How UK Muslims Can Make Umrah Packages from UK Affordable

by Safeena Rahman Travel Addict

An Islamic pilgrimage undertaken by numerous Muslims across the world every year, Umrah is also called the 'lesser pilgrimage' or ‘minor pilgrimage’ as the major pilgrimage in Islam is Hajj. While it is lesser in importance when compared to the major pilgrimage of Hajj, Umrah is a wonderful opportunity to earn great spiritual rewards. It is also of tremendous importance as it is the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It can be performed by any able-bodied and financially capable Muslim but it is not obligatory. The lesser pilgrimage can be accomplished within a few hours as its rituals are few when compared to Hajj.

Many of the Muslims residing in the United Kingdom dream of embarking on the sacred journey to Makkah in order to perform this pilgrimage. Their journeys are made affordable with the help of Umrah packages from UK offered by tour operators based in various parts of the country. In recent times, the process of booking packages with any of these tour operators has become much more easy thanks to their user-friendly websites. Since almost all these sites are mobile-friendly, the prospective pilgrims can browse through the available packages using their smartphone and make the booking online without any hassles.

The Umrah packages UK tour operators offer for Muslims living in the country can be made cost-effective by booking several months in advance. However, before booking the desired package, they have to be absolutely certain about the date when they would depart to Makkah and the number of days they would be spending in the holy city. Once they have decided the dates, they can go ahead and book the chosen package well in advance for greater savings. The amount that they save while booking can be utilised for buying souvenirs or visiting the important Islamic sites in or near Makkah.

One of the sites that can be visited with the help of packages for Umrah from UK is Jabal al-Noor, which is a mountain situated in Saudi Arabia's Hejazi region near Makkah. The name of this mountain literally translates as 'Mountain of Light'. Jabal al-Noor is of great importance for Muslims across the world as it houses the 'Cave of Hira' where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had received Surah Al-Alaq's first five ayats from Archangel Jibreel (A.S). It takes about one to two hours of strenuous hike in order to reach this cave.

Yet another important site worth visiting near Makkah is Mount Abu Qubais. The origin of this name is still unknown but the local legends state that it was known as Al Amin during the times when pagan Arabs resided in this region. According to another legend, the mountain was also believed to be the very first place on earth where the first of men lived and were buried after their death. The Islamic traditions mention this place as the spot where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had shown the miracle of the 'splitting of the moon' on the demand of pagans.

UK Muslims can fulfil their dream of performing Umrah in the holy month by getting a full month Ramadan package from any of the authorised tour operators.