Umrah is an act of worship for Muslims that consists of visiting the Grand Mosque and Holy Kaaba in Makkah. It provides an opportunity to refresh your faith, including sins, and strengthen your relationship with Allah (SWT). If Umrah can be done in Ramadan, then it’s a great blessing from Allah Almighty.
The month of Ramadan is considered to be the holiest portion of the Islamic calendar. This is the month when God revealed the first verses of the Holy Quran to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). During this period, Muslims fast from dawn until sunset/dusk. Performing Umrah within this blessed month by booking Ramadan Umrah packages has great religious significance in Islam.
Significance and Benefits of Umrah in Ramadan
Umrah performed during Ramadan has unique advantages as compared to other months. Millions of Muslims travel during Ramadan to seek Allah for forgiveness and to pray for happiness and prosperity. Here are some merits of conducting Umrah during this blessed month:
- Allah’s mercy and bounty on His followers become enormous and double.
- The rewards of Umrah performed during the month of Ramadan is equal to Hajj. But it can’t be a replacement for the required annual Hajj.
- Pilgrims leave everything throughout this spiritual journey to fully devote themselves to Allah’s service and prayers.
- Pilgrims spent a few days in the holy cities, and they get a wonderful experience of Makkah.
- The month becomes a chance for pilgrims to visit additional Ziyarats and other holy places.
Important Rituals of Umrah:
Umrah includes four rituals, as mentioned below. Without these, your minor pilgrimage can’t be completed:-
Ihram
It’s the first requirement of pilgrimages, whether it’s a major or lesser. Ihram is a sacred condition for pilgrims and has a specific attire. It’s two pieces of clothes called ‘Izaar’ and ‘Rida’. But the dress is only for men. For women, there is no specific dress code. They can wear any Islamic traditional attire like Abaya.
Read Also: Umrah Tips for Ladies
Tawaf
The second ritual is Tawaf, which includes walking or circumnutating around the Holy Kaaba. There is a total of seven rounds that must be done in an anticlockwise direction. Each round should start and end on the Black Stone.
Sa’ee
Sa’ee is the third pillar of Umrah. It consists of walking forth and back between the twin hills called Safa and Marwah. The ritual is on behalf of Hajira (A.S), wife of Prophet Ibrahim (A.S). One should be energetic while performing this ritual.
Halq/Taqsir
The final stage of Umrah is Halq/Taqsir. Halq is the total shaving of heads, and it’s only for males. While Taqsir is cutting the hair shortly, equal to the fingertip, and it’s the only requirement for ladies. You must have to perform this ritual to reach out to Ihram.
Conclusion
In conclusion, performing Umrah during Ramadan is a very big chance that only a few lucky people can get. It is the ideal method for increasing your benefits and blessings. You can easily perform minor pilgrimage by booking Umrah packages from an ATOL-protected company.
