All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.

To proceed:

This is a brief treatise on the description of ‘Umrah, its rulings, and etiquettes, in which we have endeavored to clarify most of what the performer of ‘Umrah needs.

We ask Allah to make it pure for His noble Countenance and benefit all Muslims with it.

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Introduction

First: Conditions for the acceptance of worship

Allah Almighty does not accept acts of worship except with two conditions:

Sincerity, which means that it should be done purely for the sake of Allah and the Hereafter, as Allah Almighty says: {although they were commanded only to worship Allah with sincere devotion to Him, being inclined to the true faith [1].} [Surat al-Bayyinah: 5] And the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Verily, the reward of deeds depends upon the intentions, and indeed each one will be rewarded according to his intention." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (1) and Muslim (1907)] i.e., turning towards Him and His worship, while turning away from everything else. Tafsīr As-Sa'di (p. 538).

Following the Prophet (ﷺ) in words and actions; the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Whoever introduces something into this matter of ours (Islam) that is not part of it will have it rejected." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (2697) and Muslim (1718)] In a version by Muslim (1718): "Whoever does something that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (Islam), it will be rejected."

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Second: The Ruling on Learning the Manner and Rulings of ‘Umrah

Whoever wishes to worship Allah Almighty must learn the guidance of the Prophet (ﷺ) in it, so that his actions align with the Sunnah. The Prophet (ﷺ) used to urge people to follow him and be guided by his example. Mālik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Pray as you have seen me pray." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (6008)] Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) throwing pebbles while riding his mount on the Day of Nahr, and he was saying: "Learn your rituals, for I do not know whether I will be performing Hajj after this Hajj of mine." [Narrated by Muslim (1297)]

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Third: The Merit of ‘Umrah

There are two virtues of ‘Umrah: general and specific.

The general virtue:

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "‘Umrah expiates for the sins committed between it and the next ‘Umrah, and the accepted Hajj has no reward but Paradise." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (1773) and Muslim (1349)]

‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Alternate between Hajj and ‘Umrah, for they eliminate poverty and sins just as the bellows [2] remove impurities from iron, gold, and silver. And there is no reward for an accepted Hajj except Paradise." [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi (810) and An-Nasā’i (2631)] The Place of the Blacksmith's and Goldsmith's Fire. At-Tamhīd by Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (15/102).

The specific virtue during Ramadan: Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "‘Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj with me [3]." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (1863) and Muslim (1256)] i.e., it is equivalent to performing Hajj with me, as mentioned in another version.

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