Understanding Umrah | Step by Step Salah

Qur’anic foundation: Allah commands the completion of Hajj and ʿUmrah for Him in Qur’an 2:196, and identifies Ṣafa and Marwah among His symbols in Qur’an 2:158.

What is Umrah?

ʿUmrah is the minor pilgrimage to the Sacred House in Makkah. Unlike Hajj, it is not restricted to the specific days of Hajj and can generally be performed throughout the year.

Hanafi ruling: In the Hanafi school, performing ʿUmrah once in a lifetime is generally classed as Sunnah Muʾakkadah rather than fard. Other Sunni schools differ on its legal classification, so the site does not present one school’s ruling as universal.

Core rites

Ihram: enter the sacred state with the intention of ʿUmrah from the appropriate miqat.
Tawaf: circumambulate the Kaʿbah seven times.
Saʿi: walk seven courses between Ṣafa and Marwah.
Halq or taqsir: shave or shorten the hair to leave ihram; women trim a small amount of hair rather than shaving.

Qur’an 2:158 — Ṣafa and Marwah
Qur’an 2:196 — complete Hajj and ʿUmrah for Allah

Authentic virtues

The Prophet ﷺ taught that one ʿUmrah to the next is an expiation for what occurs between them. Sahih al-Bukhari 1773

He also said that ʿUmrah in Ramadan is equal to Hajj in reward. This does not mean that a Ramadan ʿUmrah replaces the obligatory Hajj for someone upon whom Hajj is due. Sahih al-Bukhari 1782

When to perform it

ʿUmrah can be performed at many times of the year. Ramadan has an explicitly established virtue in authentic hadith. A preference for Rajab should not be presented as though a special Rajab-ʿUmrah virtue were established by the same level of evidence.

Practical note: Detailed rulings of ihram, miqat, menstruation, penalties for violations and combining ʿUmrah with Hajj can become case-specific. For those issues, follow a reliable scholar of your madhhab rather than relying on a short web summary.