Umrah in Ramadan - Rewards, Benefits, Hadith and Complete Guide

Performing Umrah in Ramadan holds special virtue in Islam; the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ highlighted its rewards. He himself told an Ansari woman that performing Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent in reward to performing Hajj, as mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari 1782 and Sahih Muslim. (But it doesn’t remove the mandatory Hajj).

In this guide, we’ll learn about authentic rewards for performing Umrah, authentic Ramadan hadith about Umrah, the best time to perform it, and what you should know about travelling.

The strongest evidence for the virtue of Umrah in Ramadan comes from Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما.

I heard Ibn `Abbas saying, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) asked an Ansari woman (Ibn `Abbas named her, but `Ata' forgot her name), 'What prevented you from performing Hajj with us?' She replied, 'We have a camel, and the father of so-and-so and his son (i.e. her husband and her son) rode it and left one camel for us to use for irrigation.' He said (to her), 'Perform `Umra when Ramadan comes, for `Umrah in Ramadan is equal to Hajj (in reward),' or said something similar."  

(Sahih al-Bukhari 1782, Book 26, Hadith 9).

There is even clear evidence in Sahih Muslim 1256: the Prophet ﷺ said that Umrah during Ramadan suffices for Hajj or is equal to Hajj performed with him in reward.

This is the key hadith on Umrah in Ramadan, and this is the main reason why people are fond of planning Umrah in this month.

Does Ramadan Umrah replace Hajj?

No, not at all. Doing Umrah in Ramadan does not remove the obligation of Hajj.

The hadith refers to the reward of the Umrah. It does not mean that a person who has not completed their obligatory Hajj can treat Ramadan Umrah as a replacement for Hajj.

So, the reward of Umrah in Ramadan is equal to the reward of Hajj according to the hadith, but these are two distinct acts of worship.

The best time to perform Umrah in Ramadan is any day of the Ramadan month. The last 10 nights of Ramadan carry enormous spiritual significance in search of Laylat al-Qadr. But no hadith says that Umrah must be performed during the last 10 nights of Ramadan in order to gain special rewards.

However, there's no authentic hadith specifying any hour or day of Ramadan as the universally best time to do Umrah in Ramadan.

Therefore, the best time to do Umrah in Ramadan depends on your availability, ability, health, travel plans and crowd hours.

If you want a quieter experience around 07:00 to 09:00 AM or late at night after Taraweeh and the start of Tahajjud. If you want to make the most of the final part of Ramadan, choose the last ten nights.

The rites of doing Umrah in Ramadan are the same as usual.

Here’s how:

1. Enter the state of Ihram before crossing the Miqat & make the intention for Umrah.
2. Recite the Talbiyah.
3. Perform seven circuits of Tawaf around the Ka'bah.
4. Pray two Rak'ahs (rakats Sunnah) wherever feasible behind Maqam-e-Ibrahim (the Station of Ibrahim ).
5. Perform Sa'i between Safa and Marwah.
6. Complete Halq (shaving the head) or Taqsir (trimming of hair).
7. Leave the state of Ihram.

The main difference is the month you perform it in (another from Ramadan) and the special reward mentioned in the hadith.

Before booking your Umrah package, you must be fully prepared for the rituals and rules of Ihram, Tawaf, Sa'i and more. Also, read the rules and regulations circulated by the Saudi Arabian Government for Pilgrims.

Performing Umrah in Ramadan gives an enormous amount of rewards that are equivalent to Hajj. Sahih al-Bukhari 1782 and Sahih Muslim both record this narration.

The benefits of performing Ramadan Umrah go beyond those of other months. It gives Muslims an opportunity to perform Umrah while fasting, praying and increasing their worship during Ramadan.

But remember that Ramadan Umrah does not replace obligatory Hajj.

If you’re planning for Umrah this Ramadan, you must choose the best Umrah package that allows you to customise the services and arrangements based on your needs.