The ancient city of Makkah is one of the most sacred places on earth. One of the Five Pillars of Islam, Umrah is a simple, yet rewarding pilgrimage that non-Muslims are allowed to perform once every lifetime. It is also called as "The Lesser Pilgrimage." In this article, we will be going over all you need to know about the lesser pilgrimage from planning and preparation until after-care. What is an Umrah?
Umrah Service Date
The date of Umrah depends on the age of the pilgrim. The pilgrims above the age of 55 are allowed to perform Umrah anytime of the year for any 365 days of the year. However, the other pilgrims who are between the age of 7 to 55 years are preferred to perform Umrah during the Lunar Hijri Calendar months of ‘Dhu al-Hijjah’ or ‘Dhu al-Qa’dah’. Umrah can be performed anytime between the months of September and June of the Gregorian Calendar. However, you should avoid performing Umrah during the months of December, January and February due to the low temperatures. If you are interested in performing Umrah during the summer season, then you can go ahead and take advantage of it. Just remember that it is advisable to perform Umrah in the cooler months as temperatures during the hot season can be very uncomfortable.
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What You Need to Do Before Umrah
There are certain things that you need to do before you even plan to perform Umrah. Let’s have a look at them. - You Must Have Made the intention to perform Umrah: You must have the intention to perform Umrah before you even start planning for it. This is because once you have the intention, you will automatically start preparing for it. - You Must Figure out how much money you will be needing for your pilgrimage: You must figure out how much money you will be needing for your pilgrimage. This is because there will be many things that you cannot do without money. For example, a complete Hajj or Umrah package is not available at a cheap price. You will also have to pay for your travel and accommodation expenses. So, you need to keep all these things in mind before you plan to perform Umrah.
Types of Umrah
There are two types of Umrah i.e. the Umrah performed by the person who doesn’t possess the intention to perform Umrah, and Umrah performed with the intention to perform Umrah. The Umrah performed with the intention to perform Umrah is also called as Umrah-e-Qurban (Umrah for the purpose of forgiveness), whereas the Umrah performed without the intention is known as the Umrah-e-Asalah (Umrah for the sake of expiation). Both the types of Umrah are also classified in accordance with the number of days of the pilgrimage. There are 3 types of Umrah. They are - - Umrah-e-Asr (Umrah for the time of Asr): In this type of Umrah, the pilgrim performs the complete Umrah like a Hajj. And afterwards heReturns to his country. This is because the time of Asr is also considered to be one of the Five Pillars of Islam and therefore, it is allowed for the pilgrims to perform Umrah and go to Makkah. - Umrah-e-Maghrib (Umrah for the time of ‘Asr’): In this type of Umrah, the person performs the complete Umrah like a Hajj and then he returns to his country. - Umrah-e-‘Ishaa (Umrah for the night): And in this type of Umrah, the person performs the complete Umrah like a Hajj, but this time he stays in Makkah for one night and then he returns to his country.
After-Care in Umrah
After-care in Umrah is one of the most important things to keep in mind. This is because, if you don’t take good care of yourself while you are in a state of Ihram in Makkah, you may end up getting sick or injured. The after-care in Umrah is very similar to Hajj care. There are certain things that you need to keep in mind if you want to perform your Umrah properly. - Get Health Insurance Before You Plan to Perform Umrah: You must get health insurance before you plan to perform Umrah. This is because during the pilgrimage, you will be visiting many dangerous places. You may end up falling down from a cliff, climbing rocks, being attacked by animals, etc. So, it is important for you to have a health insurance. - Get the Umrah Vaccines: You must also get the Umrah vaccines. This is because the vaccines are generally required for a pilgrimage to Makkah. The vaccines are usually given before the pilgrimage and after performing the Umrah. - Get the Hajj Permit before You Plan to Perform Umrah: Many governments allow the pilgrims to perform Umrah without any permission. However, in many cases, you will be asked to apply for the Hajj Permit before you plan to perform Umrah. This is done to avoid the authorities from getting any sort of problem regarding the pilgrims performing Umrah without any permission. - Get the Quran Before You Plan to Perform Umrah: Just like you need to get the Quran before you perform Hajj, you also need to get the Quran before you plan to perform Umrah. The reason behind it is that you will be busy in the Holy Masjid of Makkah during your Umrah. So, it is important for you to keep the Quran with you while you are performing your pilgrimage.
Is It Safe to Perform Umrah?
The answer is a big YES. Even though many people are skeptical about performing Umrah, it is actually considered to be one of the safest pilgrimages. There are many things that make it safe to perform Umrah. The first one is the fact that you will be visiting the Holy Masjid of Makkah during your pilgrimage. And the Masjid is one of the safest places on earth. All the people who performed Hajj were asked to go to the Masjid and were not asked to perform Tawaf around the Ka’bah. So, it is certain that you will get the protection of the Masjid. Another thing that makes the Umrah safe is the fact that you will be visiting a few dangerous places during your pilgrimage. But again, you will be escorted by the police and other officials. So, you will be safe at all times.
Conclusion
The pilgrimage to Makkah is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences a person can have in their lifetime. You will feel an incredible connection with the Almighty by performing this simple pilgrimage. There are many benefits that come with performing Umrah. These include the chance to improve your faith, the chance to deepen your spiritual connections with family and friends, the chance to experience a new culture, the chance to perform a simple act of charity, and the chance to strengthen your spiritual connection with Makkah. Planning your pilgrimage to Makkah can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. You can visit the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) website to get tips and advice on how to plan your pilgrimage.
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