Essential Items Pilgrims Must Pack for Umrah

Umrah is one of the most important holy rituals for Muslims. So apart from making all the necessary arrangements and having all the knowledge to perform Umrah, pilgrims must not forget to carry all the important items with them which they will require during the journey. Otherwise, they will face lot of problems, so it advised that pilgrims should prepare a check list of all the necessary items and pack then pack their things accordingly. In case, you have clue what to pack or it’s your first trip to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, then here is a guide that will enable you to have a trouble free journey. Just the way British Haj Travel’s Umrah Packages in April 2014 offers a stress free trip to Saudi Arabia.

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Umrah Pilgrims Visiting Historic and Holy Sites in Madinah in Large Numbers

Since Saudi Arabian government has once again opened Umrah visas for all the Muslims across the world, thousands of pilgrims have flown to the holy land to perform the minor pilgrimage. In fact, with the passage of time the number of Umrah pilgrims is only increasing, as according to ArabNews thousands of pilgrims are gathering in Madinah now a days. The media outlet also revealed that these Umrah pilgrims are visiting various holy places in the city like Prophet’s Mosque, other places of worship and different historical sites in Madinah.

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According to the report, lot of visitors can be seen going on organised tours to Al-Qiblatain, the Quba and various other mosques in Madinah just as the day begins. It was also observed that many pilgrims are also taking pictures of these historical and holy sites, so they can take good memories of the trip back home.

What Umrah Teaches Us Exactly?

You may have heard from many Muslim brothers and sisters that Umrah is an amazing experience which is hard to describe in words and it has changed their lives forever. But, one merely realizes this fact until he/she undertakes the holy journey. It can be judged from this example that many of us cannot even imagine spending a single day without their mobile phones. It’s literally impossible for them to stay out of touch with their colleagues, friends or family members. However, when they reach Makkah to perform Umrah, there is just one connection which they like to develop and that is with Allah. Pilgrims put everything behind their back and just fully devote themselves to ibadat, so they could seek Allah Subhan Wa Ta'ala’s bliss. 

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Similarly in everyday life some of us cannot think about walking without wearing their Caterpillar, Nike or Adidas shoes. But when they have to walk in simple slippers or even barefoot during the Tawafa of Khana Kaaba and Saee none of them feels any pain or discomfort. Despite the fact that they have to perform three Tawafs and each Tawaf is about 2 kilometres walk or more if there is a huge crowd inside Haram Sharif. Whereas, during Saee pilgrims have to cover approximately 3.5 kilometres distance on foot. 

What is Hajj and Umrah

Hajj and Umrah are not just pilgrimages to Makkah, but are considered as one of the most important holy rituals in Islam. That is why each year thousands of Muslims from different parts of the world come to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj and Umrah. Since these pilgrimages binds Muslims to visit Makkah and perform certain similar rituals, therefore often people gets confused between the two holy rituals and fails to differentiate between them. To resolve this confusion and shed more light on Hajj and Umrah, we at British Haj Travel have compiled some significant points below. These points will make it easy for the people to understand difference between the two pilgrimages.

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Difference Between Hajj and Umrah

Why Muslims Should Perform Haj in Early Age

Haj is the largest gathering of Muslims in the world that takes place in Saudi Arabia every year. During this holy pilgrimage Muslims gathers to perform the sunnah of Hazrat Ibraham (A.S), sacrificing of an animal on Eid-Ul-Adha, along with the tawaaf of Kabah by wearing an unstitched white garment called ahram. This holy ritual gives Muslims an opportunity for change, forgiveness, paradise and turning towards the creator of all, Allah SubhanaWaTa'ala. Therefore, Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) has said that all Muslims must perform Haj once in their lifetime, if they have the strength and wealth to do it. Wealth may not be an issue for many Muslims, but good health and youth are two things without which it gets really tough for a person to perform Haj.

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As a result of that most of the scholars often say that Muslims should make an effort to perform Haj in their youth because besides being a spiritual and emotional journey, holy pilgrimage is also test their physical fitness. Therefore, young Muslims should give preference to Haj over vacation, marriage or travel. Below British Haj Travel has listed few reasons which further explain why Haj should be performed in the young age.

Is it Permissible Muslim Men and Women can Stand and Pray in Same Row During Umrah or Haj

We often get to see that during massive gatherings like Umrah and Haj, Muslim men and women are saying their prayer by standing in the same row rather than in different rows. As a result of that many people gets confused and often raise the question that when Islam discourages free mixing of two genders then, how come men and women are allowed to say their prayer by standing in the same line.

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In response to this question some say that it is not possible to control such a huge crowd of pilgrims therefore, at such gathering men and women can stand and pray in the same line. While others say that there is no clear evidence in both Hadith and Quran that compels observance of differentiation among the two genders.

How to Apply for Haj Visa 2015

British Muslims who have never visited Saudi Arabia in their life usually do not know how to apply for Haj visa. Therefore, they often face problems when they plan to perform the holy ritual. To guide such people British Haj Travel has compiled some valuable information for them that will prove quite helpful and make the process more easy for them.

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Visas 

To get Haj visa, British Muslims should acquire the services of an authorised travel agency which will forward their visa application to the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia on their behalf. The reason for acquiring the services of authorised travel agent is that the Ministry of Haj has bonded the pilgrims to do so. As a result, pilgrims send their request to the Saudi Consulate along with their passports and other necessary travelling documents through their travel agent.

Choosing Between Hajj and Marriage

Hajj is a holy pilgrimage and religious duty that every Muslim is bound to perform once in their life, if they are physically fit and have the meansto do so. However, sometimes people get stuck in a situation where they have to choose between Hajj and other important responsibilities. For instance a person got the opportunity to perform Hajj during this year, but his or her parents have already scheduled their marriage during the same time period.

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In such a situationit is really difficult for a person to choose what they should give up. Hajj is a way for Muslims to show their solidarity and submission to Allah, while marriage is also one of the favourite deeds of Allah. In such scenarios, Muslims always seek help and British Haj Travel has always tried its best to sort their problems in the light of Quran and Sunna.