Discussing Umrah Obligations & How to Perform them Aptly?

Umrah is a spiritual journey that Muslims perform to get a pause from their busy worldly lives and visit the House of Allah in Makkah and then visit Masjid-al-Nabawi S.A.W. in Medina and pay their respect to the Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H. It cannot be described in words, the amount of peace, and satisfaction, one feels, visiting these places, witnessing the House of Allah, and praising Him with millions of other Muslim brothers and sisters. It is indeed a blessing to perform Umrah and Hajj. Several travel agencies worldwide cater to the pilgrims’ demands to provide them with a satisfactory Umrah and Hajj experience. However, pilgrims also need to learn about Umrah and Hajj-related information before planning a pilgrimage. In this article, we’ll share with you, the Umrah obligations that pilgrims must know to aptly perform the pilgrimage.

Various steps for performing Umrah
The following are the various obligations to accomplish the spiritual expedition of Umrah.

1. Recitation of Talbiyah

Pilgrims are required to gather near Ka’bah, the House of Allah, and declaim Talbiyah, to mark the arrival of pilgrims. The recital of Talbiyah is considered ‘Wajib’ for the pilgrims. Pilgrims are required to recite Talbiyah as per the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H. Male pilgrims are required to recite Talbiyah rowdily, whereas female pilgrims can declaim Talbiyah in a muffled voice. Talbiyah is a revered recitation to mark the pilgrims’ arrival and concede the oneness of Allah S.W.T. by exalting Him and expressing gratitude towards Him. The following are the recital words:

Arabic:

لَبَّيْكَ ٱللَّٰهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ، إِنَّ ٱلْحَمْدَ وَٱلنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَٱلْمُلْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ
Transliteration:

Labbaik Allahumma labbaik. Labbaik la’ sharika laka labbaik. Innal-hamda wa-nimata laka wal-mulk, la sharika laka.
Translation:
Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily, all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no partner.

2. Tawaf

Following Talbiyah, the next obligation is to carry out Tawaf. Tawaf means circling the Ka’bah in the anti-clockwise direction. Pilgrims are required to orbit the Ka’bah seven times while being indulged in a state of prayer. Tawaf typically initiates from the spot where the black stone, also recognized as ‘Hajar-e- Aswad’ is located. It is placed in the eastern corner of Kaabah. It is said to be a stone thrown from ‘Heaven’ and has great Islamic significance. Tawaf represents the Imaan (faith) of a believer in the oneness of Allah S.W.T and expresses unanimity among Muslims.

3. Pray

After performing Tawaf, pilgrims are obligated to pray two Rakats (Units of prayer) at Maqaam-e- Ibrahim (AS). It is the place where Ibrahim (AS) placed His foot and laid the foundation of the Holy Kaabah. Pilgrims also recite the Quranic verses at this holy place. And after completing the obligations, pilgrims go towards the well of ‘Zum Zum’ to drink water from there and quench their physical and spiritual thirst by drinking water from this holy well while looking at the Holy Ka’abah. There is a story behind this holy well which we will share with you in the next point as its origin is related to the next obligation observed in Umrah.

4. Sa’ii

Sa’ii is the obligation of walking back and forth at a fast pace, seven times between the two mountains known as Safa and Marwa. These two mountains are situated a few miles away from the Holy Kaabah. Sa’ii is a practice obligated by Allah Almighty to honor the struggle of an anxious mother looking for water for her thirsty little child. The mother was Hajrah, the wife of Prophet Ibrahim A.S and the son was Isma’el A.S, the son of the Prophet Ibrahim A.S. She ran between the two mountains, Safa and Marwa, seven times looking for water, until the angel Jibra’el A.S. arrived and struck His hand near Ismael A. S’s foot and an enormous volume of water gushed out of the place, where He struck. Hazrat Hajrah said Zum Zum (Stop, Stop) to the water as it was gushing out with profound pressure. Hence, the name is ‘Zum Zum’. The water still comes out of this holy well which pilgrims drink and also take back with them for their loved ones. It is believed that the water level is still the same since that time and this water has unique, scientifically proven benefits as well.

5. Qasir

Qasir is the concluding obligation that indicates the culmination of the revered sacraments of Umrah and the entire Umrah pilgrimage. At this step, male pilgrims get their heads shaved by the barbers, which denotes the termination of their spiritual journey, whereas female pilgrims are required to cut their hair, equal to the length of a fingertip, to mark the culmination of their spiritual journey. From here onwards, pilgrims are freed from the rules and regulations of the Ihram, as this point marks the expiration of Umrah.

October Umrah Packages

Umrah is a spiritual journey that every Muslim wishes to perform and experience the maximum closeness to Allah. Several travel agencies worldwide offer Umrah packages to cater to the pilgrims’ requirements to make their Umrah expedition, memorable. The month of October is around the corner and it is important to know that performing Umrah in this month has its benefits which intending pilgrims can avail. Knowing the Umrah obligations is necessary and therefore, we shared the details of these obligations so that intending pilgrims can conveniently understand them.
At ‘Muslim Holy Travel’, we provide our brothers and sisters living in the UK with the most suitable Umrah packages, including October Umrah packages that fulfill their demand for a memorable Umrah tour.