Umrah: The Lesser Pilgrimage

Umrah is a pilgrimage to Mecca that shares several rites with Hajj but is shorter, voluntary rather than obligatory, and can be performed at any time of the year rather than during the fixed dates of Hajj. For this reason it is often referred to as the 'lesser pilgrimage.' A pilgrim performing Umrah enters the state of ihram, then performs tawaf — circling the Kaaba seven times — followed by sa'i, walking between the hills of Safa and Marwah seven times. The pilgrimage concludes with the cutting or shaving of the hair, after which the restrictions of ihram are lifted. Because it does not require the specific dates or additional rites of Hajj — such as the standing at Arafat or the days at Mina — Umrah is considerably shorter and can often be completed within a few hours to a day. Many Muslims perform Umrah multiple times throughout their lives, and it is especially popular during Ramadan, when a well-known hadith describes performing Umrah during that month as carrying a reward comparable to Hajj, though it does not replace the individual obligation to perform Hajj itself.