What is Umrah?

Umrah is a very pure Sunnah of Prophet Mohammed. It is an act to worship followed by millions of people around the world. Umrah must be performed with gratitude and love to get good rewards. 

In this guide, we will discuss what is umrah and its purpose, the differences between Hajj and Umrah. We will discuss the best time to visit Umrah and the benefits of Umrah.

Meaning of Umrah 

Umrah means a visit to the Sacred home of God or Holy Ka’aaba. This act can be performed by any Muslim at any time of the year. Now, we will discuss what is Umrah in Islam. In Islam, Umrah is to perform Tawaf around Sa’i and the Holy Ka’aba between the hills of Marwah and Safa. This act must be performed in the sacred state of Ihram.

Purpose of Umrah 

The main purpose of Umrah is to connect with God or Allah and gain countless rewards. A person who walks on this spiritual journey will get a pure body, soul, and heart. He will be free from his mistakes and sins. 

Major differences between Umrah and Hajj 

Millions of people visit Hajj every year. Umrah is a visit to the Holy Ka’aaba. Now, we will look at the main differences between Umrah and Hajj in this section:

• Umrah is a voluntary visit while Hajj is compulsory for people who are physically fit and can afford the trip. 
• One can perform Umrah anytime in the year whereas Hajj can be performed only at a specific time. Hajj can be performed in the last month of the Islamic lunar calendar between the 8th and 13th of Dhul Hijah. 
• Hajj is a large annual gathering wherein about 2 million pilgrims visit every year from about 188 countries. On the other hand, Umrah is a small pilgrimage performed by millions of pilgrims every year. 
• Umrah is easy and affordable to perform. Hajj is a tough journey as well as a costly trip. 
• Umrah has very few rituals and one can complete them within some hours. Hajj has more rituals and includes 5 to 6 days. 

Benefits of Umrah 

Umrah has several benefits such as:

• One will get Allah’s pleasure by performing Umrah. 
• After completing Umrah, the person will gain all the virtues and life after death. 
• A person will get a chance to be the guest of God after performing Umrah. 
• Umrah will help to remove poverty. 
• You will be free from your sins after performing Umrah. 
• Umrah will make faith strong. 

Best Time to go to Umrah  

Umrah can be performed anytime throughout the year. However, the best time to go to Umrah is after a Hajj visit. 

How to visit Umrah? 

You can book a flight to Saudi Arabia to visit Umrah. You have to apply for an Umrah visa to visit here or you can directly book an umrah package from the best tours and travels agency. Pilgrims from countries near Saudi Arabia can visit Umrah by car with a visa. 

Rules for Umrah 

You must be in the state of Ihraam to visit Umrah. No bad language or quarreling should be involved while doing Umrah. You must perform Umrah in a pure state.