How to Perform Umrah? Step By Step

 

How to Perform Umrah?

Umrah is a non-mandatory pilgrimage to Makkah. Muslims can perform this pilgrimage in any part of the year.

Detailed way of Performing Umrah

Wearing Ehram & Meeqat

When you are moving for this holy travel to the Holy city of Makkah, then you have to make sure that you clean your body from all the unneccesary hair and cut your nails. You should make sure that you do this at “Meeqat”. Meeqat are the places appointed by the Sharia where you get yourself clean from unnecessary hair and cut your nails. After doing so you have to take a bath and make sure your body is clean and perform ablution.

To perform Umrah you have to wear Ehram and after wearing Ehram you have to abide by certain conditions. Following is the detail of the condition that you have to abide by.

•         The sole intention should be to perform hajj to fulfil Allah’s command

•          Try to avoid all major or minor sins from the core of your heart. Try to pray and ask forgiveness from Allah and all the people for any wrongdoing.

•         Make sure you pray 5 times a day

•         Go to your dresser exactly 2 days before your departure and make sure cut properly your nails.

•         You should be strong to bear the troubles and the difficulties with patience on Hajj.

•         You should wear Ehram before entering the plane.

•         Make sure you have all your medicines and you have taken the vaccination. You should also

•         Your passport and travelling documents are important, thus you should have some carry bags that can hold all your important things.

Intention for Umrah

After wearing Ahram you need to offer two rakats of of Nafal prayer after making the intention of Umrah. After doing so you have to read the following.

“Here I am O Allah, (in response to Your call), here I am. Here I am. You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise, grace, and sovereignty belong to You. You have no partner.”

This prayer is called Talbiyah. This is the second step of Umrah.

First Step: Circular Movement of Allah’s House

After landing in Makkah Mukarma you should make sure you have got your luggage in a safe place and then enter Masjid Haram from any door. 

When you see Bait Allah, you need to recite the following prayer

 

Method of Tawaf

The most important step of Umrah is the Twaf, which is also known as circulation movement. After performing ablution you should come to the corner of Bait-ul-Allah. The point from where the Tawaf should be started is where the Hajr Aswad is at the opposite of a green light that is fitted above ground in the place of Tawaf. While standing there you need to intend for the Tawaf Bait-ul-Allah and you have to pray.

“O' Allah I intend performing tawaf of your sacred house, (seven rounds) so make my tawaf easy for me and O'Allah accept it from me.”

After the intention you have to perform “Idhtiba”. To perform Idhtiba, cover the left shoulder with one end of the ehram and pass the other end under the right arm. Now stand at right of Hajre Aswad and raise your hand that your palm face Hajre Aswad and recite.

 Since you have welcomed Hajr Aswad now, it’s the time to kiss Hajr Aswad. This is known as “Estalam.” After this you need to move towards the door of Ka’ba. When you reach the door of Ka’ba you need to recite the following.

After coming towards Hajre Aswad, perform Istalam and recite the following.

Now the first round of Tawaf is compete and you have to perform 7 rounds of Tawaf in the same way. In first three rounds men will perform Ramal. Ramal is an act in which men will walk hastily, take shorter steps, lifting the legs forcefully, keeping the chest out and moving the shoulders simultaneously. Now you need to offer two rakat Nafal and drink Ab Zam Zam. While drinking Ab zam zam you need to recite the following. 

 Second Step: The Sayee of Safa & Marwa

In the second step you have to perform the Sayee of safa & Marwa. In this you have to climb Safa Mountain to where you could see the Bait-ul-Allah.

Then you have to run on Marwa Mountain intending to Sayee. Men should run while the women could walk.  Repeat this 7 times to complete your seven rounds of Sayee of Safa and Marwa.

Third Step: Halaq/Qasr                          

Now the third and the final step is to perform Halaq. In this step men have to shave off their head while women have to cut their 1-inch long hair.

After this your Umrah is complete and you could stay in Makkah to wait for the Hajj to start. In the meantime, you could also perform Nafli Umrah. In Nafli Umrah you do not have to perform all the steps. The only step necessary for Nafli Umrah is to perform welcoming of Hajr Aswad and after doing 12 estalam of Hajr Aswad make seven circular movements (Tawaf) of Khana Ka’aba and do estalam in every round.

The importance of Umrah in Islam

 From the noble conversations about the virtue of Umrah

On the authority of Abu Huraira that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Umrah to Umrah is an expiation for whatever is between them, and the accepted Hajj has no reward but paradise.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

Interpretation: Performing Umrah atone for the sins of the servant between the previous Umrah and the current Umrah except for major sins (interpretation of Ibn Baz).

1. Complete sincerity in performing Umrah and that the intention is pure only for the sake of God Almighty.

2. Make sure to perform Umrah in the same way that was mentioned in the Sunnah of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace.

Date of Umrah:

In the early days of Islam, tensions were constantly rising in Mecca between Muslims and the infidels, who prevented residents from performing the Hajj pilgrimage in Medina. In 628 AD (6 AH), Muslims traveled from Medina to Mecca, after the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had a vision of Muslims performing the rituals of Umrah.

But they refused to enter the Quraysh tribe, and the Prophet did not want to enter the holy site by force out of respect for the Kaaba. Diplomatic negotiations took place between the two parties, whereby the Treaty of Hudaybiyah was concluded, which promised a period free of hostilities for 10 years, and access to the Kaaba for a period of three days annually.

In the following Hijri year, the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, made his way to Mecca with 2,000 Muslims (men, women and children), where they performed the rituals of what became the first Umrah in Islam.

The importance of Umrah:

Umrah is considered the "smaller Hajj", while Hajj is considered the "greatest Hajj", it is from the Sunnah and not an obligatory act, and Muslims are advised to strive to perform this work not once but for as many times as they can during their lives, as is evident from the hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah ( May God be pleased with him), where the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, says: “Performing Umrah is the expiation for the sins committed between them and the previous ones, and the reward for the accepted Hajj (Hajj is accepted by God) is nothing but heaven.” (Bukhari)

Umrah, performed with faithful intentions, can be a way to purify the mind and soul polluted by sin and waving negation. It was said that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “alternate between Hajj and Umrah” because both of them get rid of poverty and sins just as mourning removes all the impurities from minerals such as Iron, gold and silver. (Al-Tirmidhi)

One should forgive God Almighty at all times and places, but Umrah has enormous rewards, as it requires a Muslim to leave his home and amenities for life and devote all of his time to worshiping God. In Surat Al-Baqarah (2: 186), he says: "If my slaves asked me, I answer to the supplicant if the whisperings Felictjibwa me and believe me they might usher (186). So let them respond to me [obedience] and believe in me that they may be guided by the" right . And how great were his blessings when they asked him and invited him in his holy house?

Moreover, any Muslim who travels to Umrah is considered a Hajj until he returns to his country. In the hadith narrated by Ibn Umar, the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: “The performance of Hajj and Umrah is from God Almighty. If he calls for him, he answers them, and if they ask for his forgiveness, he will forgive them.

Virtues of Umrah:

Umrah is one of the best deeds that one can do to gain closeness to God Almighty, and it is vitally important that we learn from the great blessings that one can gain by taking advantage of every moment during their time near the Sacred House of God. It has a tremendous impact on her spiritual and mental state, not only at the time of performing this simple Hajj, but throughout the rest of their lives, it is not just an act through which the pilgrim can atone for his sins and purify his soul.

It is also considered jihad in this modern era, especially for the elderly and the weak, women and children, who were not able - during the time of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace - to participate in the Islamic conquests and traditional acts of jihad.