What is the difference between Hajj and Umrah?

by Ronie William Hajj Umrah Package

Hajj and Umrah, both are religious pilgrimages of the Islamic faith that are equally important for Muslims. Whether a Muslim wants to perform hajj or umrah, he/she has to travel to the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia and offer the holy rituals there. That’s why hajj packages are offered by thousands of certified travel agents worldwide.

There are a lot of similarities between Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage for Muslims. However, differences are also there. For this reason, one must know what type of pilgrimage he/she is offering and what things to consider in order to make the Ibadah valid.

Here are some of the major and most common differences between Hajj and Umrah.

Obligatory Significance.

Hajj is an obligatory pilgrimage i.e., an important part of the five pillars of the Islamic faith. For any Muslim who is mentally, physically fit, and financially capable to afford it, the Hajj pilgrimage is obligatory at least once in his/her lifetime. Therefore, it holds greater rewards.

Umrah, on the other hand, is a minor form of Hajj and that is why it is also called ‘Minor or Lesser Pilgrimage’. However, its performance is not obligatory for any Muslim but a sunnah act. In other words, if a person has the financial, mental, and physical capacity for it, he/she must travel for umrah performance but if they don’t there’s no obligation.

Rituals.

Umrah and Hajj both have almost the same rites and rituals. For instance;

·         Getting into the state of Ihram.

·         Tawaf of the Holy Kaabah.

·         Sayee of Safah and Marwah hills.

·         Drinking Zamzam water.

·         Shaving/cutting head hair.

These rituals remain a part of Umrah as well as Hajj, but pilgrims performing Hajj have to do some additional rites. For example,

·         Spending time in the Mina region.

·         Travelling to Muzdalifa and Arafat.

·         Stoning the Devil.

·         Slaughtering an animal.

Performance Time.

Hajj is an annual Ibadah i.e., Muslims should gather in the holy city of Makkah during the holy month of Dhul Hijjah and then perform the rituals of Hajj collectively during the 8^th to 12^th of the same month. While Umrah can be performed at any time of the year on an individual basis. In other words, one can travel for umrah whenever he/she can and offer the holy rituals there. However, the days of hajj are an exception.

In regard to Types.

Hajj pilgrimage has three types;

·         Hajj Qiran.

·         Hajj Ifraad.

·         Hajj Tamattu.

Hajj Qiran is performing Hajj and Umrah combined or alternatively in the same Ihram while Ifraad is related to Hajj itself and Tamattu is a type of Hajj in which Umrah and Hajj are separately taken on during the month of Dhul Hijjah.

Umrah pilgrimage has only two types;

·         Umrah tul Tamattu.

·         Umrah tul Mufradah.

Umrah tul Tamattu is performed collectively with the hajj, while, Umrah tul Mufradah is performed independently.

 These are some of the basic differences between hajj and umrah pilgrimage for Muslims. 

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Created on May 24th 2021 09:08. Viewed 316 times.

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