
Umrah is a sacred journey which involves going on a minor pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah. Although, it is not obligatory but Muslims perform it in their lives as they believe that performing Umrah makes them guests of Allah and they never come back empty handed without gained blessings, rewards and peace. The significance of Umrah is extremely high in lives of Muslims. It gives a chance to cleanse soul and be able to find true meaning of life. Umrah offers Muslims an ideal opportunity to be able to seek forgiveness from Allah. Islamic history behind umrah itself is evident of the importance Umrah holds in your lives. Are you planning to perform Umrah from UK and gain blessings of Allah? Grab your phone and book Cheap Umrah deals from Islamic Travel.
The early roots of Umrah in Islamic history
The early roots and history behind Umrah linked with the time of Prophet Ibrahim (AS). Allah gave him ordered to leave his wife and infant son in the desert of Makkah. As the continues, when Ismail (AS) was crying for water and Hajar (AS) started to ran between Safa and Marwah in search of water. The Zamzam well emerged from the ground. Allah ordered Ibrahim (AS) and his son to construct Kaaba. The rituals of Umrah such as Tawaf and Sai were established in remembrance of these significant events. Kaaba was a site for worshipping various rituals in pre-Islamic period. Besides that, it was famous place for trade and religious gathering.
Umrah during the Prophetic Era
Muhammad (PBUH) established Umrah rituals as a standard practice for all Muslims around the world after the treaty of Hudaibiyyah. Before that, Prophet (PBUH) and his companions were not allowed to enter Makkah to perform Umrah. Prophet (PBUH) faced many difficulties but successfully performed Umrah four times during his life in order to demonstrate its significance. His actions transformed Umrah from an old tradition into an act of worships based on sincerity and Tawheed.
The deeper message of Umrah rituals
The Umrah rituals are said to offer insightful lessons about faith, determination as well as purification. This depicts that Umrah does not only provide physical benefits but also brings along spiritual significance. Below is a brief description of the symbolism behind all the Umrah rituals.
- Ihram: Ihram does not represent a piece of cloth that you wear but depicts an entire state of pilgrim’s submission before Allah. It is not just clothing but a state of observing modesty and humility before Allah’s will.
- Tawaf: Tawaf is not just the circumambulation of the Kaaba but the circulating ritual presents a pilgrim is willingly centering their entire life on Allah’s will. Every circle around Kaaba reminds of Allah’s greatness, mercy and your purpose of life.
- Sai: Sai represents the story of a mother Hajar searching water for her crying son Ismail in a desert which shows how one has to face trials in life and how to overcome them with faith.
- Halq/Taqsir: This act symbolizes the forgiveness from sins, spiritual cleansing of the heart and the beginning of a new chapter in life.
The significance of performing Umrah in Ramadan
Many Muslims want to perform Umrah in Ramadan because it rewards is very high. One of the most famous hadith shows the significance of performing Umrah in Ramadan. Prophet (PBU) stated that:
“Performing Umrah during Ramadan is same as the performing Haj.”
It does not mean that Umrah takes the place of Hajj. But it shows that how extraordinary blessings and rewards a person gets, if he/she perform Umrah during this blessed month. This hadith motivates Muslims to avail Ramadan Umrah packages in advance to secure their travel during Ramadan.
Transformative power of Umrah
Umrah is not just a simple journey of seeking forgiveness and pleasing Allah but is also a transformative life experience. Umrah is said to leave everlasting impacts on the minds and souls of pilgrims. The life-changing impacts of Umrah include:
- Spiritual cleansing: One of the biggest benefit that Umrah could probably bring in the life of a pilgrim is spiritual cleansing. It helps to purify and cleanse one’s soul and fosters many holy virtues of patience, perseverance and empathy which create lifelong impacts.
- Renewal of faith: Umrah is a very powerful and spiritually elevating holy journey experience which tends to help Muslims renew their faith and strengthens their imaan. It also helps to foster a renovated sense of purpose in the life of a pilgrim.
- Peace and contentment: Umrah leaves a huge impact on the lives of pilgrims such that it helps to foster peace as well as contentment. It brings ease to the heart and relief from the pain of all the worldly troubles. Umrah also helps Muslims to cleanse their past sins and attain contentment
- Self-reflection and clarity: Umrah also helps to foster an idea of living a purposeful life. It brings clarity and retrospection within the hearts of Muslims which help them realize their true meaning and life purpose.
- Interconnections and shared living: Umrah helps in creating a sense of interconnectedness and shared living among pilgrims which helps to foster unity, brotherhood and community building.
Growing accessibility and modern travel
Umrah has now become increasingly accessible with all the modern advancements in technology, especially with Saudi Arabia’s vision 2030. This vision further aims to enhance overall Umrah experience. Contemporary world is not only providing personal and spiritual benefits but also provide benefits for the broader Muslims community. Muslims from diverse cultures come together from all over the world to perform this journey and this creates a sense of shared experience which fosters unity, strengthens social bonds and promotes positive values. Islamic Travel also offers Hajj Packages at affordable price for upcoming year without compromising comfort.
Conclusion
Muslims community Sacrifice, devotion and love for Allah are reflected by the history of Umrah. Millions of Muslims continues this beautiful journey, from the time of Ibrahim (AS) till today. Umrah offers countless blessings, whether performed during Ramadan or regular month. Islamic travel is UK based travel agency. As you known Ramadan is the peak season, many people travel to Makkah to perform Umrah. The hotels and flights book quickly. Hurry up and book Ramadan Umrah packages from Islamic Travel.