Explore Sacred Mountains of Makkah with Umrah Packages in UK

by Safeena Rahman Travel Addict

Every year, many of the Muslims living in the United Kingdom make their journey to the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah, which is also known as the 'lesser pilgrimage'. When compared to the major pilgrimage of Hajj, it is not compulsory. However, this pilgrimage brings some spiritual rewards for the pilgrim who performs it. Umrah is also the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and this is the reason why many Muslims residing in the UK visit Makkah to fulfil their dream of performing this pilgrimage. It can be accomplished within a few hours as it has lesser rituals compared to the major pilgrimage of Hajj.

The Umrah packages UK tour operators provide for Muslims of the country make the lesser pilgrimage easy and affordable for numerous pilgrims living in this part of the world. Almost all the tour operators based in the UK list the available packages on their mobile-friendly websites. This helps the prospective pilgrims in browsing through them and choosing the one best suited to their budget. Upon booking their chosen package well in advance, they would also get a significant amount of discount. This would give them greater savings to be utilised for buying attractive souvenirs and visiting the three sacred mountains.

One of them is Jabal al-Noor, which is a mountain located in the Hejazi region near Makkah. The name of this mountain translates as 'Mountain of Light', which refers to the event when Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had received his first revelation of the Holy Quran from Archangel Jibreel (A.S). This revelation contained Surah Al-Alaq's first five ayats. A cave located in this mountain is the place where this event took place and this is the reason why it has a great significance for Muslims across the world. It gets around 5,000 visitors during the Hajj season.

Another mountain of great importance is Jabal al-Rahmah, located in the plain of Arafat at a distance of about 20 kilometres to the east of central Makkah. Its name translates as 'Mountain of Mercy', which refers to the event when the first prophet Adam (peace be upon him) was forgiven by Allah for his sin. The exact spot where this event took place has been shown by a pillar. Jabal al-Rahmah is also the place where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) delivered the famous 'farewell sermon' towards the end of his life to all those who had accompanied him for Hajj.

Located on the eastern frontier of the holy city of Makkah is yet another sacred mountain, called Abu Qubais. The exact origin of the name of this mountain is unknown even today. However, the popular legends state that it was called al-Amin during the times when the entire region was inhabited by pagan Arabs. It is also believed to have been the place where the first of men lived and were buried after their death. According to the Islamic traditions, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had shown the miracle of the 'splitting of the moon' at this place to the pagans.