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The ʿUmrah ( ar, عُمْرَة, lit=to visit a populated place) is an Islamic pilgrimage to
Mecca Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow v ...
(the holiest city for
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
s, located in the Hejazi region of
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...
) that can be undertaken at any time of the year, in contrast to the '' Ḥajj'' (; "
pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
"), 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 ''Ihram'' ( ar, إِحْرَام, iḥrām, from the triconsonantal root Ḥ-R-M) is, in Islam, a sacred state which a Muslim must enter in order to perform the major pilgrimage ('' Ḥajj'') or the minor pilgrimage (''ʿ Umrah''). A pilgrim m ...
'', a state of purification achieved by completing cleansing rituals, wearing the prescribed attire, and
abstaining Abstention is a term in election procedure for when a participant in a vote either does not go to vote (on election day) or, in parliamentary procedure, is present during the vote, but does not cast a ballot. Abstention must be contrasted with ...
from certain actions. This must be attained when reaching a ''
Miqat The miqat ( ar, مِيْقَات, lit=a stated place, translit=mīqāt) is a principal boundary at which Muslim pilgrims intending to perform the '' Ḥajj'' or ʿ Umrah must enter the state of '' iḥrām'' (lit. 'prohibition')'','' a state of ...
'', 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 The Kaaba (, ), also spelled Ka'bah or Kabah, sometimes referred to as al-Kaʿbah al-Musharrafah ( ar, ٱلْكَعْبَة ٱلْمُشَرَّفَة, lit=Honored Ka'bah, links=no, translit=al-Kaʿbah al-Musharrafah), is a building at the c ...
''. 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 Hagar, of uncertain origin; ar, هَاجَر, Hājar; grc, Ἁγάρ, Hagár; la, Agar is a biblical woman. According to the Book of Genesis, she was an Egyptian slave, a handmaiden of Sarah (then known as ''Sarai''), whom Sarah gave to ...
'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, but is still highly recommended. 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

* Both are Islamic pilgrimages, the main difference is their level of importance and the method of observance. * 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

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. When performed alongside the Hajj, Umrah is deemed one of "enjoyment" ( ar, عُمْرَة ٱلتَّمَتُّع, ʿUmrat at-tamattuʿ) and is part of a fuller Hajj of enjoyment ( ar, حَجّ ٱلتَّمَتُّع, Ḥajj at-tamattuʿ). 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 ( ar, عُمْرَة مُفْرَدَة, ʿUmrah Mufradah).


Rituals

The pilgrim performs a series of ritual acts symbolic of the lives of
Ibrahim Ibrahim ( ar, إبراهيم, links=no ') is the Arabic name for Abraham, a Biblical patriarch and prophet in Islam. For the Islamic view of Ibrahim, see Abraham in Islam. Ibrahim may also refer to: * Ibrahim (name), a name (and list of people w ...
(
Abraham Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Je ...
) and his second wife Hajar, and of solidarity with Muslims worldwide. Pilgrims enter the perimeter of Mecca in a state of
Ihram ''Ihram'' ( ar, إِحْرَام, iḥrām, from the triconsonantal root Ḥ-R-M) is, in Islam, a sacred state which a Muslim must enter in order to perform the major pilgrimage ('' Ḥajj'') or the minor pilgrimage (''ʿ Umrah''). A pilgrim m ...
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. 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 Ishmael ''Ismaḗl''; Classical/Qur'anic Arabic: إِسْمَٰعِيْل; Modern Standard Arabic: إِسْمَاعِيْل ''ʾIsmāʿīl''; la, Ismael was the first son of Abraham, the common patriarch of the Abrahamic religions; and is cons ...
) cried and hit the ground with his foot (some versions of the story say that an
angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles ...
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 Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
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 , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...
.


History

According to the Muslim traditional accounts, access to the Holy Site (and thus the right to practice the Hajj and '
Umrah pilgrimages
'') have not always been granted to Muslims. It is reported in the Muslim traditional accounts that throughout
Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد;  570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mon ...
's era, the Muslims wanted to establish the right to perform Umrah and Hajj to Mecca since the latter had been prescribed by the Quran. During that time, Mecca was occupied by Arab Pagans who used to worship idols inside Mecca.


The Treaty of Hudaibiya

In the early years of the Islamic Ummah, it is claimed that tensions arose in Mecca between its pagan inhabitants and the Muslims who wished to perform pilgrimages within. According to the traditional Muslim stories, in 628 CE (6 AH), inspired by a dream that Muhammad had while in Madinah, in which he was performing the ceremonies of Umrah, he and his followers approached Mecca from Medina. They were stopped at Hudaibiya, Quraysh (a local tribe to which Muhammad belonged) refused entry to the Muslims who wished to perform the pilgrimage. Muhammad is said to have explained that they only wished to perform a pilgrimage, and subsequently leave the city, however the Qurayshites disagreed. Diplomatic negotiations were pursued once the
Islamic prophet Prophets in Islam ( ar, الأنبياء في الإسلام, translit=al-ʾAnbiyāʾ fī al-ʾIslām) are individuals in Islam who are believed to spread God's message on Earth and to serve as models of ideal human behaviour. Some prophets ar ...
Muhammad refused to use force to enter Mecca, out of respect to the Holy Ka'aba. In March, 628 CE (Dhu'l-Qi'dah, 6 AH), the
Treaty of Hudaybiyyah The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah ( ar, صُلح ٱلْحُدَيْبِيَّة, Ṣulḥ Al-Ḥudaybiyyah) was an event that took place during the time of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was a pivotal treaty between Muhammad, representing the state of ...
was drawn up and signed, with terms stipulating a ten-year period free of hostilities, during which the Muslims would be allowed a three-day-long access per year to the holy site of the Ka'aba starting the following year. On the year it was signed, the followers of Mohammed were forced to return home without having performed Umrah.Mubarakpuri, The Sealed Nectar, pp. 214–215.


The First Umrah

The next year (629 CE, or 7 AH), the Muslim tradition claims that Muhammad ordered and took part in the
Conquest of Mecca The Conquest of Mecca ( ar, فتح مكة , translit=Fatḥ Makkah) was the capture of the town of Mecca by Muslims led by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in December 629 or January 630 AD ( Julian), 10–20 Ramadan, 8 AH. The conquest marked ...
in December 629. Note: 6th Month, 8AH = September 629 Following the agreed-upon terms of the Hudaibiya Treaty, Muhammad and some 2000 followers (men, women and children) proceeded to perform what became the first Umrah, which lasted three days. After the transfer of power, the people of Mecca who (according to the Muslim traditional narrative) had persecuted and driven away the early Muslims, and had fought against the Muslims due to their beliefs, were afraid of retribution. However, Muhammad forgave all of his former enemies. Ten people were forgiven, and not to be killed after the capture of Mecca:''The Message'' by Ayatullah Ja'far Subhani
chapter 48
referencing Sirah by Ibn Hisham, vol. II, page 409.
Ikrimah ibn Abi-Jahl, Abdullah ibn Saad ibn Abi Sarh, Habbar bin Aswad, Miqyas Subabah Laythi, Huwairath bin Nuqayd, Abdullah Hilal and four women who had been guilty of murder or other offences or had sparked off the war and disrupted the peace.


Coronavirus closings

On 26 February 2020, Saudi Arabia suspended travel to the country for reasons related to the Umrah, due to concerns over the rapid spread of coronavirus. After the reporting of the first case of coronavirus in Saudi Arabia, on 4 March 2020, the Riyadh government banned Umrah pilgrimage to the holy cities of Medina and Mecca for Saudi citizens and residents living in the kingdom. On 10 August 2021, Umrah for pilgrims coming from around the world was resumed.


See also

*
Arabian peninsula The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plat ...
*
List of expeditions of Muhammad __NOTOC__ The list of expeditions of Muhammad includes the expeditions undertaken by the Muslim community during the lifetime of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Some sources use the word ''ghazwa'' and a related plural ''maghazi'' in a narrow techn ...
* Umrah visa policy


References


External links


How to Perform Umrah
(
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) {{Characters and names in the Quran Islamic pilgrimages Arabic words and phrases History of Mecca Islamic worship Hajj terminology