12. A Description Of Umrah

Umrah is the name given to the visitation of the Ka'bah in Makkah. It is a sunnah of the Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam .

In performing umrah ihram is assumed like that for hajj, and all restrictions of ihram are observed. A person intending to perform umrah makes the intention of ihram at the Meeqat and proceeds to Makkah. Upon reaching Makkah he perform tawaaf of the Ka'bah and then offers two rak'ahs behind Maqam Ibraheem. After that he performs Sa'i between as-Safa and al-Marwah, and then he either shaves his head or cut his hair, after which removes ihram.

There is no particular season or month fixed for performing umrah. To travel with the intention of performing umrah alone is permissible. 

The following are some of the statements of the 

Prophet salallahu‘alayhi wa sallam concerning umrah:

"An umrah during Ramadhan  is equal to Hajj."

" From one umrah to the next [is a period of] expiation [of sins], and the reward of a sinless hajj is none but Paradise."

Any person residing within the boundaries of al-haram [the city of Makkah along with a certain outlying territory on all side] who intends to perform umrah should go outside these boundaries to enter into the state of ihram. This is based upon the fact that after the Farewell Pilgrimage the Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam  sent. 'Abdur- Rahman bin Abi Bakr to accompany his sister 'Aishah  who was the Prophet's wife, to at-Tan'eem to assume the ihram for umrah.

After hajj it is contrary to the sunnah for a pilgrim to perform umrah repeatedly during his stay in Makkah. The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam  permitted A'ishah to perform umrah after hajj because she has missed the one before due to menstruation. Based upon this fact, any woman who misses umrah before hajj due to menstruation can perform it after hajj.

If a pilgrim enters ihram with the intention of performing hajj at- tamattu  but because of unavoidable circumstances does not perform umrah first [as required in this type of hajj], then he is to perform the qiran form of Hajj instead. Such a pilgrim is obliged to perform umrah after hajj  going out of the Haram boundary and assuming ihram there.

During the hajj season it is noticed that outside al-Masjid al-haram drivers are heard shouting, "Small 'umrah" and "Big 'umrah". These drivers take the pilgrim out of the boundaries of al- Haram so that they are able to perform umrah.  As a result, many pilgrims perform dozens of umrahs.  

Muslim scholars points out that the companion's practice was to perform only two or three umrah in a year. They note that it is preferable to spend one's time on the tawaaf instead.