Question: What is the ruling of performing umrah? What is the ruling for each umrah rite?
Answer:
Bismi Llahir Rahmanir Rahim
Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatuLlahi wa barakatuhu
Performing umrah is sunna and it is specifically recommended within the month of Ramadan. The Prophet ﷺ said that an umrah performed during Ramadan is like performing hajj with him ﷺ .
It is prohibitively disliked (makruh tahriman) to perform umrah during five days of the year:
- the day of Arafat,
- Eid al-Adha,
- and the three days that follow.
These days are the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhu’l Hijjah.
Main Umrah Rites
The umrah consists of four main rites:
- Entering into a state of iḥrām (pilgrim sanctity).
- Performing the umrah ṭawāf.
- Performing the sa’y.
- Shaving (men only) or trimming the hair.
Each rite is explained in detail in our FREE course: Umra For Women. A brief summary is mentioned below.
Obligatory (Fard) Umrah Rites
The obligatory rites of the umrah are:
- Entering into a state of iḥrām for umrah.
- Performing the umrah ṭawāf.
Iḥrām
Entering into a state of iḥrām for umrah consists of making the intention to perform umrah and chanting the talbiya aloud before passing one’s respective designated boundary (miqāt).
- It is a condition to enter into a state of iḥrām (pilgrim sanctity) in order for the other three umrah rites to count. In other words, it is obligatory to enter into a state of iḥrām and the umrah will be invalid without it.
- Once one enters into a state of iḥrām, one cannot release oneself from it without first completing the remaining rites.
- One must enter into a new state of iḥrām for each umrah that one performs.
For more information about the iḥrām violations and penalties, click here.
Umrah Ṭawāf
The umrah ṭawāf consists of circumambulating the Ka’ba for a total of seven rounds.
- It is obligatory to perform the umrah ṭawāf in order for the umrah to be valid.
- The first four rounds are obligatory and the remaining three are mandatory.
- One will remain in a state of iḥrām until one completes the obligatory acts of the umrah ṭawāf.
For more information about the umrah ṭawāf violations and penalties, click here.
Mandatory (Wājib) Umrah Rites
The mandatory rites of the umrah are:
- Performing the sa’y.
- Shaving or trimming the hair.
The Sa’y
The sa’y entails walking between the hillocks of Safa and Marwa for a total of seven circuits.
- Performing the sa’y is mandatory (wājib).
- If it is omitted, the umrah will be valid but one will owe a penalty of slaughtering a sheep. If it is omitted without an excuse, one is also sinful.
For more information about the sa’y violations and penalties, click here.
Shaving or Trimming the Hair
Shaving the head (men only) or trimming the hair is mandatory (wājib). It must be done in order to be released from the state of iḥrām.
- Shaving/trimming can only be done AFTER performing the umrah ṭawāf and the sa’y.
- Men must either completely shave or trim a finger-tip’s length of one-fourth of their head. Shaving or trimming this amount for the entire head is sunna.
- Women must trim a finger-tip’s length from one-fourth of their head. Trimming this amount for the entire head is sunna.
- Until one’s hair is shaved/trimmed, one will remain within a state of iḥrām.
- A penalty is due for any iḥrām violation committed – even if occurs after the performance of the umrah ṭawāf and the sa’y – until the required amount of one’s hair is shaved/trimmed.
Check out our FREE Umrah course for more details about the rulings related to umrah, as well as practical advice.
Read our Step-By-Step Umrah Guide.
References:
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