Umrah and Hajj both are a form of pilgrimage and both of them hold a significance in every Muslim’s life. There is no doubt that both of these pilgrimages have their own significance, but there are certain difference that discriminate them from each other. The first major difference is that Umrah can be performed at any time of the year whereas, Hajj can only be performed at a specific time in the month of Dhul Hajj. People who want to perform Umrah during pleasant or cold weather can also go for Umrah between Octobers to Feburary. December is the month when travel agencies offer packages due to winter break. There are many agencies that are offering December Umrah 2026 packages for next year. The overall expense of Umrah trip is lower than usual during winters. The second major difference is that Umrah is a non-obligatory pilgrimage which can be performed at any time of the year and is shorter, on the other hand, Hajj is an obligatory prayer which must be performed by every Muslim, at least once in a lifetime.
Umrah is a beloved Sunnah that helps to revive one’s faith as well as cleanse our mind and soul. This helps Muslims to direct their focus back to Allah and revives their hope. The pilgrims who go for Umrah usually seek for forgiveness and make duas with a sincere and pure heart. Nowadays Umrah packages are offered by the travel agencies in order to make the process of Umrah bookings less intimidating.
History of Umrah
Prophet (PBUH) first performed Umrah, after a few years of moving to Medina. The history of Islam tells us that prophet (PBUH) had to move to Medina because the disbelievers were extremely aggressive and were planning to kill them. This was a very difficult time for Prophet (PBUH) and his believer. Despite of all the attempts of prophet (PBUH) and his believers to spread the word of Islam and peace in Makkah, all the efforts went in vein and people of Makkah became outrageously cruel. They started attacking the companions of Prophet (PBUH) in the darkness of night. Prophet (PBUH) and his followers migrated towards Medina in the darkness of night. While they were moving towards Medina, Prophet (PBUH) looked back and said that if it was not for Islam, I would have never left you my beloved land.
A few years after the Hijra Sharif, Prophet (PBUH) had a dream in which he was performing the ritual of Umrah. This was the time when Prophet (PBUH) and his companions returned back to Makkah with the intention of performing Umrah. The news of a huge number of Muslims approaching Makkah did spread across Makkah within a while and the disbelievers were concerned that Muslims are coming back to take their revenge and declare a war against us.
After this Prophet sent a written message in order to explain that they do not intend to declare any war but are only coming to perform Umrah, upon this they were told that they must return now and can come for Umrah in following year. The issue was solved in a diplomatic manner and the treaty was signed at the place of Hudaibiyyah in which it was decided that there will be no restriction regarding the entrance of Muslims in Makkah and they will be granted access to the Holy place of Ka’aba for three days, every year. According to this clause, Prophet (PBUH) and his companions performed Umrah that year.
There are four basic rewards or benefits of performing Umrah. The biggest reward is getting the opportunity to visit the Ka’aba and doing pilgrimage. This was a beloved Sunnah and Prophet (PBUH) performed the Umrah four times in his life. This removes your sins and revives your faith to another level. The reward of Umrah is said to be equivalent to that of Jihad. It has also been said that If Umrah is performed in the month of Ramadan, Its reward will be equivalent to that of Hajj. The rewards of Umrah are briefly mentioned in this article.
- Being the Guest of Allah Almighty
Being the guest of Allah and having to witness Ka’aba is a big enough reward and holds significance in any Muslim’s life. Prophet (PBUH) stated that, “the guests of Allah are three, the Ghazi (a man who fights in Jihad just for Allah), the Pilgrim (Hajj perfomer) and the Mutamir (Umrah performer)”.
- Removal of Sins and Poverty
It has been narrated by the Prophet (PBUH) That Hajj and Umrah removes sins and poverty from one’s life. The Prophet (PBUH) said that, “Perform Hajj and Umrah, one after he other as they remove poverty and sins just as the bellows remove filth from iron, gold and silver. There is no reward for an accepted Hajj except Paradise”.
- Equivalent to Jihad
A narration by Abu Huraira tells us that once Holy Prophet (PBUH) said that, “The Jihad of elderly, weak and the women is performing Hajj and Umrah”. Jihad means fighting in the name of Allah. The highest rank in Jihad is Shahadat (a man who is killed during a battle for Allah is called Shaheed) and ever Muslim’s dream is to reach the rank of shahadat as it has the highest reward in the ranking of paradise. The one performs Umrah will get a reward equivalent to jihad.
Purpose of Umrah
The major purpose of Umrah is to seek for the forgiveness of Allah, removal of sins and poverty and getting a reward which is equivalent to Hajj and Jihad. It has been narrated that if someone is unable to perform Hajj due to financial or any other reason than they can still get the reward equivalent to Hajj by performing Umrah in the Holy month of Ramadan. Muslims who want to avail the opportunity of winning a reward equivalent to Hajj can book Ramadan 2026 Umrah packages from UK that are being offered by travel agencies this year. This beloved Sunnah revives your heart and strengthens your faith and connection with Allah Almighty.
