Hajj is obligatory Pilgrimage which is specifically performed in the Last month of Islamic Calendar, Dhul Hajjah. While Umrah is a Pilgrimage which can be done at any time of the year. At the time of Hajj, not any other activity if going on in the Kaabah. Millions of People book the Umrah Packages and perform the Umrah. Rituals of Hajj and Umrah are similar with a bit difference in the rituals. Most of the people who want to perform the pilgrimage of Hajj but don’t have the enough budget for the Hajj, or can’t perform Hajj due to less quota for the Hajj Pilgrims by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, can perform the Umrah Pilgrimage. Umrah in the month of December is cheaper and that is the month which is considered to be the best month for the Umrah. While Umrah in the month of Ramadan is also considerable because according to a saying of Holy Prophet PBUH is equivalent to the Hajj Pilgrimage. That’s why most of the UK pilgrims book the Ramadan Umrah Packages and perform the Umrah in the month of Ramadan to get maximum rewards.
How many Umrah is equal to Hajj?
Umrah is non-obligatory pilgrimage while hajj is fard and fifth pillar of Islam. Some of the people ask a question continuously that does performing the Umrah three times is equal to Hajj or how many times of Performing Umrah becomes equal to Hajj. These kind of questions have one and only answer that not the number of Umrahs are equivalent to the Hajj. How a fard can become equivalent to the Sunnah. There is lot of difference is between the Hajj and Umrah. Umrah have the rites of Ihram, Tawaf, Sa’i and Halq o Taqseer. While Hajj have the Ihram, Stand in Arafat, Stay overnight in Mina, Stay overnight in Muzdalifah Stoning the Jamarat, Halq o Taqseer, and Farewell Tawaf. Umrah can be done in the few hours while Hajj takes a specific time to perform the rites of Hajj. Umrah have many rewards and blessings but rewards of Umrah are lesser. My objective is not to demoralize the people who want to perform Umrah but distinguish between Hajj and Umrah.
What is Umrah?
Umrah is a pilgrimage which is performed in the Mecca. It is one of the beautiful Sunnah of Holy Prophet ﷺ. Many Pilgrims from the United Kingdom book the Umrah Packages to perform the Holy Pilgrimage of Umrah. It can be performed within few hours. The rites of Umrah includes the become Muhrim by wearing the Ihram, Performing the Tawaf around the Kaabah or Baitullah, performing the Sa’i between the hills of Safa and Marwah in the remembrance of Hazrat Hajirah, and shave their heads to perform the rite of Halq o Taqseer. Halq is for the Men in which they shave their while for the women the ritual is named Taqseer in which they cut their hairs at least on inch. In this way Umrah is performed.
What is Hajj?
Hajj is fifth pillar of Islam and obligatory for those who is physically, financially, and mentally fit for the journey. It is duty for the every Muslim Men and Women to perform the pilgrimage of Hajj if he can perform the Hajj. There is very strict punishment is for those who can perform the Hajj but not performing the Hajj. About two million Muslims book the Hajj Packages and perform the Hajj. If a Muslim does not perform Hajj and he has all the possibilities to perform the Hajj then no matter that he would die as Christian or Jewish. There is good news given by Prophet ﷺ that if a person perform the hajj without any obscenity, he/she will be forgiven and he will like a new-born. Allah will bless the pilgrims of Hajj with a paradise. There would be a unique gate of heaven which will be reserved for the Hajj Pilgrims which is named Baab Al Hajj.
When Umrah is equal to Hajj?
Umrah is a beautiful Sunnah of Holy Prophet ﷺ which is performed by visiting the Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Ramadan is the ninth month of Islamic Hijri Calendar which is lunar calendar. It is one of the prestigious month in which Muslims keep fasts. That’s why it is also called the month of Fasting. According to a Hazrat Ibn Abbas reported that Holy Prophet ﷺ said, “Umrah in the month of Ramadan is equal to Hajj.” The hadith is taken from the two authentic books of hadiths Al Bukhari and Al Muslim. So, it is a Muttafaqun Alayhi (authenticity agreed upon) hadith. But most of the Muslim Scholars have said while explaining the hadith that this saying of holy Prophet ﷺ is in terms of rewards but the person who has performed the Umrah in the month of Ramadan cannot be discharged from the Obligatory Hajj.
Source of Hadith Quoted in above paragraph: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1782, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1256
Why Last Ashra of Ramadan in best to perform Umrah?
Most of the time Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah rejects the Umrah VISA for the last ten days of Ramadan. If a pilgrim gets the Umrah VISA for the last ten days of Ramadan, the Umrah Package he gets is too much expensive as compare to the other month of Ramadan Umrah Package. The reason behind booking the Ramadan Umrah Package for last ten days of Ramadan is just because Last Ashra of Ramadan includes a night which is better than on thousand nights. That night is named with the Lylatul Qadar. The Umrah Pilgrim is very lucky who offers prayers at that night in the Masjid Al haram or Masjid An Nabavi.
Final Thoughts:
Our objective was to distinguish between the Hajj and Umrah. Umrah cannot be equal to the Hajj in the case of duties. While a saying of Prophet ﷺ indicates that Umrah in the month of Ramadan is equal to the Hajj Pilgrimage. Muslim Scholars have explained that a person who have performed the Umrah in the Ramadan is not be discharged from the Duty of Obligatory Hajj Pilgrimage. Last Ashra of Ramadan is most important for the Muslims because Here a night falls which is named as Lylatul Qadar. And that night is better than one thousand nights according to the Qua’an. That’s why last ten days Umrah Packages are very expensive as compare to other month packages of Umrah and other packages of the Ramadan as well. So, if you want perform the Umrah in the last ten days of the Ramadan then you have to book these Umrah packages prior the six weeks of the Ramadan or your departure date.
