islamic month. However, Umrah can be performed at any time.
• Although they share common rites, Umrah can be performed in less than a few hours while Hajj is more time-consuming, and involves more rituals.

Types[edit source]

A certain type of the Umrah exists depending on whether or not the pilgrim wishes to perform Umrah in the Hajj period, thus combining their merit.^{[citation needed]} When performed alongside the Hajj, Umrah is deemed one of “enjoyment” (Arabic: عُمْرَة ٱلتَّمَتُّع, romanized: ʿUmrat at-tamattuʿ) and is part of a fuller Hajj of enjoyment (Arabic: حَجّ ٱلتَّمَتُّع, romanized: Ḥajj at-tamattuʿ).^{[citation needed]} More precisely, the rituals of the Umrah are performed first, and then the Hajj rituals are performed. Otherwise, when performed without continuing to perform Hajj, the Umrah is considered a “single” Umrah (Arabic: عُمْرَة مُفْرَدَة, romanized: ʿUmrah Mufradah).^{[citation needed]}

Rituals[edit source]

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The pilgrim performs a series of ritual acts symbolic of the lives of Ibrahim (Abraham) and his second wife Hajar, and of solidarity with Muslims worldwide. Pilgrims enter the perimeter of Mecca in a state of Ihram and perform:

• Tawaf, Circumambulation of The Kaaba In Worship. which consists of circling the Ka’bah seven times in an anticlockwise direction. Men are encouraged to make a small change of the ihram cloth, covering the left shoulder and opening the right shoulder. This is a recommended step done by Muhammad called idtiba. Muslims proceed to the Tawaf starting point (Hajar Al Aswad, The Black Stone). Muslims stand facing the Kaaba, raising their hands as in Salah & recite ” Bismillahi Allahu Akbar”, and start moving towards their right. For males the 1st three rounds are to be done at a hurried pace (called ramal), followed by four times, more closely, at a leisurely pace.^[3] Complete seven round in same manner.
• Sa’i, which means walking seven times back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwah. Men are encouraged to walk fast in green light area. This is a re-enactment of Hajar’s frantic search for water. The baby Isma’il (Ishmael) cried and hit the ground with his foot (some versions of the story say that an angel scraped his foot or the tip of his wing along the ground), and water miraculously sprang forth. This source of water is today called the Well of Zamzam.
• Halq or taqsir: Taqsir is a partial shortening of the hair typically reserved for women who cut a minimum of one inch or more of their hair. A halq is a complete shave of the head, usually performed on men. Both of these signify the submission of will to God over glorifying physical appearances. The head shaving/cutting is reserved until the end of Umrah.

These rituals complete the Umrah, and the pilgrim can choose to go out of ihram. Although not a part of the ritual, most pilgrims drink water from the Well of Zamzam. Various sects of Islam perform these rituals with slightly different methods. The peak times of pilgrimage are the days before, during and after the Hajj and during the last ten days of Ramadan.^{[citation needed]}