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How do I perform Umrah? Preparation for Umrah Umrah may be performed at any time of the year. Umrah performed during Ramadan is considered equal to performing Hajj and offers the same rewards. Nevertheless, performing Umrah during Ramadan is not a substitute for Hajj, the performance of which is mandatory (fard) for all Muslims at least once in a lifetime, if they are physically and financially able. To perform Umrah, you should be in a state of Ihram. Ihram is a state of purity and holiness. A man in Ihram is called muhrim; a woman is called muhrima. The word Ihram is also used to denote the garment worn by pilgrims when in the state of Ihram. Men garb themselves in a white, seamless, two-piece garment. The top garment covers the torso but, during Umrah and Hajj, not necessarily the right shoulder. The lower garment covers from waist to knee. Women wear long white robes which cover them from head to toe. All wear sandals, rather than shoes. To enter Ihram, pilgrims must wash themselves. A man may trim his hair and cut his nails. During Ihram, sexual activity, shaving, and cutting one's nails or skin all are forbidden. There are also prohibitions against killing animals, except those that can harm people, fighting or quarreling, using perfumes, washing hair with shampoo, wearing gloves or socks, or uprooting oats or trees. Those who do these knowingly or unknowingly or by forgetting have to pay a penalty by sacrificing an animal or giving alms. v There are five places some distance from the Holy City of Makkah which pilgrims must not cross before they are in a state of Ihram if they intend to enter al Masjid al Haram for Umrah or Hajj. These points or stations are called Miqats. For map, see Location of Miqats Dhu'l-Hulayfah: This miqat is about 9 kilometers from Madinah and about 450 kilometers from Makkah. Dhu'l-Hulayfah is the miqat for those who live in Madinah and for those who approach Makkah from that direction. Juhfah: This miqat is about 190 kilometers to the northwest of Makkah. This is the miqat for the people who come from the direction of Syria. Qarn al-Manazil: This miqat is a hilly place about90 kilometers to the east of Makkah. This is the miqat for the people of Nejd or for those coming from that direction. Dhat Irq: This miqat is about 85 kilometers towards the northeast side of Makkah. This is the miqat for the people of Iran, Iraq and for those coming from that direction. Yalamlam: This miqat is a hilly area about50 kilometers to the southeast of Makkah. This is the miqat for the people of Yemen and others coming from that direction. It is the miqat for many of the pilgrims from China, Japan, India, Pakistan who come by ship. The area outside the Haram, the holy land on which the City of Makkah stands, is called al-Hill. Muslims who enter the Haram area on business or for other purposes need not do the ihram before entering the Holy City of Makkah unless they have the intention to perform Umrah or Hajj. Muslims coming to Makkah with the intention of performing Umrah or Hajj must not cross a Miqat without first entering into the state of Ihram, unless they live within the area between Miqat and the Haram. In this case they do Ihram either at home or just before entering the Haram area. Rituals of Umrah IHRAM: When performing Umrah, before entering the Holy City of Makkah, you should be in Ihram. Enter the Holy Sanctuary (al Masjid al Haram), preferably right foot first through the Bab as-Salam gate, reciting the Talbiyah: 'Here I am O Allah, (in response to Your call), here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise, grace and sovereignty belong to You. You have no partner.' You may then say: "In the name of Allah, may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. O Allah, forgive me my sins and open to me the doors of Your mercy. I seek refuge in Allah the Almighty and in His Eminent Face and in His Eternal Dominion over the accursed Satan." When you first see the Holy Kaaba, keep your eyes fixed on this the holiest of all structures in Islam. Standing to one side, proclaim: "Allahu Akbar" three times "La ilaha illa'Llah" three times Then proclaim a blessing (Salawat) on the beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) and, in all humility, make your prayers to Allah. This is an especially propitious time to offer prayers to the Almighty. You may recite some other similar holy verses if you so desire. After this, while uttering Talbiyah once more and repeatedly, move forward to prepare for the circumambulation of the Kaaba (Tawaf). To prepare for the Tawaf, the pilgrim must ensure ablutions have been performed. The pilgrim should pass the upper garment of the Ihram (the rida') under the right arm and over the left shoulder, thus leaving the right shoulder bare. This procedure is called iddtibaa'. When you reach the Black Stone (al-Hajar al-Aswad), you have arrived at the starting point for the circumambulation (Tawaf), and you may cease reciting the Talbiyah. NIYYAH: You are now ready to perform Niyyah (i.e. express your intention to perform Umrah): "O Allah, I perform Tawaf of Umrah to please You. Make it easy for me and accept it from me." ISTILAM: Now, moving right, if space permits, stand before the Black Stone and kiss it. If you are unable to move close enough to kiss the Black Stone, you may touch it with by hand. If you are unable to kiss or touch the Black Stone, place your hands at your ears, palms facing outwards, and say: "Bismi'Llah Allahu akbar wa li'Lah al-hamad" This alternative is perfectly acceptable so there is no need for pushing or shoving which may harm yourself or others if you are not able to reach the Black Stone. This act, whether you kiss the Black Stone, touch it by hand or utter a prayer while pointing by the palm of your hands towards the Black Stone is called Istilam. TAWAF: You may now begin your seven circumambulations, moving to the right so that you keep the Kaaba to your left, counter-clockwise, around the Kaaba. When performing the first three circumambulations, men may uncover their right arm and move with quick, short steps. (This procedure is called Ramal.) The remaining four circumambulations should be performed at a normal walking pace. PRAYERS DURING TAWAF: While performing Tawaf, there are no prescribed prayers but there are a number of supplications which are recommended. You may also use the prayers that form part of your daily prayer sessions and pray to Allah in your own way in your own language. HATEEM: Hateem is a semi-circular section which originally formed part of the Kaaba but was not incorporated into the Kaaba when the Kaaba was rebuilt. You should include the Hateem in your circumambulations. When you reach the fourth corner of the Kaaba (Rukn Yamani), touch it with your right hand or both hands and, as you walk between Rukn Yamani and the Black Stone, you may pray: "Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil-akhirati hasanatan wa qina azabin-nar". When you reach the Black Stone, perform Istilam again, to mark the start of your second circumambulation. Continue in the same way, until you have completed the seven circumambulations, including Istilam at the end of each circuit. COMPLETION OF TAWAF: On completion of your seven circumambulations, men should cover their right shoulder, thus ending iddtibaa'. MULTAZAM: Between the Black Stone and the door of the Kaaba is a deeply holy place about two meters in length where it is very good to pray. If you are able to reach this place, pray to Allah for His mercy and for His beneficence. If you are prevented by the number of people from reaching Multazam, simply face towards the area and make your prayers. MAQAM IBRAHIM: On completion of the seven circumambulations, you should approach Maqam Ibrahim (the Station of Ibrahim) and offer two short prayers (rakaat). Then, if it is possible, you should return to the Black Stone and touch it. SAFA AND MARWAH: You are now ready to perform the Sa'y, the shuttling between the two hills of Safa and Marwah. As you approach Safa, you recite the Quranic verse: "Verily, Safa and Marwah are among the shrines of Allah". You should now ascend Safa and, facing the Kaaba, make whatever supplication you choose. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), when he stood on Safa, proclaimed three times "There is no god but Allah". You should now proceed towards Marwah, walking at a normal pace until you reach the green marker. Men, if they are able, should run until they reach the next green marker, whereupon they should revert to a normal walking pace until you reach Marwah. Women should proceed throughout at normal walking pace. The area between the two markers is where Haajar used to hear her baby Ishmael crying out of thirst while she was looking for help. She ran whenever she heard his cries. When you stand on Marwah, face the Qibla, and repeat the prayers and supplications you voiced at Safa. You are now ready to make the return journey, walking where you should walk and, if a man, running, if able, where you should run. This is your second passage. You should now repeat the procedure until you have completed seven passages, ending your Sa'y at Marwah. While performing Sa'y, you should pray to Allah as you wish and recite verses from the Holy Qur'an. CUTTING OF HAIR: On completion of Sa'y, men may shave their heads or shorten/clip their hair. Women should clip their hair one or two centimeters. (If the Umrah is a precursor to performing Hajj, men may not want to shave their heads but merely clip their hair so that there will be enough hair to shave when performing Hajj.) The Umrah rituals are now concluded and the pilgrim may change into every day clothes. The prohibitions on conduct during Umrah are now ended. Umrah System of Regulation: Introduction In today's complex world, a new industry has emerged to service the mu'tamirs (Umrah performers from abroad). To ensure the safety and comfort of Umrah performers, the Saudi Arabian Council of Ministers decided that a system of regulation should be established to provide a sound basis for contractual relations between service providers and Umrah performers and to outline the rights, duties and responsibilities of all those involved. As a result, a number of companies in the Saudi private sector were licensed to provide Umrah-related services through clearly defined Umrah Regulations and By-Laws that state the prices for various "packages" of service. The licensing provisions also required the appointment through contractual arrangements of approved overseas travel agents to market Umrah-related "packages". Benefits of the System The new Umrah System of Regulation has brought many benefits: Mu'tamirs receive the agreed services for which the service provider has contracted. This has eliminated "living on the street" in the vicinity of the two Holy Mosques. The competitive environment in which the service providers operate has generated a marked improvement in the services provided. The process of issuing Umrah visas and associated procedures has been streamlined to meet the objective of welcoming 10 million mu'tamirs by the end of the fifth year of operation. The system has facilitated visits by mu'tamirs to other Saudi cities, thus enhancing the Kingdom's tourism industry. Those who are able can perform any number of Umrahs in the course of the year without restriction. Transit passengers are granted 72 hour visas to enable them to perform Umrah. Because Umrah companies are obliged to ensure their customers leave the Kingdom when their "package" is completed, there has been a marked reduction in the number of "over-stayers". Dedicated supervisory and administrative committees deal with any shortcomings, with the Ministry of Hajj providing any services on which the Umrah company has defaulted at the expense of the defaulting company. Global Electronic Network for Umrah The goals of the Umrah System of Regulation were exceedingly ambitious and called for the application of an automated, electronic approach, employing state of the art technology which could accommodate scaling up and upgrading. The Ministry entered into partnerships with the most advanced companies in the fields of system infrastructure, communications, information security, and database management. Working together, each in its own sphere of expertise and under the supervision of the Ministry, these companies produced the Global Electronic Network for Umrah with, at its heart, the Hajj and Umrah Data Center. Using the latest technologies including Digital Telephone Lines (DDN), Fiber Optics, wireless data communications and V-Satellites, the Hajj and Umrah Data Center links all Ministry offices in all cities, serving as the central hub of the network. The Center connects to: Umrah companies and overseas travel agents The National Data Center at the Ministry of Interior The Data Center at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Center holds databases on: All pilgrims including mu'tamirs Hotels and furnished apartments Car companies Airlines Restaurants and food caterers Other service providers Umrah Application Service Provider (UASP) The Ministry of Hajj has licensed five Umrah Application Service Providers (UASPs) for the following purposes: - to organize and facilitate data communication between the Hajj and Umrah Data Center, Umrah companies and overseas travel agents. - to ensure best business practice and provide accurate and timely transaction of data - to enable companies to concentrate on their core business objectives, such as planning and supervision, analyzing operational data, and pin-pointing market needs and future operational requirements. All Umrah companies are required to subscribe to one of the five UASPs. Before subscribing, all Umrah companies must fulfill all technical qualification requirements. Once they have selected and been accepted by a UASP, the Umrah company can post its Umrah "packages" on the internet, thus giving mutamirs a wide choice. The personal details and chosen package for each mu'tamir is then entered online by the travel agents and transmitted to the Hajj and Umrah Data Center via the relevant UASP. The Ministry of Hajj checks and verifies the information and returns the information to the Data Center. The verified information is then transmitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Data Service Provider which, in turn, forwards the information to the relevant consulate in the mu'tamir's country for the issuing of an electronic visa bearing the mu'tamir's personal details and photograph. Role of the Private Sector The private sector now owns an expanding infrastructure built on sound economic projections. The private sector now shares in the responsibility of ensuring the mu'tamirs are well served. As a result, the private sector has been able to redirect a large share of Umrah-related revenues to the domestic Saudi economy, revenues which previously went elsewhere. There are now some 224 Umrah companies registered with the five UASPs and these Umrah companies have association with3 , 500overseas travel agents. There is increased service sector activity benefiting airlines, land transportation, hotels and furnished accommodation and restaurants. The private sector is also expanding the tourism sector. The Umrah System of Regulation has created more than2 , 000jobs, including managerial and financial. In the specific area of tourism, jobs have been created for "package" designers, tour planners, marketeers, public relations staff and accommodation specialists. In the technical field, there is work for database managers, programmers and network engineers. Training for Umrah System In order to ride the technology wave and benefit from the employment opportunities created by the Umrah System, an urgent need has arisen for specialists capable of operating the new system from both technological and operational standpoints. |