What are the minimum days of Umrah? Are three days sufficient to complete the Umrah journey? Well, these questions often comes to every pilgrim's mind. In today's era, pilgrims should be aware of every update regarding their pilgrimage; they can go to Google and search for relevant queries. Gone are the days when pilgrims faced trouble while obtaining the answers! Today, the bulk of the information is at our fingertips.
However, we are concerned about Umrah and why you should choose three days. Will these days be enough? Many pilgrims choose 3-star Umrah packages and often ask if three days are sufficient. So, this guide will comprehensively address this query.
What is Umrah?
Umrah is Islam's religious act, and every Muslim wants to perform it at least once in their lifetime. Since Umrah is a shortened form of Hajj, it is often called a lesser or minor pilgrimage. Muslims perform this holy act in Makkah city with complete devotion and spirituality. While it's not mandatory, performing Umrah will give you incredible blessings and rewards from Allah SWT.
Is three days enough for Umrah?
Umrah involves four main rituals/steps to complete. Namely, these four rituals are:
- Ihram
- Tawaf
- Sa'ee
- Qasr
Ihram is the state of purity that every pilgrim has to absorb. This is the attire for both men and women. It would be best if you landed at Jeddah Airport or Madinah first. But wherever you land, your turn will be towards Makkah for Umrah. You can either rest in the hotel or go further the next day. It is better to sleep first and then move on to conduct Umrah steps with an energetic body.
Now, you will begin Tawaf around the Holy Kaaba – the core part of the pilgrimage. Remember that Tawaf must be done seven times in an anticlockwise direction. It takes some hours, like three to four hours, to perform. After right away from Tawaf, you move on to performing Sa'ee between Safa and Marwah hills. It might take an hour or two. After that, the last step is to cut or shave the head's hair. Shaving applies to men, and partial hair shortens are done for ladies.
The performance of Umrah can take 4 to 6 hours, and you can efficiently perform it in a single day. However, a minimum of seven days of travel time is included in every Umrah package. Three days are enough for how long is Umrah.
Things that May Have Impacts on How Long Umrah Takes
The approximate time for Umrah's performance is what we have mentioned above. But this exact time may be affected by the following factors:
Members of the Family
As a healthy person, performing Umrah is easy and takes no more than three to four hours. It may take much longer if you bring young children and elderly relatives. Suppose you are taking a person who is in a wheelchair. Doesn't it take a giant circle? For sure, yes. As a result, your family members can affect how well you complete the Umrah.
The time of the day
The time of the day also impacts the Umrah performance's overall time. There are many suitable hours, like more excellent hours, during which you can conduct rituals. As you know, Makkah is a hot city, and its temperature is usually high. So, choosing the best hours can impact the overall pilgrimage experience. For example, if you choose rush or crowded hours, your capacity for undertaking rituals may be down. You can choose the late night hours, early morning hours, dawn time, or after Fajar prayers.
How well do you know the Umrah process?
Eventually, your knowledge and preparation for pilgrimage matters a lot regarding the potential duration of Umrah. If you are a first-timer, it may take more time to know and understand the overall procedure. You may have to learn Duas for Umrah, which is mandatory. Those among us who have lately become Muslims have considerably more flexibility. What we are getting at this is that the more familiar you are with the Umrah procedure, the less time it should take to complete the entire ritual.
Can Umrah be done in one day instead of three days?
As previously said, performing Umrah takes approximately three to six hours, and it is possible to do it in a single day if you like. If you have three days, you can explore the holy cities in the remaining days. However, you will only get an Umrah package with three days, as a minimum of seven days is required nowadays.