Planning for Umrah? Here's What You Need to Know
The word “Umrah” in Arabic means “visiting a populated place” and it's known as the small pilgrimage to everyone. Every capable Muslim surrender themselves to Allah and perform Umrah in the hope of self-purification. It offers an opportunity for Muslims to refresh their faith, repent for their sins and pray for their needs. Millions of practising Muslims travel to Mecca from across the globe to perform Umrah as an act of worship and devotion. Since Umrah is an important event for Muslims hence every Muslim should take some preparation deliberately before going. Are you planning for Umrah? Here's what you need to know to complete the preparation for Umrah perfectly-
Choosing the Right Agency
It is important that you select the right travel agent / tour operator for your Hajj or Umrah. While several travel agencies provide services to the Hajj and Umrah, they often differ in terms of price and quality. Speak to friends and relatives who have been in Hajj or Umrah and ask about their feedback with their travel agent to ensure you select the right service. Quality of the service and level of dedication to pilgrim wellbeing also differ greatly between travel agencies, so if possible you'll want a variety of opinions and reviews.
Enhancing Your Knowledge about Umrah
Although there is a lot of information available for Hajj, the information available for Umrah is much less compared to that. Hence you need to find suitable books or websites regarding rules & regulations of Umrah which will help you to perform it perfectly. Learn about the holy places of Makkah & Madina and also the instructions accurately. You also need to manage your passport and other crucial documents properly and understand these kinds of issues to avoid any adverse situation.
Choosing Your Company Carefully
Good companions make your Umrah journey easier and better. If you're going with your family members, make sure they comprehend the rules by heart and respect them thoroughly. If you go with someone who isn't your family, then make sure they're nice to people. They will make your experience wonderful even when you're in those sacred places. Getting a good company will not only improve your journey but also give a lifelong experience. Do you want the people you are going with to encourage you to pray Tahajjud in The Haram and do extra tawaf? Or encourage you to eat & shop only?
Rules of Ihram & Clothing
It's very common to see people violating some rules regarding clothes and other essential tasks unknowingly when performing Umrah. To avoid those you must understand the rules of Ihram & clothings for both men & women. Like If you're following ihram, you can't use scented soap so keep an unscented soap with you. Then it's not permissible to use Ihram for covering your head even if you want to protect your head from the sun. Protecting your awrah is important for both men and women so before going there, the rules for Izar & Rida have to be understood properly. When aiming for Umrah for everyday clothes you must consider modesty and comfortness.
Health & Medication
Although traveling to any part of the world carries certain health risks, performing on Umrah presents a variety of additional challenges due to the hot environment of Saudi Arabia. The stressful complexity of its rituals, as well as the gathering of large crowds might create some unwanted health calamities as well. For that you need to be aware of your own health and your companions as well. The essential medications and medicines according to special needs should be brought with you. Necessary check-ups & vaccinations should be mandatory before traveling. Also to keep yourself healthy an adequate amount of water & healthy foods should be consumed on a regular basis.
Monetary Factors
Although Umrah is said to be almost equivalent to Hajj, It is somewhat different. But preparation for Umrah requires the same conditions like it must be performed only by the people who're financially capable. Also money from any doubtful sources is not acceptable. Hence you must use halal money for it. If you're on loan, you shouldn't think of performing umrah but should focus on repaying. If you're eligible for Umrah, we can't recommend the exact figure but you must consider keeping a considerable amount for safety, charity, shopping, foods & drinks etc. Before embarking on your trip, it's a good idea to have some money exchanged in your home country, because that season banks get busy in Saudi Arabia.
By following & comprehending the article written above, a muslim can take preparation for one of the most desired event "Umrah". It'll guide you to the right path In-Sha-Allah!
