Best Times For Umrah

                   
Umrah is a greatest Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad PBUH. It is the religious act that Muslims can perform anytime or best times in a year without any time restrictions. It is one sacred form of worship that every Muslim wish to perform at least once in their lifetime. However, if you want to go on this holy expedition, you cannot just turn up and do it. Umrah requires full preparation, accommodation and perfect planning. So what is the best time to go for Umrah?

Month of Ramadan

When it comes to rewarding, then performing Umrah in the month of Ramadan hold the greatest reward. Ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet of Allah, Muhammad PBUH said:

“Perform Umrah in the month of Ramadan, as its (reward) is parallel to having a hajj performed with me.” –Bukhari

That is why Muslims wish to perform Umrah in Ramadan and rush to book hotels in Makkah and Madinah. Many travel agencies come up with special offers in this month to attract customers ranging from budget-friendly to luxury five-star Ramadan Umrah packages.

Grand Months

Umrah is not about packing, travelling, visiting and returning to home rather it requires absolute focus and devotion to Allah SWT. Therefore, people chose the Grand months to perform Umrah with its true spirits. 

These are the months that come right after Hajj season ends; Muharram and Safar. This is the best time of the year to perform Umrah as the rush of people cut’s down to half and prices for hotels and accommodations get reasonable. Pilgrims can have hustle free and relaxed time to perform rituals of Umrah correctly.

Mid-Year Vacation

Some prefer to perform Umrah with their family. Individuals are busy in their studies or jobs whole year except for mid-year vacation. If you want to go on this holy expedition with family or friends, then choose mid-year and book your tickets in the start of the year as many people wish to avail these vacations to go on Umrah trip.

Spring Time

The weather is extreme in Saudi Arabia, where days are scorching hot and nights are biting cold. For this reason, some prefer to travel in the mild weather that comes with the spring season. This is the best time to perform Umrah rituals and rights with ease.

Umrah in December

When you want an Umrah trip with family in the best weather of best times the year, then go for December packages. The Weather in December is reasonable enough to perform all Umrah services without any difficulty and collapse. As Hajj and Ramadan season is over the place is free of the oceans of travellers and overcrowded conditions. You can easily get a residence close to Al Haram and enjoy reasonable prices for hotels and accommodations.

Right after Hajj ends.

As the hajj completes, it’s the opening of the Umrah season (from 1st of Moharram). Pilgrims that came for hajj return and not so many people are coming for umrah as it’s the start of the season. 

People in Haram are few in number as compared to other months. Hotel accommodations are present at half or even 30% of the actual price. Flights are discounted. Thus, remains one of the most peaceful time for Umrah performance.

                                                                                                                                                                                    dawntravels.com/

Important Issues That May Happen in Hajj and Umrah

 Using roofed vehicles in the state of Ihram in the nights or from dawn until sunrise or completely cloudy days that shade has no use for protection from sunlight or rain, is permitted.

Tawaf

It is not necessary that Tawaf is performed in the distance between Maqam of Ibrahim and the house of Ka’ba (about 13 meters); Tawaf is permitted in all of Masjid al-Haraam (especially at the time of congestion of the crowd) but it is better not to exceed from the foresaid distance if it is possible.

 It is not necessary that left shoulder remains parallel to the house of Ka’ba all the time, but it is enough to circumambulate Ka’ba in a normal manner.

Crowd problem

When there are lots of people performing Tawaf in the way that the crowd pushes the person forward by force it does not harm Tawaf, and it is enough to make the intention from the beginning that he/she goes among people for performing Tawaf.


Performing the prayer

The place for performing the prayer of obligatory Tawaf is behind Maqam of Ibrahim, but it can be performed more distant from there if the crowds are so much congested; the pilgrim should not insist on performing the prayer behind Maqam, specially when performers of Tawaf are so much that they reach behind Maqam of Ibrahim and some acts that others perform and disturb performers of Tawaf are not correct (but the prayer of Mustahab Tawaf can be performed anywhere in Masjid al-Haram).


Safa and Marwah

Performing Sa’y of Safa and Marwah is not permitted in the upper level, unless congestion of crowd is too much that performing Sa’y in the lower level causes severe hardness.
It is enough to climb part of Safa and Marwah and it is not necessary to reach the bare part of the hill and but the feet on that part (covered ascent in Safa and Marwah is a part of the hill).


Sitting has no problem

Sitting has no problem during performing an obligatory Tawaf for removing tiredness, but it is a precaution not to lose the sequence and the distance becomes very long; but sitting during performing Sa’y for removing tiredness or like that has no problem and it can be as much as it takes, if it is in Safa, in Marwah or between them.


Ramy al-Jamarat

Performing Ramy al-Jamarat (hurling pebbles to the places of Jamarat in Mena) is permitted in the upper level, and those who cannot perform Ramy in the day can perform it the night before or after that.


Performing Sacrifice

Performing Sacrifice is permitted in any of available places of sacrifice, although they are out of Mena.It is better to perform Zebh (ritual slaughter) of the sacrifice in the day of the Eid, but it can be delayed until the thirteenth day.

The animal is pure and Halaal

It is not necessary for the person who performs Zebh to be Shiite, but any Muslim whom his/her sacrificed animal is pure and Halaal is permitted to perform Zebh. Performing Zebh of animals for sacrifice or any other purpose by steel knives of other metals is not a problem.


Sacrifice

The pilgrim can perform Zebh on animals of sacrifice personally or give the deputyship to any reliable person, and it can be the manager of the caravan or the organizer of your Hajj or some of the friends (the only condition is being sure about the act of proxy). And it is not necessary for the proxy to know the name of the owner of the sacrifice, although saying the name is better. But it is not correct to perform a sacrifice on behalf of another person without being his/her proxy.


Method of Sacrificing

Muslims should do something that meats of sacrifice do not become corrupted or useless in order that they do not have to bury to burn those meats because this is israaf (wasting) and haraam. If no person could be found in Mena who deserves the meat, then it is necessary to bring the meats to other Islamic countries and towns and give them to poor persons and believers and if this act has costs, these costs should be paid by Muslims and Islamic government.


Sacrificing should be performed in Mina 

Sacrificing should be performed in Mena until it is possible in there to prevent meats from being corrupted, but if Hajjis become sure that there is no way of using the meats of sacrifice after necessary tries and the meat will surely be corrupted, then they should stop performing sacrifice temporarily and keep its money in order to perform sacrifice in their hometowns after returning (in that month of Dhu’l-Hijjah or the month of Dhu’l-Hijjah of the next year) and then consume the meat according to the order that we have said about the meat of sacrifice.


Using machinery

Using machineries is permitted for performing sacrifice. But the conditions of Islamic Zebh like being face to Qibla and saying “بسم الله” and other conditions are observed (the explanation is available in the book of rulings).It is better to renounce Mustahab Tawaf when the crowd is congested and leave the place for those who are performing obligatory Tawaf.


Miqat

Miqat for the Ihram of Hajj al-Tamattu’ is in Mecca and it is enough to be in any place of Mecca and there is no difference between old and new Mecca, even Ihram can be worn from places that today has been advanced
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Umrah Visa Fees for 2019-2020 Season

Umrah Visa Fees for 2019-2020 SeasonThe Umrah season is now open, but what a mess if I may say!

It was supposed to open on the 1st of September but got delayed because Saudi style they wanted to implement a totally new system last minute.

It is still early days, as of writing this article there are still changes which I am monitoring.

The repeat Umrah visa fee is removed, this means that those who have been to Umrah last year won’t pay to go now. Many people are winners on this.

However, as with everything there are also losers. Up until now, the Umrah visa from Saudi Arabia was free for all pilgrims, this meant the visa price you used to pay of £80 (which back then seemed a lot to many) was simply agent fees and processing.

Now, Saudi has introduced a fee for the visa of about 300SAR /£80 and then has introduced some other taxes on hotels, transfers and VAT soon, this takes the cost of the visa up to
The 2000 SAR fee is removed!

around £250/ £300 per person depending on your agent. Even for children.

This is a lot of money for a visa especially because it went from around £80 to £280 in a year.

People who are going for the first time to perform Umrah are actually losing and those who visit every year actually save about £150 per visa.


In short from this Umrah season 2019 -2020 onwards Saudi Arabian Umrah visas will cost around £250 to £300 per person.
Prince Visa who I recommend as a reliable agent offers a discount for MuslimTravelGirl’s readers from the UK. Just make sure you mention our site when you call them for details.

I will announce the discount rate once we have settled into the new system.

We don’t receive a cut from this but with thousands of people reading the site on advice for Umrah, it is a great sadhana.

We always appreciate duas though. 🙂
New Umrah E-Visa

The Umrah E-visa which is a great new system and makes things much easier is still being implemented so you won’t need to send your passport to your agent in order for them to issue you the visa.

However, the processing times which were 24hrs before have now increased to about 10 days due to the new regulations.
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