Why Do Most Pilgrims Perform Umrah During Ramadan?

Umrah is another form of worship in Islam, and it is considered a distinguished type of worship. While the Hajj is a prescribed pilgrimage incumbent on every Muslim with the means, Umrah is the Sunnah or recommended pilgrimage. But in another way, it has great thoughts and is excellent spiritually.

People can go for Umrah at any time of the year, though it is the favourite of many during the holy month of Ramadan. In this blog, I will describe the factors that lead most pilgrims to prefer performing Umrah during the holy month of Ramadan.

The Religious Significance of Ramadan

Ramadan is one of the twelve months of the Islamic lunisolar calendar and is the ninth month. It is considered the most sacred on the Islamic calendar by Muslims. In the course of this time, Muslims all over the world abstain from eating from the break of the day till the evening.

Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of Islam's five principles. The entire month is devoted to spiritual pursuits, roza, prayers, and helping the needy. Muslims trust that the consequence of good undertakings increases during the holy period of Ramadan. They also believe this is true of Umrah, the lesser pilgrimage to the sacred precincts of Kaa’bah.

To several Muslims, attaining more barakah during the month of Ramathan while performing Umrah is just a plus. Some Muslims regard it as an opportunity to draw closer to Allah (God) and ask for forgiveness for their wrong behaviours. Ramadan itself is a very dear time both in Makkah and Madinah, which creates the additional incentive to carry out Umrah during this period.

Special Honour of Umrah in Holy Month

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) spoke of the excellence of performing Umrah in Ramadan.

Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 1782):

Narrated Abdullah bin Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Performing Umrah in Ramadan is equal to performing Hajj (with me).”

This hadith points to the importance of performing Umrah during Ramadan. Muslims should grab Ramadan Umrah packages with top-notch services from any well-reputed travel agency for better experience.

Rewarding people with an equivalent to Hajj suits Muslims’ desires since it is a highly valued practice. This makes Hajj one of Islam's most significant worship activities, but it can be done only annually within a set period. This is one of the reasons many Muslims perform Umrah in Ramadan to reap the same benefits as the Prophet (S. A. W).

The pleasure of pardon and mercy

Some people like to call it ‘the month of forgiveness’. Muslims further assume that Allah is most merciful and forgiving during this time of the year. The nights of Ramadan are special for seeking forgiveness, especially the last ten nights of the month. Laylat al-Qadr, also called the Night of Decree, is said to occur during the last ten days of Ramadan. Indeed, this night is superior to a thousand months, and its prayers are highly rewarded.

Accomplishing Umrah during the holy month of Ramadan allows Muslims to achieve the spiritual benefits of reciting the holy Quran that comes along with Ramadan and exercising Umrah's religious obligations. They think that by performing Umrah they stand a better chance of having sins committed in the past washed away and pray for their wishes to be granted. This is one of the reasons you find many pilgrims appealing for forgiveness and seeking a new way of life.

The Unique Conditions in Makkah and Madinah in the Month of Ramadan

There is another factor that many pilgrims prefer to carry out Umrah during Ramadan because during this month, performing acts of worship in Makkah and Madinah has a different mood. Islam attaches great importance to both the cities. For Muslims, Makkah is the most sacred city as it contains the cube-shaped house called the Kaaba, and the city of Madinah contains the tomb of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

This month, both cities are awash with pilgrims from all parts of the world, with some performing the pilgrimage while others observing the fasting. Muslims are all in unison, and they are brothers to each other. Many people come to engage in prayers at the Kaba of the Grand Mosque at Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque at Madinah. The mosques are perfectly lit and in harmonic rhythm with the voices of muezzins, calling the believers for prayer. It is unforgettable when one sits with thousands of other Muslims to break fast in these holy places.

Ramadan is a spiritual season for such cities; no similar feeling can be felt at any other time of the year. Many people perform Umrah in Ramadan and will tell you the feeling that comes with it is one of serenity and connection with the spirits of their faith. Thus, it remains to be stressed that one of the peculiarities that make people prefer to do Umrah this month is the atmosphere.

The Permissibility of Performing Umrah in Conjunction with the Rituals of Ramadan

In the same regard, many Muslims feel it is a perfect opportunity to conduct Umrah during the Ramadan season because it is a way of cataloguing or escalating the acts of worship. Ramadan is a period when people are even more devoted when they pray more frequently and give donations more willingly. People feel that by performing Umrah during this month in addition to the fixed rituals of their worship, they are indeed availing the time to the maximum. One of the good advice for Muslims, if they want to make the Ramadan more special, grab Umrah packages with Turkey tour and enjoy this month on both places.

Blessed people who choose to do Umrah in Ramadan are also privileged to participate in the Taraweeh prayers. These prayers are performed in the congregation at night during the month of Ramadan only. Taraweeh prayers are prayed at the Grand Mosque and Madinah at the Prophet’s Mosque in Makkah.

Pilgrims can also participate in other activities connected with charity held during Ramadan. This is evident in many people providing food hampers for human consumption, especially during the breaking of the fast, referred to as iftar. Performing these acts of charity as one is in these holy cities raises the Bar for the performance of Umrah during the Holy Month of Ramadan.

By the tradition of the Family Pilgrimages

In many Muslim families, performing an Umrah during the Islamic fasting of Ramadan has become customary. Many people travel during this period taking their families along to perform the Umrah in Makkah and Madinah. It becomes memorable since families are bonded through the pilgrimage.

Most parents attend churches with their children to ensure that children learn about believing and worshipping. While performing the act of Umrah during the Holy Ramadan, solid bonding among the family's biological members and forming memorable experiences are developed.

It is a tradition practised from one generation to another to observe Ramadan together as a family. Consequently, it became a cultural aspect of many Muslim families, especially the yielding and burning desire to perform the Umrah during Ramadan. People make the pilgrimage to the sacred site a family event they look forward to performing annually.

Availability of Transport and Amenities

Another tangible factor that has made many pilgrims want to perform the Umrah during fasting is the ease of getting travel services. Sometimes, travel agencies provide special packages for Umrah that include the time of Ramadan.

These packages consist of connecting transportation, flights and accommodation; therefore, the pilgrims’ journey is easily organised. During this festival, the Saudi government also takes extraordinary measures to cope with heavy footfall as there are many pilgrims. Security, healthcare, and other services are uplifted for the convenience and protection of the pilgrims. Even if you are living in the UK, you can also have an Umrah package from UK from any good travel agency to make this journey more blissful for you.

Though visiting the holy sites during the holy month of Ramadan may require one to compete with many, many Muslims deem this a test. For them, physical suffering, sun exposure, and managing large numbers of people are potential ways to achieve even more rewards and to be patient.

Conclusion

Travelling for Umrah during Ramadan is dear to every Muslim heart. Ramadan holiness, the fact that Umrah in this month is considered more privileged, and the atmosphere in Makkah and Madinah during this time all contribute to people’s desire to take the pilgrimage.

Umrah in Ramadan to plead for Allah’s forgiveness and compassion and get closer to Him in terms of proximity. The global Brotherhood and the religious satisfaction resulting from the visit also come into play and boost the attraction of the pilgrimage. For these reasons, many pilgrims prefer to do ‘Umrah in the holy month of Ramadan; it becomes a time of worship and spiritual rebirth.

Read Blog: How Travel Agents can provide the best Umrah Packages & Services?