WHAT IS UMRAH?
The Arabic word ‘Umrah’ is derived from ‘i’timar,’ defined as a visit. However, in Islamic terminology, Umrah refers to a visit to the Holy Ka’abah to make a small pilgrimage to Mecca. the Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Unlike Hajj, the largest pilgrimage performed on specific days of Dhul Hijjah, Umrah can be done anytime.Umrah ritual has four pillars: Ihram, Tawaf, Sa’ee, and Halq. We will detail each of them:
STEP 1 – IHRAM
For anyone planning to perform Hajj or Umrah, Ihram is a necessary ritual. Without Ihram, your Umrah or Hajj will not be accepted. So what exactly is Ihram? Ihram is a specific state where pilgrims enter and stay while performing Hajj or Umrah. Entering the divine state requires performing some purification rituals and wearing appropriate clothing. When all Hajj or Umrah pilgrims arrive at the house of Allah in the same clothes, Ihram creates complete equality, thus erasing any financial and social differences between them. Therefore, you cannot distinguish the rich from the poor when performing Umrah or Hajj. The important thing to understand here is entry to Ihram places you under specific restrictions that you should be aware of. These include the following.
- Men are not allowed to shave their hair, shave, or cut their nails
- Men are not allowed to wear tailored or woven clothing. For women, any all-white or black clothing that covers the body except the face and hands are their Ihram. So women are allowed to wear ready-made clothes during Umrah or Hajj.
- Women should refrain from revealing any body part except the face and hands.
- Neither men nor women should wear any kind of perfume, including perfumes, deodorants, aftershaves, and scented soaps. You will be provided with unscented soap to use during the trip. Pilgrims are not allowed to engage in sexual activity.
- Pilgrims are not allowed to hunt or chop animals down trees.
HOW TO PERFORM UMRAH NIYYAH
An important rule that pilgrims should understand as niyyah for Umrah Packages 2023 must be taken before crossing any Meeqats. Niyyah is the innate intention to perform any act of worship, which is to be followed by the Talbiyah, which is a special prayer that pilgrims must continue to recite until reaching Masjid Al-Haram.
Meeqats are stipulation stations established by Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) to enter Ihram state for all those performing Hajj or Umrah. Five stations apply to you, depending on where you go. Here are five Meeqat locations:
Rabegh or Al-Juhfah – For those traveling from the West, Syria, Egypt
Yalumlum – For those traveling from Pakistan, India, or Yemen.
Abyar Ali or Dhul-Hulaifah – For those traveling from Medina
Qarn-Al-Manazel – For those traveling from Taif and Najd
Dhatul-Irq – For those traveling from Iraq.
You should perform Umrah niyyah in mind and recite the words. You can recite one of the following three supplications as your niyyah:
Labbayka llahumma Umratan
TRANSLATION:
Oh, Allah! I’m here to perform Umrah.
Allahumma Inni uridu l—umrata
TRANSLATION
Oh, Allah! I’m going to perform Umrah.
Allahumma Inni uridu l-umrata fa yassirha li wa taqabbalha minni.
TRANSLATION:
Oh, Allah! I Am Going To Perform Umrah, So Please Accept It And Make It Easy For Me.
HOW TO ENTER IHRAM STATE?
If traveling by air, you must enter Ihram state before crossing the Meeqat that applies to you. If you fly with Saudi Airlines, they will give notice of Meeqat at the appropriate time before arriving in Makkah. We recommend you wear Ihram clothes at home and postpone the niyyah until you get close to Meeqat on the plane. You will officially enter the Ihram state once you have done the niyyah. Before putting on Ihram clothes, let the body be clean. Then, perform ghusl, which is to bathe in the prescribed manner. Alternatively, you can do wudhu. Ihram clothing consists of two white sheets, one for the upper body and the other for the lower half. After dressing Ihram, pray two rakahs salah Al Ihram, but do not do niyyah of Ihram or Umrah at this time, as mentioned above. As you near your current Meeqat, fulfill your intentions for Ihram and Umrah according to the method explained in the previous section, then recite the Talbiyah.
Recite Talbiyah as wajib and validate your intention to enter Ihram state. Talbiyah’s prayer is as follows:
Labbayka llahumma labbayk(a), Labbayka la sharika laka labayk(a), inna l-hamda wa n-ni’mata, laka wa l-mulk(a), la sharika lak.
TRANSLATION:
At your service, O Allah, at your service. You don’t have a partner at your service. Indeed, all praise, favor, and sovereignty are yours. You have no partner.
After reading Talbiyah, you have entered the state of Ihram and are a Muhrim.
STEP 2 – TAWAF AL-UMRAH
Tawaf is derived from the Arabic word ‘Taafa,’ which means ‘to surround something.’ In Umrah or Hajj, Tawaf performs seven counterclockwise rounds of the Ka’abah. Although there are five different types of Tawaf, we will discuss Tawaf Al-Umrah, an integral part of Umrah. Preparation
To perform Tawaf, you must be free of any major and minor impurities and be in a state of wudhu. If your wudhu ends at any time during the Tawaf, start showering again and continue your Tawaf from where you left off. You will naturally be dressed in Ihram clothes, which will be pure and clean. For men, the body must be covered from the navel to the knees, and for women, the entire body must be covered except for the hands and face.
STARTING POINT
While in Mataf, observe the Idtiba, exposing the right shoulder, as is the custom of the Sunnah for Tawaf Al-Umrah. This can be easily done by threading the top sheet of Ihram under your right armpit and hooking it over your left shoulder. It will help if you keep your right shoulder uncovered during Tawaf.
The starting point of Tawaf is the corner of the Ka’abah, where the Hajr Al-Aswad, or Black Stone, is located. Stand facing the Ka’abah with the black stone on your right. This is where you will do niyyah to perform Tawaf. Recitez les mots suivants pour faire l’intention:
Bimillahi Wallahu Akbar, Allahumma Imanan bika wa tasdiqan bika kitabika wa wafa’an bi ahdika wattaba’an li sunnati nabiyyika Muhammad (Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam).
TRANSLATION:
I begin in the name of Allah. Allah is the greatest. O Allah, out of faith in You, belief in your book, fulfillment of your covenant, and the emulation of the Sunnah of Your Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).
Start your Tawaf by moving to your right, so the Ka’abah is to your left. This way, you will be going counterclockwise. Raml is another Sunnah practice that should be observed when performing Tawaf Al-Umrah. It refers to walking quickly, lifting strong legs, and puffing out the chest, imitating a warrior. Do the first three rounds of Tawaf this way and then return to normal walking for the rest of the four rounds. Perform your Tawaf with great Humility, Remembering The Greatness Of The Ka’abah. Avoid Unnecessary Eating And Talking About Worldly Things.
DUAS TO READ IN TAWAF
You can recite all the supplications and duos you remember in your Tawaf, for this is when the duo is accepted. You can read Arabic duets or call in your language. First, however, you should memorize the Arabic Sunnah duos and read them in your Tawaf. However, ensure you understand each verse you read so that you experience humility in prayer and don’t have to repeat the words.
The best dua to recite between the Yamani corner and the Hajr Al-Aswad that’s prescribed by Sunnah is:
Rabbana Atina Fid Dunya Hasanah, wa fil akhirati hasanah, wa qina Azab annar.
TRANSLATION:
O Lord, grant us the best in the world and the best in the next world and protect us from the punishment of hellfire.
Reaching Hajr Al-Aswad marks the completion of each round. Then, kiss, touch, or salute the black stone to move on to your next round. This is referred to as Istilam.
Allahumma Inni As’aluka ‘ilman nafi’an, wa rizqan wasi’an, wa ‘amalan mutaqabbalan, wa shifa’an min kulli da’.
TRANSLATION:
O, Allah! Grant me beneficial knowledge, abundant provision, and the cure to every illness.
AFTER TAWAF
Once you have completed the Seven Rounds of Tawaf, follow these steps:
SALAH AL-TAWAF
This refers to Salah’s two rakahs to be performed upon completion of your Tawaf. While it is best to perform this Salah rite near Maqam-e-Ibrahim, it may not be possible as the venue is located in Mataf. So you can do this prayer anywhere in the mosque.
ZAMZAM
After performing Salah Al-Tawaf, head to the Well of Zamzam in Masjid Al-Haram. You should be able to get water from any dispensers and fountains in the area. Duas are also accepted at this station, so make as many duas as possible. You can also recite the following duo after drinking Zamzam Water:
DO UMRAH WITH MY KIDS. MAYBE NOT?
Yes, you can do Umrah with your child. However, you will need to fully understand the different stages, like niyyah, Tawaf, Sa’ee, etc., must be done on behalf of the child. So contact a genuine scholar to learn the steps.
STEP 3 – SA’EE
Like Tawaf, Sa’ee is a required step in Umrah. Simply put, it is the practice of walking seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah. After completing your Tawaf and performing Salah Al-Tawaf, head back to Hajr Al-Aswad to perform Istilam again before heading to Safa Hill to start Sa’ee. Recite the following Quranic verse as you approach Safa hill:
Inna s-safa wa l-marwata min sha’a’iri llah (i).
TRANSLATION:
Indeed, Safa and Marwah are among the Signs of Allah (SWT).
Then, recite the following dua:
Abda’u bima bad’allahu bihi.
TRANSLATION:
I start with that which Allah has begun with.
When you reach Safa hill, recite the following duas:
Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu Akbar, wa lillahi l-hamd.
TRANSLATION:
Allah is the greatest. Allah is the greatest; Allah is the greatest, and all praise is to Allah.
There are many other Sunnah supplications that you can recite before starting your Sa’ee. Also, create your duo in your language. Then start walking towards Marwah. Between the hills of Safa and Marwah, you will notice two green fluorescent lights about 50 meters apart. Men should run at a moderate pace between the two, but women should continue walking normally. There is no specific dua or dhikr prescribed for pilgrims performing Sa’ee. Instead, you can recite any supplication or duo you choose, such as sending Durood to the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).
Whenever you go to Marwah, read the same supplications as when you went to Safa. Your seventh round will be completed at Marwah Hill. Although not required, it is recommended to perform two rakah Salah after completing the Sa’ee. Step 4 – Halq or Taqsir
After Sa’ee, you must perform Halq or Taqsir to escape the Ihram state. You must take this important step to remain in the Ihram state. Halq means shaved head, while Taqsir means haircut.
Even if you have no hair left, shave a razor on your head to complete the ritual. For sin, a minimum amount of hair must be cut the length of a finger from all sides of the head where the hair is. Although you can cut your hair, having someone else do it is also acceptable.
On the other hand, women are not allowed to practice Halq. Instead, they only have to cut a piece of hair as long as their fingers, no matter the length.
STEP 5 – FINISH IHRAM
When completing Halq or Taqsir, you will leave Ihram state. After completing your Ihram, you will not be bound by related restrictions such as using perfume, cutting nails, marital relations, etc. Now you can change into your normal clothes. Even so, if your Umrah is part of Hajj, marriage will remain prohibited until Tawaf al-Ziyarah, but other Ihram restrictions will be lifted.
CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING YOUR UMRAH!
Congratulations, you have completed your Umrah. But, instead of feeling proud of your achievements, continue to repent, thank Allah for that privilege, and continuously perform tricks to get your Umrah accepted.
HOW MUCH TIME DOES IT TAKE TO COMPLETE UMRAH?
How long it takes to complete Umrah largely depends on the crowd at the time you do it, your own pace, the weather, and whether or not you choose to take a break between the rituals. Umrah’s most time-consuming stages include Tawaf and Sa’ee. Under normal circumstances, each person will take about two hours to complete. In this case, completing your Umrah at most should take three to four hours. During peak times, it may take longer.