Advices You before Umrah

Some people may be heading out for the spiritual journey of a lifetime soon, so I just wanted to take a moment and give a few pieces of advice for those who will be traveling soon to perform the beautiful Umrah journey. The following pieces of advice are amongst those that I received and some that I thought of while I was abroad in the sacred sites

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Learn about Mecca and Madinah. Learn about Umrah. When I was preparing for my journey, I came across many different books that discuss Hajj and the virtues of Hajj. However, I found it difficult to find information on Umrah. Sure, the books on Hajj made references to Umrah and had short chapters in it, but those snippets didn't satisfy my craving to learn more. I did eventually come across a nice book on Umrah entitled, “The Ultimate Guide to Umrah.” I am not endorsing one specific book over another, but I would urge you to learn about what you are about to experience before you go. Also, make a copy of your passport and important documents and email them to yourself and your loved ones so you have a copy if something goes awry.

Importance of Mecca for Muslims

The importance of Mecca for Muslims is inestimable. All Muslims, wherever they are on the earth, are required to pray five times a day in the direction of the Ka’bah in Mecca. The direction of prayer is known as the qiblah.Muslims regard the al-Masjid al-Haram as the holiest place on Earth. Both the mosque and the city itself are strictly off-limits to non-Muslims.

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The focal point of Mecca is the Ka’bah, the “House of God”, believed by Muslims to have been built by Abraham and his son Ishmael, and is covered in a gold-embroidered black fabric. The Pilgrims circle the Ka’bah seven times and may also try to touch or kiss its cornerstone, the Black Stone. Pilgrims then drink from the well of Zamzam. The water of Zamzam is believed to have special properties and is alleged to have health benefits. Few pilgrims return from the Hajj without a large plastic bottle of the Zamzam water.

Muslim physically able must perform umrah in his her life

T∫he old man wobbles as he stands up out of his wheelchair before the reach of his son steadies him. Carefully, he helps his father adjust the ihram – the two pieces of white sheet men are obliged to wear when performing either the hajj itself or the smaller pilgrimage called umrah – which covers his torso. Having seen to his father he moved on to his mother who is also wheelchair-bound, helping her to drink some water and pinning her hijab into place. A peek into his suitcase shows it is full of adult nappies for one of his parents or perhaps both. 

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If ever there was a moment which encapsulated the hajj, it was this. The pilgrimage undertaken by millions of Muslims every year is one of the five pillars of Islam and something that every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able must perform once in his or her lifetime. Those who make the trip, which takes place once a year, come from ever corner of the world. 

Medina to travel Mecca performing umrah

Leaving Medina to travel to Mecca to complete the first step of my hajj – performing umrah – requires preparation. Having bathed and put on my cream-coloured abaya I tuck my hair away under my headscarf and try to get into the right frame of mind. This outfit will be worn until my umrah is complete, which is a daunting thought, given how difficult it is to get into the city of Mecca with the many checkpoints and bureaucratic steps to go through. 

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It could take hours, and it does: nine, to be precise. The ladies change into their clothes at the hotel before leaving, while the men get changed at an ihram station, a mosque en route to Mecca where hundreds are stopping to get into their clothes. For ladies there is no obligatory colour to wear, though most choose to wear white or cream. Men, however, are obliged to wear two white pieces of unstitched cloth. They change and then both men and women do a prayer and declare their intention to perform umrah. We are now in a state of ihram: there is no worldly talk, no talk of business, no arguing with anyone.