Umrah is an Arabic word. Umrah means to visit a crowded place. Umrah is a pilgrimage to Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Muslims from all around the world came to Makkah to perform Umrah. Umrah can be performed at any time in the whole year. It can be performed after and before Hajj and in the last ten days of Ramadan. Hajj is an obligation for the Muslims who can afford it. A person who is physically fit and financially strong, compulsory performs Hajj once in his lifetime. However Umrah is not obligatory but is highly recommended.
There are a lot of virtues of Umrah. Umrah performed in the month of Ramadan is equals to Hajj in its virtues. Umrah performed in the month of Ramadan is equals to an Umrah performed with our Holy Prophet (S.A.W). Ibn Abbas relates that Allah’s Messenger (S.A.W) asked a woman from Madina:
“What prevented you from embarking on the Hajj pilgrimage with us?”
She replied: “We had two camels. My husband and child took one and left the other for the rest of us to ride on.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) then told her: “When the month of Ramadan arrives, go for ‘Umrah, because `Umrah in Ramadan is like accompanying me on Hajj.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (1764)]
Rituals of Umrah
The rituals performed in Umrah are as under:
Tawaaf:
In Tawaaf, pilgrims circle the Kaaba seven times. Tawaaf is performed in an anti clock wise direction. Tawaaf completed after the seven circles around the Kaaba.
Sa’i:
In Sa’i, pilgrims walk rapidly seven times between Safa and Marwah. This is a re-enactment of Hajar, the mother of Ismail (A.S). The baby Ismail (A.S) was cried for water and water came from the barren earth with the rubbing of their foot. This water is known as the well of Zamzam.
Halq or Taqsir:
This ritual refers to the cutting of hair. Halq is a complete shave of head and taqsir is known as partial cutting. However, women cut only 1 or 2 inches of their hair in length.
Above mentioned all rituals are performed in the state of Ihram. After all these, Umrah is complete. Now the pilgrims can change Ihram with their casual dresses. Ihram is a two clothe dress of white color. It is unstitched and Umrah is compulsory performed in the state of Ihram. During Umrah, pilgrims say many Quran verses and pray to Allah for His blessings and for the forgiveness of their sins. Allah forgives all the sins of pilgrims and blessed them. These important umrah rituals can also impact on the Cheap Umrah Flights.
Because a person who understands and knows something about these rituals must search for cheap umrah packages that definitely reduce the cost of the total umrah package offered by a tour operator. That’s the reason, you must be well aware of these rituals to ensure a peaceful journey. So keep all of above mentioned rituals in the consideration while traveling to the holy city of Makah or Madina.