Every Muslim knows the distinct status of Ramadan Umrah. It is evident from the latest stats that over 30 million pilgrims performed Umrah in Ramadan 2024. Although performing pilgrimage in this holy month is full of challenges and hardships. However, it is the sheer force of strong faith that urges Muslims to overcome these difficulties with patience and perform Umrah in hopes of gaining immense rewards from the Creator.
This post is dedicated to the pilgrims who intend to perform the minor pilgrimage in this holy month next year and have already reserved Ramadan UK Umrah packages 2025. However, we’ll also discuss the massive rewards of undergoing this tough journey while practicing patience to inspire those who are going to perform for the first time. As a bonus, we’ll share some tips you can follow to make your Ramadan Umrah relatively easy.
Challenges to Face During Ramadan Umrah
Let’s have an overview of the diverse and extreme challenges pilgrims have to face while performing Ramadan Umrah:
· Extreme Heat
Saudi Arabia is a desert country where Mercury levels hover between 28°C to 43°C for around 8 months ranging from March to October. As Ramadan mostly commences in March or April therefore, pilgrims have to face severe heat while performing Umrah.
The task becomes even more difficult when pilgrims are fasting. Imagine circling the Kaabah while fasting and facing intense summer heat. This is surely a hard task however, the reward of doing Umrah is also tenfolds for this very reason.
· Large Crowds
The difficulties of performing Ramadan Umrah don’t just end here. Large crowd is another massive issue that amplifies the hardship level of this pilgrimage. Now imagine again a large crowd making it difficult for you to breathe. The sun is on full spin on the sky and you’re sweating full-time but can’t drink anything to rehydrate as you’re fasting.
This sort of situation especially makes it hard for children and the elderly to perform Ramadan Umrah. Therefore, caution is advised during this time so your health or the health of your loved ones might not deteriorate.
· Maintaining Energy Levels
Retaining energy levels is massively important to take care of your health but it becomes quite hard when doing Umrah while fasting. Excessive sweating is common but you can’t do much about it. Moreover, energy levels can also go down depending on which time of the day are you doing Umrah.
For instance, doing Umrah after Fajr can be relatively easier than at any other time of the day. The reason is that pilgrims have just eaten Suhoor meals so they have energy. The sun is also not shining brightly so they can avoid intense heat. However, you can’t find the ideal time always to perform Umrah. Therefore, you need to know about other ways to retain energy levels. We’ll discuss some of the major tips in the last section.
Rewards of Doing Ramdan Umrah
After learning about the challenges of doing Umrah in Ramadan, the question remains, “Why do so many pilgrims opt for this tough spiritual excursion?” Well, the answer lies in the unmatched spiritual benefits that pilgrims in this world and the hereafter insha’Allah. Let’s take a look at these supreme benefits:
Ø Reward Equal to Hajj
This is a Sahih hadith narrated in both Al-Bukhari (1782) and Muslim (1256) by Ibn 'Abbas. He states that the Prophet of Allah, Muhammad PBUH asked a woman from among the Ansar why didn’t she perform Hajj with them.
The lady said that she only had two camels and the father of her son and her son had gone for Hajj on one camel. He left the other camel so that she could carry water on it. Hearing this, the Prophet PBUH said: “When Ramadan comes, go for ‘Umrah, for ‘Umrah in (this month) is equal to Hajj.”
Ø The Night of Qadr
Ramadan is full of several other opportunities that make it easy to earn major rewards and The Night of Qadr is one of them. Allah explains about this night in the famous Surah al-Qadr that He revealed the whole Quran in this one night. The Almighty states that this night is better than a thousand months when angels and spirits descend by the permission of their Lord. There is nothing but peace in this night until the dawn emerges.
The second major reward of doing Ramadan Umrah is that you can spend the most blessed night of the year in the holiest sites on Earth. However, nobody knows the exact date on which the night of Qadr commences. Following the hadith, most scholars agree upon the odd nights of the last Ashra to be the night of Qadr. Among these dates, the 27th of Ramadan is the most agreed-upon date for the commencement of this holy night.
Ø Praying Taraweeh
Another blessing you acquire during Ramadan Umrah is to pray Taraweeh in the holiest sites on Earth while listening to the soulful voice of the Imam. Taraweeh literally means to rest or to relax. It is a night prayer that the Prophet PBUH used to perform in solitude after Isha.
The complete meaning of Taraweeh is ‘to pray while taking frequent breaks,’ as Muslims rest a few minutes after praying 4 rakats. This prayer is observed in the sets of 2 rakats until concluding at 20. Praying Taraweeh in Haram or the Prophet’s Mosque is one of the major spiritual rewards that you get to relish in this world.
Major Tips to Make Ramadan Umrah Easy
We’ve some important tips for you that you can follow to make your Ramadan Umrah relatively easy:
i. Perform Umrah after breaking the fast. In case you decide to do Umrah while fasting or have no other option, then you can consider two perfect times for this purpose. The first is doing Umrah before dawn and the second is before sunset.
ii. The reason for doing Umrah after Fajr is that pilgrims still have the energy to make the pilgrimage. Before sunset i.e., between Asr and Maghrib, is also an ideal time as it is close to the iftar and the sun’s heat dims down thus, pilgrims don’t have to face scorching heat.
iii. One of the best ways to energize your body is to take a shower before doing Umrah. It makes this hectic task of a lot easier by giving you an instant energy boost. You should take a shower after Umrah as well to gain instant energy and invigorate.
iv. Eat foods that are rich in nutrients like minerals, vitamins, and protein, mostly found in fruits and vegetables. It is better to keep drinking and eating a little every hour than to over-indulge in food at suhoor. Over-eating at suhoor only makes it hard for pilgrims to walk and run and perform Umrah while fasting.
v. Take frequent breaks while performing Umrah to avoid over-exertion.
Doing Umrah in Ramadan can be difficult but it comes with massive rewards that compensate for all the hardships. We’ve taken you through this incredible journey through the power of words and also shared some important tips to make your Ramdan Umrah relatively easy. So if you feel ready to embark on this important spiritual journey then contact Muslims Holy Travel and book your Ramadan Umrah packages 2025. Make early reservations so you can enjoy massive discounts.