Umrah is an Islamic pilgrimage that is performed by Muslims any time during the year unlike Haj which is to be performed on the specific dates specifies by the lunar calendar. The word Umrah means a sacred visit to the sacred cities, Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. When talking about the Sharia, the word Umrah means to perform Tawaf around the Ka’bah and Sa’i between the mountains of Safa and Marwah. Umrah is commonly known as the ‘minor pilgrimage’. It is not compulsory for a Muslim to perform an Umrah in his life time but it is highly recommended.
Types of Umrah
An Umrah is classified into two types;
- Umrah al-tamattu
The Umrah that is performed as a part of hajj is known as Umrah al-tamattu. The Umrah is followed by the Hajj thus can only be performed in the specific days of Hajj.
- Umrah Mufradah
The Umrah that is performed separate to Hajj. Meaning a person doesn’t perform Hajj after Umrah and can perform this Umrah anytime during the year.
Pillars of Umrah
There are four pillars of Umrah;
- Ihraam
- Tawaf
- Sa’i
- Qasar/Halaq
Ihraam
Ihram is described as a state of purity. The pilgrims are to wear the clothing of ihram when they arrive at the Meeqat which is a named given to specific places in the city wear one needs to wear the ihram before entering the sacred cities. This ritual is to be followed by the people who are travelling by road while the ones travelling by air have to be in the state of ihram within the given perimeter of the Holy city of Mecca. There is specific clothing for ihram for the men known as the Ridaa, which covers the upper part of the body and Izaar that covers the lower part of the body while on the other hand there is no specific clothing for the women. They can be in the state of ihram in their normal clothing while niqab and gloves are not allowed. Ghusal before ihram is necessary for both men and women. After the ihram the pilgrims are to make niyaah (intention) for performing the Umrah.
Tawaf
Upon reaching the house of Allah (Ka’bah), the pilgrim touches and kisses the black stone and the starting from the Yamaani corner touches the Ka’bah and circles around it for seven times anti clockwise direction. On finishing the Tawaf the pilgrim again touches or faces the black stone again.
Sa’i
After the Tawaf the performer moves to the two mountains of Safa and Marwah. Now he walks rapidly back and forth between the two mountains, starting from Safa and ending at Marwah.
Qasar/Halaq
After completing the Sa’i the women and the men cut of their hair as sign of submission to Allah. This shows that they are getting rid of the worldly beauty and physical appearance. The men perform the Halaq which is the shaving of the head while the women perform Qasar that mean cutting about an inch of their hair. This completes the Umrah and now one can take off their ihram.
After this the pilgrims drink from the holy well of zamzam to quench their trust. This is not the part of the Umrah but has become a ritual that is accepted across the globe by most of the Muslims.
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