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Easy steps to book your Hajj Journey

Hajj is one of all the foremost sacred and top five pillars of Islam. it's necessary upon each Muslim to perform Hajj at any rate once in an exceedingly lifetime if he has the assets to try to do per se. If you happen to measure in KSA, it's best among others because it opens doors that you just can perform Hajj and Umrah effortlessly, without travelling from continents and nations. The voyaging isn't much and you're practically accustomed by living in Saudi Arabia that you simply fathom all the procedures and language.

Hajj nowadays isn't simple for everybody. If you're an inhabitant of KSA or out of it, the system to induce Cheap Hajj Package is long and a touch bit difficult. It takes permissions, documents and records to induce the Hajj services and if we ever happen to move beyond that, the expenses and value of performing this religious obligation are hiking costs.

Check For Eligibility:

You have to test if you're eligible for the procedure. Hajj cannot be offered annually, so if you've got done this before ensure there's a 5 years gap within the middle. Yet, if you would like to perform Hajj along with your family now and had performed only it within the past then it's allowed.

Opening The Hajj Portal:

Open the hajj portal where you'll see the various Non Shifting Hajj Package and apply for registration to the one that suits you best or on the opposite hand you'll be able to come with an approved company for Hajj.

Filling The Details:

After selecting the Hajj program, you will see each organization in the selected category. It is possible for you to search by name of city or organization or by the price or nature of the services or in addition to the rating or quickness or with no quickness depend.

After you have got chosen what you wish, you may see the illustrative form explicit to the picked classification that has to be filled (ID number, Origin of ID, Date of issue, Expiry date and blood type)

Confirm Your Booking:

You will at that time be requested to verify your booking. Make the due payment in paid to remain far from cancellation. After finishing this and his demand is accepted, an immediate message are sent to him to deposit the fee (hajj charge) within the ledger of the Hajj ministry.

After finishing off all the over, a Text message are sent to his mobile number containing his contact number and date. At that time move into the portal of the Ministry of Hajj and from the information within the instant message sent, you'll be ready to access and print the agreement.

The agreement are going to be offered to the organization with documents that demonstrates the responsibility for the contract (copy of ID + passport photo + vaccination + blood type). Furthermore, this can be done so as to sign the agreement and to collect the specific hajj permission.

 Declarations For people who Are desirous to Perform Hajj during this Year

The ministry has warned against dealing with any fake organizations and clarified that net portals or some approved organizations, for example, Labbaik Hajj Umrah which have their own ATOL license and which are approved by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. Are there places for Hajj registration and payment? Hajj fee. Therefore, if you are able to perform Hajj or Umrah, start preparing for these holy journeys as soon as possible.

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Can We Perform Umrah After Hajj

The Hajj, sometimes spelt Haj, is that the annual pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims are expected to complete a minimum of once in their lifetime. The word Hajj is an Arabic word, meaning ‘to intend a journey’. Hajj is that the fifth pillar of Islam – the others are shahadah (declaration of faith); salat (daily prayer); zakat (giving of alms); sawm (fasting in Ramadan).

Who should go on the Hajj?

Those Muslims should go on Hajj at least once in their lives who have gotten their puberty age, but mentally, financially and physically fitness are needs of any travelling. Pilgrims can add the title of "Hajji" to their names.

When is Hajj 2020?

This journey must take place in the month of Dhul-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar. Hajj rituals are performed from the 8th to the 12th of Dhul-Hijjah. According to Gregorian calendar, this time Hajj will happen on 'Tue, Jul, 28, 2020 - Sun, Aug, 2, 2020.

Umrah

Umrah is the name given to Makkah, a short version of the annual Hajj gathering. The word "Umrah" in Arabic means "visiting a populated place".

Umrah provides an opportunity for Muslims to renew their faith, apologize and pray for their needs. He who does this is cleansed from his sins.

Difference Between Hajj and Umrah

Umrah is optional but Hajj is obligatory for those who are physically fit and can afford it.

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and Muslims are able to perform it at least once in their lives.

Umrah can be performed throughout the year, but in the Islamic lunar calendar, Hajj is performed only at a specific time between the 8th and 13th of the last month of Dhul-Hijjah.

Can you get Umrah visa after Ramadan?

Umrah visas are not available after Ramadan for Umrah Visa seekers, as Umrah visas are not issued after the second week of Ramadan.

However, Umrah and Hajj can be performed on tourist visa till the season.

“As confirmed by Visit Saudi website, the Hajj season in 2020 is from June 21, 2020, to September 18, 2020.”

During this time, Muslims will not be able to travel to Mecca or perform Umrah on tourist visas.

I know one reason why people want to go for Umrah after Eid-ul-Fitr because hotel prices drop significantly. It is also a quiet time for Umrah.

Can You do Umrah before Hajj

Sadly, the limits of Hajj season are far away but the good news is that you can go for Umrah on tourist visa after Ramadan and till the beginning of Hajj season 2020.

People are not issued visas for Umrah after Ramadan so you have no way to go. Only those persons can perform Umrah after Ramadan who are GCC citizens.  If you are planning to go for Umrah with reasonable price and low rush time of people then I suggest you to please book your September Umrah Package after Hajj.

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All Information About Hajj and Umrah

What is Umrah?

Umrah is one of two pilgrimages to Makkah,  a shorter version of the annual Hajj gathering. The word Umrah means "visiting a populated place". Umrah provides an opportunity for Muslims to renew their faith, apologize and pray to their needs.  And He who does this is cleansed from his sins.

Differences between Hajj and Umrah

What is Hajj and Umrah difference

Hajj and Umrah are both Islamic pilgrimages, the main difference being their level of importance and the method of observation.

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is obligatory on every Muslim once in his/her life, provided he/she is physically and financially capable.

Hajj is performed on a specific day during a specific Islamic month. However, Umrah can be performed at any time. Although common 4 rituals are sam in both, Umrah can be performed in less than a few hours, while Hajj takes longer, and involves more rituals.

If You want to know more about  “Difference Between Hajj And Umrah” then click here.

When can pilgrims go to Umrah?

It can be performed at any time of the year except five days of Hajj. Most pilgrims go during the holy month of Ramadan, or in the two subsequent Islamic lunar months, Rajab and Sha'ban, which are considered sacred.

Muslims believe that the acceptance of mercy and prayers increases during these holy months.

Umrah in Ramadan

Umrah is a beautiful Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (SAW) which can be performed at any time other than the days of Hajj. Some scholars have different opinions about the reward of Umrah during Ramadan, but it is not obligatory to perform Umrah in Ramadan.

The most beautiful reward is that we are God's guests in God's house. When we perform Umrah, we feel inner tranquillity. When we perform Umrah in the holy month of Ramadan-ul-Mubarak, we get more rewards Compared to normal Umrah.

It increases our Iman and strengthens the relationship between us and Allah. If Umrah is performed with a pure and good heart, then Allah will forgive the major and small sins of every Muslim.

Every time you perform Umrah, Allah removes your sins and that is the beauty of Islam. May Allah reward every Muslim for this blessing. If a Muslim spends his time and money in the way of Allah, then Allah saves a person from poverty. There are unlimited rewards for performing Umrah in Ramadan.

How to do Umrah?

Here are 4 basic steps of Umrah:

Ihram: Enter ihram by washing your body and wearing ihram and announce your intention to perform Hajj and Umrah.

Tawaf:           Enter the Masjid al-Haram (Masjid al-Nabawi) and perform Tawaf – circling the Kabah 7 times in a counterclockwise direction.

Sai performing sai:        walking 7 times between the hills of Safa and Marwa beside the Kaaba.

Halq/Taqseer:

At the end of 'Umrah, the men shave their heads and exit of ihram that is called Halq. For women, to cut hair up to 1-inch length is called Taqseer.

Umrah requires some homework. You need to know the rituals and how to perform them. But it all comes later. First, you must choose a travel agency that will help you do everything you can to travel to the Holy Land. There are a variety of Umrah packages, choose according to your need. When this is done, you can now focus on what you are talking about in this article. That how can you perform Umrah well and easily!

If You want to know about “Best Season to Perform Umrah” then Click here

History According to Islamic traditions, Muslims have not always been given the right to access the holy site, and thus to perform Hajj and Umrah. Islamic narrations report that in the time of Muhammad(Peace Be  Upon Him), Muslims wanted to establish the right to perform Umrah and Hajj in Makkah, as was later determined by the Qur'an. Meanwhile, Mecca was reportedly occupied by Arab infidels who worshipped idols inside Mecca.

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Three Ashra’s of Ramadan

Ramadan:

Ramadan is the ninth month of Muslim calender  (Islamic lunar calendar). In Muslim calendar, there can be 29 or 30 days a month. It is considered a great month due to fasting. Fasting in the month of Ramadan is one pillar of Islam, while the total pillars of Islam are five. There are some important reasons why Ramadan is different from other months.

If you want to know about  “ Benefits And Updates Of Umrah In the Sacred Month Of Ramadan” then click here

The first reason is that Allah revealed the Holy Quran to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) this month and one night comes in this month, which is greater than all other nights in terms of rewards because worshipping this night is better than the thousand months. This is Allah's great reward for Muslims. The name of this night is Laylat-ul-Qadar.

This month, 1 reward equals 70 rewards. The month of Ramadan is divided into three stages or three parts.

The first stage is to seek the mercy of Allah Almighty.

The second stage is to seek the forgiveness of Allah Almighty.

The third stage is to seek the safety from hell.

1: The First Step of Ramadan:

The first 10 days of Ramadan are the days of mercy; therefore, every Muslim should seek Allah's grace in those days because His mercy is unlimited. Every Muslim should recite this verse in the first 10 days. Translation of this special verse into English is: And, (O Muhammad), say, "My Lord, forgive and have mercy, and You are the best of the merciful."

The first stage of Ramadan is to show mercy to your countrymen.

1: Doing charity because Allah loves this process. 2: Control your attitude and treat your fellow man well. 3: Allah helps those who help others, so, help people when and never say to them.

2: The second phase of Ramadan

The second phase of Ramadan also consists of 10 days. It starts with Ramadan 11 and ends on 20th Ramadan. Therefore, these tenth days of Ramadan are the days of forgiveness. In these days, Muslims should repent of Allah on their sins. The second step is a special prayer: Translation: I seek forgiveness from Allah Almighty, my Lord (Allah), from every sin I committed. Forgiveness means astaghfirullah. In these days, God's forgiveness is on the rise. He only forgives those who bow down to him with embarrassing emotions and promise in their heart that they will never do so again. Allah loves those who repent of their sins; in fact, He is the One Who forgives.

3: The Third Step of Ramadan:

This month is the last phase of Ramadan. It starts with Ramadan 21 and ends on 29 or 30 Ramadan.

The third tenth day of Ramadan is the day of seeking refuge or protection. Muslims have to get rid of hell, which is the place of bad people. This is a very important stage of Ramadan. Laila tul Qadr night comes in last stage of this month. As Allah stated in the Quran:

We sent it Quran down on a blessed Night. Verily, we are ever warning. There in that Night is decreed every matter of ordainment. Amran (i.e. a command or this Quran) from Us. Verily, we are ever sending a Mercy from your Lord.

And in the last stage some people also sit in Itikaf. Itikaf means staying separate in the mosque or at home and spending this time is in only to the worship of Allah.

During the last 10 days of Ramadan, it is Sunnah to sit in Itikaf. This special worship starts after sunset of 20 Ramadan, and finish it when the moon of Shawal of Islamic calender will appear on sky.

Itikaf is best opportunity to find Laila tul Qadr night in Ramadan. To find this special night is a secret because nobody knows when this night falls on the days of Ramadan.

Only we have one clue to find it that our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said on this clue, lailatul Qadr comes in one of odd nights of last 10 days of Ramadan.

If you want to know about “Sacred Place Jabal Thawr” Then click here

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Where are  Meeqats for wearing Ihram

The literal meaning of Meeqat is "a fixed time or place." Time and place are one of the first prerequisites of Ihram. Meeqat place is a limit for a pilgrim, from where he/she needs to wear Ihram. The timetable refers to a specific time when the rituals need to be performed.

Do you want to more details of "What Should We Know Before Travelling To The Middle East Countries?" then click here.

Whoever is coming for Hajj or Umrah from anywhere in the world, must perform ihram before reaching any of these places. There are a total of 5 destinations for upcoming pilgrims from different places and countries.

1)Yalamlam

Masjid Miqat Yalamlam  has a total area of 625 m2, accommodating approximately 1,500 worshippers. It is Situated 130 kilometres (81 miles) from Masjid al-Haram and 21 kilometres (13 miles) southwest of the old Miqat in al-Sadiah

2)Zaat Irq

Zaat Irq is a destiny for all pilgrims who come mostly from Iran and Iraq. Those who follow the same path must make Ihram before reaching it. Zat Irq is located 94 km northeast of Mecca. If you are travelling from Makkah to Kufa, you will encounter this place on the occasion of Hajj. Although there are three places: Musalik, Qumra and Zaat Irq, people generally prefer to wear Ihram with the issue. There is nothing wrong with wearing Ihram with any other two points. Zaat Iraq is also known as Dhat Irq. 

3)Al-Juhfah

Al-Jahfah is located 182 km (113 miles) north-west of Makkah, 17 km (10.5 miles) southeast of Rabigh, and 15 km (9 miles) east of the Red Sea. Massage Meeqat al-Jahfah has a total area of 900 m2, with a capacity of about 220 worshippers. Rabigh pilgrims can enter Ihram in the town of Rabigh because it is situated roughly on the same plane as the al-Juhfah, while the Rabigh altitude is slightly higher.

4) Qarn Al-Manazil

Meeqat Mosque is located 80 km (50 miles) northeast of al-Haram Mosque and 40 km (25 miles) from Taif City. It is also a Meeqat for visitors from the Gulf of UAE such as the UAE and visitors from remote countries, Pakistan, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, etc. The mosque (al-Sayl al-Kabeer) was built in 1982 and (1402 AH) and is located just north of the Syed al-Kabir town. The total area of this mosque is 2,600m2, with a space of approximately 3,000 worshipers.

5) Dhul Hulayfah

Dhul Hulayfah is Situated 18 km southwest of the Masjid-e-Nabawi in Madinah and 410 km (255 miles) north of Mecca. This place for those pilgrims who are a citizen or residents of Madinah and the people of Madinah (outside Madinah) do their spiritual journeys by passing beyond this point coming from the North.

These five meeqats are limit of all Muslims around the world, now it is upon of them where they want to enter into Ihram. But those Muslims who are living in Makkah, they should travel for three places where they perform this pilgrimage ritual. These are 3 in numbers and names are  Ayesha Mosque, Jaranah Mosque, and Jaranah Mosque.

If you travel to Makkah with any reason but it is not Umrah or Hajj and you have made the intention of Umrah after reaching Makkah then going to 5 Meeqats' places are not required, rather focus on three meeqats as Hazrat Ayesha Sadiqa (RA) wore Ihram on the order of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), where today Ayesha Mosque is built up.

Do you want to more details of "What Is Ramadan And How Is It Observed" then click here.

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Will Umrah Be In Ramadan 2020?

What is Umrah

In Arabic, the word 'umrah' is derived from the word Itimar which means visits. However, in Islamic terms 'Umrah' means visiting the Ka'bah, doing tawaaf around it, walking seven times between Safa and Marwah. An Umrah Performer puts off his/her Ihram by having his hair shaved or cut. Umrah can be performed with Hajj and on other days as well but during days of Hajj, Performing Of Umrah is not valid. There is no prohibition time for Umrah except for Hajj.

There are Islamic traditions that in this month Muslims encourage themselves to perform it, demonstrate his goodness and reward, and perform it in this hope that they will succeed in getting such rewards that are equivalent to performing of Hajj.

Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. Muslims fast for 29 or 30 days during this month. Fasting is an important pillar of Islam during Ramadan. Ramadan is a month in which every Muslim wish to visit Makkah and Medina to perform Umrah. Ramadan is the best time to perform Umrah. In this month,  Allah increases the reward.

Umrah is a beautiful Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) which can be performed at any time other than Hajj. Some scholars have different opinions regarding the reward of Umrah during Ramadan, but it is not necessary to perform Umrah during Ramadan.

The most beautiful reward is that we can make ourselves a guest of such a house whose the owner is  Allah. When we do Umrah, we feel inner peace and tranquillity. When we do Umrah in the holy month of Ramadan, we get more rewards.

It increases our faith and strengthens the relationship between us and Allah. If the Umrah is performed with a pure heart then Allah removes the major and minor sins of every Muslim. Every time you perform Umrah, Allah removes your sins and this is the beauty of Islam.

There are the unlimited rewards of doing Umrah in Ramadaan and the benefits are:

•    Removes Poverty •    Guest of Allah •    Imaan increases •    Reward equal to Jihad •    Inner Peace of mind and soul •    Earn countless blessings

Umrah not only provides mental and spiritual relief during Ramadan but brings great rewards in terms of the blessings of Allah. During Ramadan, millions of Muslims from all over the world visit Mecca and Medina and receive the blessings of Allah.

It is an amazing experience for every Muslim that is gotten in both sacred cities, especially during the Ramadan.

Tarawih is non-compulsory prayers that are offered after Night prayer (Isha) in Ramadan. A very blessed night of Ramadan comes and this night is called Laylat al-Qadr (the night of power). On this night,  Allah revelled His holy Book Quran on Muhammad (PBUH) and Allah says in Quran, this night is better than 1000 nights, therefore, Muslims celebrate it by offering prayers and doing other religious activities.

In the month of Ramadan, each of Muslims does fast, so that, every one of them can earn more rewards. Performing Umrah in Ramadan is one of the different ways to earn more rewards in Ramadan. So, Ramadan is the best time to double Umrah rewards.

As you have already learned about the benefits of performing Umrah during this month. Every Muslim have a wish to perform Umrah in the month of Ramadan, But in this year 2020 due to Corona Virus it might be cancelled but this is not confirmed news. We are telling you because we heard the news from Saudi Hajj Embassy that please don't take the hajj booking of this year. For the Hajj bookings, they will let us know and confirm the Hajj bookings for 2020. As a Muslim, we hope for the best that this problem of coronavirus will sort out as soon as possible and everything will be the same as before. But you have any question you can confirm from any Local Travel Agency about this News.

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Best Requirements for Umrah Journey Preparation

Umrah Journey

Umrah is a journey in simple words, but it means a spiritual journey to the house of Allah because the word Umrah is derived from Itamar which means "to visit the populated place".

Umrah journey is not essential as Hajj is essential for Muslims. Hajj is a compulsory part of Islam only for those Muslims who can perform it, if they cannot perform it then Hajj is not compulsory. Umrah is Sunnah and Hajj is Fard.

Ziyarat Places

Umrah is not only a visit to the House of Allah rather during this journey Muslims visit the various sacred places there as Masjid e Nabvi, Cave of Hira and Cave of Saur, Graveyard of Jannat ul Baqi and Graveyard of Jannat ul Mualla, Mountain of Uhud, etc

Nowadays, anyone can visit these sacred places using the 5 Star Umrah Packages All Inclusive which are easily get from the Hajj and Umrah Travel agencies.

What things do we need for Umrah?

1: Umrah Visa 2: Umrah Package 3: Ihram 4: Important Items

Umrah Visa:-

Full form of VISA- Visitors International Stay Admission You can understand the word of Visa as it is the most important document when anyone is travelling to some other country.

So there are some rules to get Umrah Visa:

1- An original Umrah Visa application form.

2- If anyone has a non-Muslim name, he/she should need to submit a certificate that is approved from an Islamic centre or a mosque.

3- 1 scanned picture.

4- Passport should be valid for at least six months from the date of submission of the application form.

5- Departure from Saudi Arabia must be made within 2 weeks from the date of entry.

6- Women and children should be accompanied by husband/ father.

Women can get an Umrah visa by submitting the relationship certificate with the application form as a marriage certificate and birth certificate.

In Islam, a woman must travel with a Mahram. According to the rule of Saudi Arabia, a woman can perform Umrah journey without her Mahram if her age is equal to 45 or above then she can perform Umrah in any organized group by submitting a no-objection certificate from her Mahram.

Note: Umrah Visa is not issued from the 16th Ramadan to the month of Dhul Hijjah (month of Hajj).

New Update from Hajj and Umrah Ministry for Umrah Visa:-

After new updates in getting Umrah visa, the old rules of this type of visa is changed worldwide but especially for 49 countries. Hajj and Umrah Ministry has introduced a new method to get this and it is called Umrah e visa.

According to this method, people do not require an agent to get this rather they just need an electronic device like a computer, tab, and mobile, so that, people directly contact the official website of Saudi Arabia for Umrah e Visa (Umrah Electronic Visa) instead of any source (agent). Where you only type your name, passport number, country's name etc. and after completing the online application, you will only need to wait for the confirmation email from Ministry, in which authorization will send your electronic visa.

Note: To find out more about Umrah visa, you should read this article- Saudi Visa 2020 Requirements and Fees

Umrah Package:-

Due to the rising rate of everything, Muslims need a good and reliable Umrah package and it should be available from every travel agency. Nowadays, different packages of Umrah are available in UK travel markets.

Travel Agency arranges package on the customer’s demand. For example, if anyone wants to perform Umrah from the United Kingdom then seeker of the package has many options as Umrah Packages from the UK, Cheapest Umrah Packages Manchester, Umrah Packages With Flights, December Umrah Packages from London, etc.

Now it all depends upon the customer what he/she wants.

Ihram:-

Ihram is a dress which is used during the Umrah and it is very essential. It is different for men and women. A man’s Ihram consists of two simple white sheets in which one is used to covering his upper part of the body and second is used to cover the lower part of the body. Ihram’s colour white is essential for men without any stitching.

A woman’s Ihram is different from the Ihram of a man. A woman’s Ihram consists of the normal dress by covering an Abaya. Normal dress means which she wears in daily routine life. There is no restriction about the colour of Abaya. A woman can wear Abaya in any colour like white, blue, purple, etc.

How to enter into Ihram:

Ihram

5 main points should be remembered in mind before wearing Ihram.

1- Cutting the nails 2- Combing in the hair 3- Removing unwanted body hair 4- Shaping the beard and trimming the moustache. 5- Taking a bath to enter into Ihram.

Main Prohibitions in the state of Ihram:

1- Head Covering for Men and Face Covering for Women.    

A beautiful hadith in which Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) stated: “He should not wear a shirt, hooded robe, trousers, a turban or leather slippers.”

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) stated for women: “The woman in Ihram should not wear niqaab or gloves.” 2- Cutting the nails and shaving or cutting the hair.

Allah says in the Holy Quran: “and don’t shave your heads until the Hady reaches the place of sacrifice.” (Surah al Baqarah 2:196)

The word Hady means sacrificial animal.

3- Wearing perfumed.

Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) stated concerning a man whose camel had trampled him to death while he was in Ihram “Wash him with and lotus leaves and shroud him in his two garments, but don’t cover his head or perfume him with hanoot.”

4- Hunting animals. 5- Sexual activity.

The rituals of Umrah are four in which Ihram is the first ritual thereby Tawaf (walking 7 times around the Kaaba), Saee (running 7 times between the hills of Safa and Marwah), and Halq or Taqseer (shaving the head or cutting the hair). Halq is preferable for men and Taqseer is preferable for women. Pilgrims do not leave the state of Ihram before performing the ritual of Halq or Taqseer.

Important Items:-

Before going to Umrah Journey, everyone has some knowledge about the Umrah and he/she must have some important items which will be very helpful during the Umrah Journey. Documents: Important Documents for Umrah 1- Passport. 2- ID Card. 3- Airline Ticket. 4- Hotel Booking receipt. 5- Transport Vouchers. 6- Vaccination Record. 7- Health Insurance Certificate. 8- Relationship Certificate (for children and women). 9- Passport Size Pictures. 10- Saudi Riyals or ATM/Credit Card for any emergencies. 11- Phone No./ Addresses (family members and concern agent) 12- Shahadah certificate. 13- 2 or 3 copies of all important documents.

General items:

General Items for Umrah Journey 1- Medication (first aid kit and some basic medicines). 2- A Scissor (for performing the last ritual of Umrah). 3- Slippers and shoes. 4- Towel. 5- Unscented tissues/ small tissue packs. 6- Unscented Sunscreen and Sunblock. 7- Unscented Soap. 8- Unscented Petroleum jelly. 9- A lightweight Prayer mat. 10- Travel Bag with wheels. 11- Mobile Phone. 12- Miswaks

Specifically for women:

1- Cotton Scarfs/Hijab 2- Hair tie-backs/Clips 3- Small Bag (purse). 4- Sanitary napkins/pads 5- Simple comfortable clothes (loose clothes).

Unscented soap, tissues, Sunscreen and Sunblock should be unscented because wearing perfumed are prohibited in the state of Ihram.

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What Is Umrah In Islam?

Umrah is an Arabic word and it latterly means 'to visit a populated  place.' In Islamic law or Shari'ah, Umrah means to travel between the Safa and Marwah and doing Tawaf around the Kaaba in the state of Ihram. Umrah is called a minor pilgrimage, while Hajj is called a major journey. Hajj is obligatory for every Muslim who can afford all his expenses while Umrah is not compulsory but Sunnah.

We should not leave any Sunnah because in this Sunnah we can offer five-time daily prayers which are compulsory for every person. We can pay Zakkah and fast of Ramadan during the Umrah because these are also compulsory. Offering 5-time daily Salah (prayers), the fasting of Ramadan, and paying Zakah are three pillars of Islam. If anyone performs these there then obviously he/she may success to get many rewards.

We have to travel for Umrah then we will require Umrah Visas, flights, transports, and hotels in which Travel Agency will help us with the several Umrah Packages.

Differences between the Umrah and Hajj:

The main difference between the both is that Hajj is 1 of 5 pillars of Islam and it is obligatory for every Muslim at least one time of life when he/she financially capable and physically fit. Umrah is performed at any time in a year but it is not permitted in the specific days of Hajj. Although the stages of Hajj and Umrah are different.

Types of Umrah:

There are two types of Umrah. Umar al-Tamattu and Umar al-Mufradah but the performing procedure of both are the same.

Umrah al Tamattu:

This type of Umrah is performed with the Hajj and here "with the hajj" words meaning this Umrah can be performed before the rituals of Hajj on 8th Dhul Hijjah.

Umrah al Mufradah:

This kind of Umrah is performed at any time of the year except for the five days of Zul-Hajj which are scheduled for Hajj.

Rituals of Umrah:

The pilgrims follow the way of Ibrahim and his 2nd wife of Hajrah during the performing of Umrah as Tawaf and Saee and these are also called main rituals of Umrah.

In the area of Masjid al-Haram, pilgrims perform their Umrah, but anyone cannot enter the mosque for Umrah unless he/she will not enter the state of Ihram. Ihram is a garment that must be worn at Miqat places.

Miqat places for Ihram:

Al-Juhfah- for pilgrims coming from Madina. Dhul Hulaifah- for pilgrims coming from Syria, Egypt, or Morocco. Yalamlam- for pilgrims coming from India, Pakistan or Yemen. Dhat Irq- for pilgrims coming from Iraq. Qarn al Manazil- for pilgrims coming from Najd or Taif.

When aeroplanes fly over the Miqat place then pilots or captains of these flights announce to wear Ihram. Pilgrims can wear Ihram at this time in the aeroplane.

Before wearing Ihram, bathing (Gusal), cutting the nails, and removing unwanted hair of body are necessary activities. It is different for men and women because men wear two unsewn white sheets for covering their bodies whereas women wear normal dresses but they should cover their normal dresses with Abayas.

In the state of Ihram men and women don’t involve in any sexual activity, don’t hunt any animal, and don’t use any perfume and scent.

Tawaf ritual of Umrah is performed when pilgrims walk around the Kaaba seven times in the state of Ihram. Kaaba is a cubic form building in the Al-Haram Mosque. Pilgrims start their Tawaf from the point of Black Stone (Hajre Aswad) with touching and kissing.

Although sometimes it is not possible for everyone to start his/her Tawaf by touching and kissing then he/she can start his/her Tawaf by raising the face of hands towards the Black Stone.

After the tawaf, pilgrims perform two rakats prayers in front of Ibrahim Ibrahim, but in the case of women, ladies are exempt. Women can offer two rakats prayers at any place of the mosque. After tawaaf and rakats, pilgrims drink the water of Zamzam.

Saee ritual of Umrah is performed through walking 7 times between the hills of Safa and Marwah. These hills are located in the area of Al-Haram mosque. Pilgrims run or walk quickly between the Safa and Marwah.

This happened in the time of Ibrahim (A.S) when he left his son and wife at this place with some food and little water. After he left them, mother of Ismail (A.S) ran between the two hills for water. Allah SWT liked this step and He added this ritual in Umrah and Hajj.

Halq/Taqsir are two names but it is one ritual of Umrah that is performed at the end of all rituals of Umrah. Along with the different names the performing method is also separate. Halq for a man while Taqsir for a woman is selected way.

In the Halq, a man shaves head entirely. In the Taqsir, a woman cuts the hairs only for one inch.

A very worth considering, when did Muslims pay their first Umrah?

The first Umrah was performed by Muslims after the time of the treaty of Hudaaibiya in the 629 AS or 7 AH, when Makkah was conquered.

[aribaasghar]

My 1st Umrah Journey

I think that time has come when I start to share my Umrah journey with you. The whole experience of this journey was a little different than I expected. The distance of walking depends upon you there because normally distance is covered during Tawaf maybe 3 to 6 miles.

It is an unbelievable scene when thousands of people gather are in a small area, along with climate change and dry environment. It was so surprising moment when I met different nations' Muslims. Hopefully, by sharing content will be proved helpful for you during your Umrah.

First I booked Umrah Packages 2020 from a reliable company and my Umrah trip started with a journey from Manchester, as British Airways cut evening flight from Leeds to London. I booked my flight with Labbaik Hajj Umrah from Manchester to Istanbul with an overnight flight in London. A lovely lady at the airport checked our luggage.

All the way to Istanbul was great and we relaxed. The flight costs cheap fare for an economy class.

There is a large area to sit and relax before your flight. I like that they have separated the space with some casual chairs close to the entrance and then some nice comfortable couches on the other end near the bar area. Overall the sitting area is a nice to relax and enjoy before your flight. I like to spend time in the lounge because there is always something to drink and free Wi-Fi.

After we landed in Heathrow from Manchester we headed to the Holiday Inn London Heathrow airport by using the free bus just outside the terminal. There are free public buses that take you from Heathrow Terminals to Bath road the main take off with all the hotels. It takes approximately 20 minutes. This time I booked a standard room in my husband's name and we only spent less than 6 hours in the hotel.

The plane was brand new with leather seats and friendly staff. British Airways flight from London to Istanbul takes 3.30 hours and was a pleasant trip. Most of the passengers fell asleep straight after takeoff and did not seem to wake up for the ride. I think there were only 6 people in the business class and 22 people in the economy. I liked the flight was new and the timing was perfect. I think this 6 am flight from London is excellent especially for a weekend away to Istanbul.

The Saudi Airlines plane was 90% full of people travelling to perform Umrah. It was nice to see so many people in Ihram, the white cloth you have to wear in order to perform Umrah. Most of them listen to Quran and travel prayer. I thought the flight for Jeddah would be a small plane, but they had A330 for travel and since they have 3 flights daily.

The flight was not new. One of my favourite things with most Middle Eastern flights is the fact that they are Footsteps. Many airlines nowadays do not have this feature, but I think it is wonderful to be in the economy. Once we reached Jeddah airport, we had used the bus to get to the terminal. I was fortunate to have a great guide that provided a driver for my umrah. So I drove to Makkah and Madinah by car, which was great as it made everything so much easier.

May God bless them for kindness and generosity. I know however that many people will not have this benefit and they will have to rely on other means.

Umrah is prescribed, but unlike Hajj, it is not obligatory on Muslims, but many people choose to do Umrah and visit the holy city of Mecca. The city is built around the Kaaba and the Al-Haram Mosque. Frankly, I'm totally impressed and excited about how people lived there 1400 years ago. The whole area is rocky, making everything around you so difficult.

It is so densely populated and restrictive. There are many international hotels in the area and some are so expensive for the average people. This is one of the reasons why Labbaik Hajj Umrah made the best and Cheap Umrah Packages so help them save on unnecessary costs. Makkah currently is a construction site, as you will see there are cranes everywhere.