Umrah consists of four essential practices. Firstly, you get changed into the Ihram garments before the Miqat, perform two Rakahs of Salah and make your Niyyah as the Miqat approaches, thereafter reciting the Talbiyah frequently. Secondly, you perform Tawaf of the Kaaba and then offer two Rakats of Salah near Maqam Ibrahim. Thirdly, you do Sa’i of Safa and Marwah. Lastly, you shave (Halq) or shorten (Taqsir) your hair allowing you to leave the state of Ihram and complete your Umrah.
Before going into the details of Umrah, you should know. Always choose a reliable travel agency to buy Umrah packages. To protect yourself from getting involved in any scams, must-read reviews from selected travel agencies.
4 Factors of Umrah:
- Ihram
- Tawaf
- Sa’i
- Qasr
Ihram
Physical Purity
Before wearing ihram clothes, trim your nails and cut the hair under your armpits and navel. After that, do ghusl. If ghusl is not suitable, then it is enough to do wudu. Men can use perfume on their heads/beards, it is forbidden to use such things on ihraam clothing.
Ihram Garments
Ihram clothing for men consists of two white clean sheets. The sheet wrapped around the waist is called Izar and the wrapped sheet around the upper body is called Ridha. Select such sandals for Umrah that keep a man’s heels and ankles bare.
It is obligatory to wear ihram clothes before crossing the prescribed meeqat. Those travelling to Saudi Arabia by air are advised to wear ihram at the airport before departure or during a stopover. Alternatively, ihram can be worn during the flight.
There is no specific dress code for women. For ihram, any colour of clothing that covers the head is enough for women. They should keep their hands and faces exposed in ihram, but they can cover their feet.
Muslim men should start reciting Talbiyah aloud after reciting two rak’ats. But this command is not for women, they should recite it quietly.
Both sexes should stop reciting the Talbiyah as soon as they reach the door of the Masjid al-Haram.
Read also: Right Age for Hajj 2022
Haram of Makkah
The Haram is a sacred area spread over several miles around the Masjid al-Haram.
What are the forbidden activities in this area:
- Do not cut or damage grass, trees or all kinds of plants.
- Don’t kill wild animals. Even scaring pigeons and other birds is against etiquette.
- Fighting, abusing or behaving in a way that violates the sanctity of the area is prohibited.
Tawaf:
Keep these points in performing Tawaf:
- Tawaf should start from the Black Stone.
- Complete the tawaf by moving counterclockwise.
- It is obligatory to perform Tawaf on foot for those who are physically able.
- During this time seven circuits have to be performed.
- It is obligatory to offer two rak’ats of prayers after Tawaf.
What should we do when we reach the Black Stone?
Kissing: As soon as you reach the Black Stone, place your face between your hands, keeping your hands on it, “and then kiss the Black Stone.
Touching: Touching and kissing with your hands while at a distance will suffice, but only if you are unable to kiss so.
Saluting: If it is impossible to reach the stone, it is enough to make a symbolic gesture from a distance, facing the Black Stone and raising your hand to your earlobe. Whether to turn your palms towards the stone during the saluting.
In the first three cycles of Tawaf, the man should complete it at a fast pace and the second 4 at a normal pace.
After completing all 7 cycles, the Muslim should drink Zamzam and pray two rakats near Ibrahim.
Sa’i:
Doing sa’i immediately after Tawaf is a Sunnah, so you can take a break. Remember, a distance of more than three kilometres is covered during the Sa’i.
Keep these points in performing Sa’i:
- The ritual of Sa’i must begin with Safa and end at Marwah.
- Sa’i is performed immediately after Tawaf.
- Try on foot, if there is no excuse.
- During Sa’i, walk seven times between Safa and Marwa.
Qasr:
Qasr is a combination of two words Halq and Taqsir. There are two ways. Halq means to shave the head completely and Taqsir means to trim the hair a little. Men have both options but women only have the option of Taqsir.
After Qasr, Muslims can get out of ihram. And thus their Umrah is completed.
After performing Umrah, Muslims can get rid of their past sins and easily get the reward of Paradise. Therefore, various restrictions prevented a large number of Muslims from performing Umrah last year. But hopefully, the start of the new year will be peaceful and free of all restrictions. Therefore, Muslims can book their Umrah packages 2023 in advance to get cheaper deals.
