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Showing posts from September, 2019

Umrah Package Deals Reduce Cost of Journey to Makkah

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Umrah, also called the ‘lesser pilgrimage’ by many Muslims, involves a journey from the place where they reside to the holy city of Makkah. Those who stay in countries located quite far from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have to cover a very long distance from their place of residence to the holy city and require a certain amount of cost to make it possible. There was a time when Muslims living in such countries had to depend on a travel agent in their neighbourhood to have this journey arranged. However, the packages of Umrah provided by various tour operators specialising in the Islamic religious tours have made this much easier and cost-effective. These tour operators or travel companies often come up with Umrah package deals that reduce the cost of such packages. For getting these deals, the prospective pilgrims need to book their desired package within a specific period, for which, it is made available. This can be a particular month of the year, such as December, or a

How Umrah Packages Have Now Become Affordable for Muslims

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Millions of Muslims residing in various corners of the globe perform their Umrah or the 'lesser pilgrimage' by visiting the holy city of Makkah from their place of residence. Although it is lesser in importance when compared to the major pilgrimage of Hajj, it is Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) Sunnah and brings some spiritual rewards for the pilgrim who performs it. Hajj is an obligation for all the able-bodied and financially capable Muslims, but Umrah has no such obligation. It can be performed at any time of the year and is usually accomplished within a few hours. There was a time when Muslims intending to perform their lesser pilgrimage had to depend on their nearest travel agent specialising in Islamic religious tours to get their journey to the holy city arranged. In recent times, many tour operators offering Umrah packages have come up in different corners of the world, giving the prospective pilgrims several options. Today, they can go through t

Umrah in December Allows Pilgrims to Visit Important Sites

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Umrah is an Islamic pilgrimage that can be performed at any time during the year. This is the reason why many Muslims choose to perform this pilgrimage in December, especially those living in non-Islamic countries. A major reason is that they get to benefit from the holidays that begin towards the last week of the month. Upon embarking on this sacred journey to the holy city of Makkah in the last month of the year, the Muslims living in countries of Northern Europe also get to escape the chilly weather of their home countries. An Umrah in December can be planned well in advance, deciding the date of departure and the number of days that the pilgrim wants to spend in Makkah. Once the dates have been decided he or she can get a budget-friendly package booked for the last month of the year much earlier to get an attractive discount given by most of the tour operators on packages that are booked in advance. The amount thus saved can be utilised during the time spent in Makkah

Pilgrims of Umrah Must Perform the Associated Rituals

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There are two Islamic pilgrimages performed by Muslims from various corners of the globe by visiting the holy city of Makkah located in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. One is Hajj, which is a major pilgrimage in Islam and one of its five pillars. It is compulsory for all adult Muslims who are physically fit and financially capable of making the journey from their homes to the holy city of Makkah. This pilgrimage is performed in the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, which is the last month in the Islamic calendar. Many of the Muslims living in different parts of the world also perform Umrah , which is known as the 'lesser pilgrimage' or the 'minor pilgrimage'. It can be performed at any time of the year. This pilgrimage is not compulsory but it is highly recommended in Islam since it is the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It is completed within a few hours as it involves a lesser number of rituals as compared to the major pilgrimage. The first step to perf

Booking of Umrah Packages is Much Easier in Recent Times

About two decades ago, Muslims who wanted to perform their Umrah had to depend on one of their nearest travel agent specialising in the Islamic religious tours to have their journey arranged to the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia. They did not have enough choices in travel agents as they were very few and the costs involved in arranging the journey from their place of residence to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was quite high. As a result, many of the Muslims kept on postponing the plans of performing their Umrah, also referred to as the ‘lesser pilgrimage’. In recent times, the Umrah packages offered by numerous tour operators or travel companies have made the lesser pilgrimage easy and affordable. Over the past few years, there has been a significant increase in the numbers of tour operators throughout the world and this has given several choices for those intending to perform this pilgrimage. It is the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and is held in high rega

Umrah Gives Pilgrims the Chance to Visit Cave of Hira

A sacred mountain located in the Hejazi region near the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia, Jabal al-Noor is revered by Muslims across the world for its significance in Islam. It is the mountain home to the 'Cave of Hira', where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had received his first revelation of the Holy Quran consisting of Surah Al-Alaq's first five ayats from the Archangel Jibreel (A.S). The mountain is also one of the popular attractions in the region and is visited by plenty of Muslims every year. About one to two hours of strenuous hike is needed for an individual to reach the Cave of Hira. Many of the Umrah and Hajj pilgrims visit this mountain during their time spent in the holy city. The origins of the name of this mountain can be traced back to the event when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Since this had led to his enlightenment, the cave became known by this name which means 'Mountain of Lig

Umrah in December Allows Pilgrims to Visit Sacred Mountains

December is the month when the United Kingdom celebrates Christmas and New Year's Eve along with many other countries of the world and almost all the offices and educational institutions in the country are closed for the entire festive period. This is a wonderful opportunity for Muslims living in the UK, especially those belonging to the working class, to embark on a journey to the holy city of Makkah to perform their Umrah. They can also take other members in the family along with them, especially their young children, as they can be introduced to Umrah and its rituals at an early age. Many tour operators in the UK that specialise in the Islamic religious tours provide attractive discounts for those intending to perform their Umrah in December and willing to book their package in advance. This would significantly reduce the cost of travel involved in making the journey from their place of residence to Makkah for the pilgrims. They can utilise the amount saved while booking

How Umrah in December Can Be Made Truly Memorable

Umrah is held in high regard by Muslims all over the world despite being lesser in importance when compared to the major pilgrimage of Hajj. It is performed owing to the spiritual benefits that it offers for the pilgrim undertaking this sacred journey from his or her place of residence to the holy city of Makkah. The best time for Muslims residing in the United Kingdom to perform their Umrah is December. This last month of the year brings several advantages for them as compared to other months. The last week of December is a holiday season in the UK. Almost all the schools, colleges, and offices are closed during this time of the year for Christmas and New Year celebrations. This gives a welcome break for everyone living in the country from their monotonous routines. Muslims belonging to the working class can use this opportunity to make a journey to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for performing their lesser pilgrimage. An Umrah in December can also be performed by other members i

Umrah Packages Allow Pilgrims to Visit Key Islamic Sites

Umrah is an Islamic pilgrimage often called the 'lesser pilgrimage' in comparison to the major pilgrimage of Hajj. Numerous Muslims living in various corners of the world undertake this pilgrimage every year. Many of them embark on a long journey from their place of residence to the holy city of Makkah located in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in order to accomplish their lesser pilgrimage. It is usually accomplished within a few hours as it involves fewer rituals in contrast to the Hajj. Umrah has a special importance in Islam, as it is the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).   There was a time when the Muslims residing in countries located far from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had to endure a long journey for fulfilling their dream of Umrah. Not many could afford this journey as it involved a significant amount of cost. Besides, they had far lesser choices in travel agents or tour operators, which made it even more difficult for them to find better options. Tod

Umrah Package Deals Help Muslims Explore Important Places

Umrah is a pilgrimage performed by Muslims across the world by embarking on a journey from their homes to the holy city of Makkah located in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is held in high regard, as it is the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It is often referred to as the 'lesser pilgrimage' or 'minor pilgrimage' as the major pilgrimage is Hajj. Besides being one of the five pillars of Islam, it is an obligation and must be performed by all Muslims who are physically fit and financially capable of undertaking the pilgrimage. The lesser pilgrimage is not obligatory, but it offers some spiritual rewards for the pilgrims who perform it. As the journey to Makkah is quite a long one for pilgrims residing in countries that are far from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, it involves a significant amount of cost. However, the Umrah package deals offered on packages provided by the leading tour operators or travel companies have helped pilgrims in reducing thei

Umrah Package Deals Allow Muslims to Lower Pilgrimage Costs

About two decades ago, Muslims residing in countries far from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had to depend on their nearest travel agent specialising in the Islamic religious tours to fulfil their dream of performing Umrah. In those times the journey to the holy city of Makkah located in Saudi Arabia from their place of residence would involve a significant amount of cost mainly owing to the monopoly of the travel agents. As a result, many of the Muslims had to postpone their plans of performing their Umrah, also referred to as the 'lesser pilgrimage'. However, this scenario has changed completely in recent times. Today, many tour operators or travel companies specialising in Hajj and Umrah tours have come up in different parts of the world and their numbers are growing every year. This has given all the prospective pilgrims several options to choose from with regards to tour operators. Even in the geographical location where they reside, there would be several tour operato

The Rituals That are Essential for Performing Umrah

One of the Islamic pilgrimages undertaken by many Muslims every year is Umrah, which is also called the 'lesser pilgrimage' or the 'minor pilgrimage'. It can be performed at any time of the year and can be completed within a few hours owing to the lesser number of rituals involved as compared to the major pilgrimage of Hajj. Being one of the five pillars of Islam, the major pilgrimage is an obligation for all the physically fit and financially capable Muslims. The lesser pilgrimage is not obligatory, but it is highly recommended since it is Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) Sunnah. The pilgrim must first enter the state of 'ihram' or the 'pure state' to perform Umrah . The pilgrim enters this state by putting on the prescribed garment at one of the places designated for this purpose called Meeqat. Male pilgrims must wear seamless garments that are not knotted or stitched, while women must not cover their faces with a 'niqab' or &#