Yes, you can perform Umrah multiple times in one year. Islam does not set a limit on performing multiple Umrahs, and repeating Umrah is considered a virtuous practice. If you perform Umrah during the holy month of Ramadan, Allah multiplies the reward many times. It does require reentering Ihram from a point outside the Haram for each subsequent Umrah during the same trip. The main pivot is the sincerity, physical ability and financial capacity. There are many scholars that recommend focusing on Tawaf and Dua, if repeating an Umrah is excessive for you.
If you want to perform more than one Umrah, the ideal season for you will be the winter season. During summers, due to scorching heat in Saudi Arabia, and the high crowd density, it could be extremely difficult to perform even one Umrah. Hence to perform multiple Umrahs you can opt for the cheap Umrah packages which will give you the liberty to decide the itinerary according to your own liking. If you plan to repeat Umrah, you must consider certain key points. The guide below outlines some of these important points.
Key points of repeating Umrah
- No fixed Limit: There is no fixed limit on how many times you can perform Umrah in one year or one trip. This has been made clear according to the Sharia.
- Voluntary Act: Umrah is a non-obligatory act which allows for the repetition in order to gain the spiritual reward.
- Expiation: The time that falls between the Umrahs is considered as the expiation for the sins that are committed, which will make the repetition of great reward.
- Ihram requirement: In order to perform another Umrah, one must leave the Haram boundary, to re-enter Ihram before starting the new rituals.
- Prophetic Example: The wife of holy Prophet (PBUH), Hazrat Aisha (RA), performed Umrah twice in one month on the holy Prophet’s (PBUH) instructions.
Preparation for performing Umrah
Apparently, no authority imposes a limit on performing multiple Umrahs, but you must still take your physical, emotional, and spiritual preparation into account before going for a second Umrah. Doing Umrah is a physically exhausting act and the pilgrims must not overexert themselves to the point where it affects their ability to concentrate during prayers and other spiritual deeds. In case you want to save yourself from the hassle of making all the bookings, you must book Ramadan Umrah packages UK including flights as you can get affordable deals on the flights through these packages.
Procedure for performing multiple Umrahs
You must perform Umrah within a single journey and follow the prescribed rituals for each Umrah. The guide below explains the complete process in detail.
1. Donning Ihram
Ihram is the sacred attire and state required to perform Umrah. For every Umrah, you must travel to Miqat to wear the clothes that are prescribed for Ihram. You must make the niyyah which declares the intention for Umrah and recites Talbiyah.
2. Tawaf
You must perform seven rounds of movement in a clockwise direction around the Ka’aba. While performing Tawaf you must,
- Concentrate on the readings glorifying Allah and the personal prayers.
- Remain calm and gentle, as the crowd can be very large and sudden or rushed movements may lead to injuries.
3. Sa’i
This is the act of going around between Safa and Marwah seven times to depict the Hajar’s (AS) search for water for her son Ismail (AS). You must walk seven times between the two hills of Safa and Marwah.
4. Shaving or Trimming Hair
Men have to shave or cut their hair where as women just have to cut their hair to the fingertip length. This step will break you from the state of Ihram and your Umrah will end here.
5. Repeat the process for the second Umrah
In order to perform the second Umrah, you must return to Miqat and come back into Ihram. After you have observed Ihram again, you must follow the same procedure of Tawaf, Sa’i and shaving or cutting your hair.
Rewards and Spiritual Benefits of multiple Umrah
There are several spiritual benefits that one can gain by performing multiple Umrahs on one trip or over the course of months and years. Some of these benefits are mentioned in the guide below.
Deeper Interaction with Allah
Every Umrah will serve as an opportunity to get closer to Allah. The repetition of the rituals can focus more on the personal prayer, repentance and gratefulness.
Forgiveness of Sins
The holy Prophet (PBUH) said,
“The performance of One Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed between it and another Umrah”
As the number of Umrahs will increase, the more you’ll enhance your chances of getting spiritually purified.
Increased Merits
Allah multiplies the rewards for acts of worship performed in Makkah and Madinah. In these holy cities, He greatly increases the reward for every good deed you perform and grants it to you abundantly.
Conclusively, the number of Umrahs that one can perform truly depends upon the intentions of the individual, their physical capacity and sound planning for the logistical convenience. One may perform a single Umrah or multiple Umrahs, but every journey is an integral act of worship that brings you closer to Allah.