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Hajj and Umrah
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What Are the Differences Between Hajj and Umrah? Complete Guide

Both the Hajj and Umrah are very significant acts of worship for Muslims, and Muslims from all over the world perform them once or perhaps more than once during their lifetimes. Muslims must travel to Saudi Arabia, home to the most important holy sites, Mecca and Medina, to perform the rites associated with these worships. Whether moving for the Hajj or Umrah, you must arrange your trip through a UK travel agency to have a comfortable and wealthy experience with all-inclusive Umrah packages at reasonable rates.

An Introduction to Umrah? 

Muslims regard one of our beloved Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) greatest Sunnahs, Umrah, as a mini-hajj. The Arabic word Umrah, which means “visiting a crowded place,” is used.

Choosing which route you wanted was essential because both scared offer comparable blessings but differ in some ways. Before making a reservation, let’s go over the similarities and differences:

Non-Obligatory: 

The Umrah pilgrimage is regarded as a minor one. Umrah is a Sunnah, rich in benefits and ritualistically comparable to Hajj. Since Umrah is less expensive than Hajj, millions of Muslims engage in it yearly.

An Introduction to Hajj? 

One of Islam’s five (5) pillars, the Hajj is an annual pilgrimage for Muslims in the 12th Islamic month of Zi-Hajj. As this trek demands a lot of physical work, the pilgrims must prepare physically and spiritually.

Obligatory: 

Every Muslim who can conduct Hajj on their own, both physically and financially, must do so at least once during their lifetime. The Hajj is regarded as the main pilgrimage because of this.

What Distinguishes The Hajj from The Umrah?

Even though the Hajj and Umrah are spiritual pilgrimages, there are still some significant distinctions between the two. Hajj and Umrah are two separate pilgrimages that differ in certain aspects from one another. Let’s read and comprehend the main differences between the two pilgrimages:

Hajj

  • One of the five pillars of Islam, and a required act of worship for those who can afford it and have the means to do so, is the Hajj.
  • The Hajj is done between the 8th and 12th of Zi-Hajj, a specific date in the previous Islamic lunar calendar.
  • Due to the more than two million pilgrims that go to Saudi Arabia each year to undertake the Hajj, it is one of Mecca’s most significant Muslim gatherings.
  • The Hajj rituals are more extensive than those of Umrah because they include different patterns, such as the journey to Mina, prayer at the Plain of Arafat, stoning of the demon, and sacrifice, in addition to the related traditions.
  • Hajj takes 3–4 days to complete and is lengthier owing to additional rites.
  • One of the five pillars of Islam, and a required act of worship for those who can afford it and have the means to do so, is the Hajj.

The Rituals of Hajj: 

  • Like Umrah, Hajj starts by travelling to the Ka’aba for Tawaf and then alternates between Safa and Marwa for Sa’i. However, there are significant variations and other ceremonies that follow these.
  • After Sa’i, Muslims travel to Mina for the night before continuing to Mount Arafat for the Day of Arafah, the second day of Hajj, where Muslims perform Wuquf, an act of standing in front of Allah until dusk. This is where Muhammad is claimed to have given his last sermon.
  • On the third day of the Rami al-Jamarat, pilgrims return to Mina after stopping in Muzdalifah for prayer and lodging, where Muslims throw rocks at the greatest of the devil’s three pillars.
  • The four-day Eid al-Adha feast honours the Prophet Ibrahim’s fidelity to Allah by sacrificing animals. The animal-sacrificed food is given to those in need,

The critical distinctions between Umrah and Hajj are listed above. You can choose the journey you wish to take, but using a travel agency is always the best choice to make this journey affordable. Keep reading to learn the ways to have a cheap and inexpensive trip. 

The price of these journeys is the most crucial aspect of these spiritual journeys. However, no one needs to be concerned about the cost of Umrah and Hajj because a UK travel agency has consistently provided the lowest and most reasonable Hajj and Umrah packages so that everyone may take advantage of the chance to travel to Mecca and Medina on a tight budget. 

Umrah

  • A voluntary pilgrimage is the Umrah.
  • There is no time limit for performing Umrah, which is permissible annually.
  • Several million Muslims can perform Umrah each year since it is quick.
  • Compared to the Hajj rites, Umrah contains fewer rituals.
  • Umrah is faster and requires one day to finish.

The Rituals of Umrah: 

  • Ihram – For men, it entails taking a full bath to completely clean yourself and changing into two unstitched white-coloured garments (one to cover the body from the neck to the waist and the other to cover the shoulder). At the same time, for women, a white dress and a black abaya and a headcover hijab are worn. 
  • Tawaf around the Kaaba entails entering Masjid-Al-Haram with the right foot and circumnavigating the Kaaba seven times around the clock.
  • Sai, situated between Safa and Marwa, is where pilgrims ascend Safa’s hill and proceed to Marwa while chanting prayers.
  • Shaving the head or trimming the hair – The final phase requires both men and women to shave their heads.