Shah Rukh Khan’s visit to Makkah, Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah was a big news in the media. Shahrukh’s visit to Saudi Arabia for Umrah came to the fore through a picture posted by his official fan group on Twitter. After this picture of Shahrukh came out, many people are doubting what Umrah is. Know more regarding it.
What is Umrah?
Umrah is a short pilgrimage to Mecca. Umrah is a shortened version of Hajj, which is obligatory in Islam. It is an Arabic word. It means visiting a famous place. Umrah is not an obligatory act among the five main tenets of Islam. Umrah can be performed at any time of the year. This work can be done in few hours.
What is the importance of Umrah?
Although a lesser-known pilgrimage, Umrah is a holy journey, performed by Muslims as an opportunity to increase their faith, pray and seek forgiveness. It is believed that those who perform Umrah are cleansed of their sins.
[Pics]: King #ShahRukhKhan performing Umrah at Makka Sharif ❤️@iamsrk#Pathaan #KingKhan pic.twitter.com/Rb1Uz3bfzk
— Team Shah Rukh Khan Fan Club (@teamsrkfc) December 1, 2022
What clothes are worn for Umrah?
Before starting the pilgrimage, the first thing a believer should do is purification. Make-up and beauty products should not be used during this time. Men should wear two white clothes. One should cover the lower half of the body and the other should cover the body and shoulders. No underwear should be worn. Men can wear sandals. Do not hide your head.
Women should wear loose clothing such as hijab that covers the body. It is believed that the face should not be covered.
How to perform Umrah?
To perform Hajj or Umrah, a Muslim believer must first enter Ihram. According to this, a person entering Ihram should not quarrel with anyone or use obscene words. No animal should be harmed. It is said in the precept of Ihram that one should not harm even a small insect.
When the pilgrims reach the Meeqaat, the first step of the entrance to Makkah, they must recite aloud the purpose of Umrah and their intentions.
Then while walking to the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest shrine, pilgrims must recite the Talbiya. It is to announce their arrival to Allah and to announce that they are His servants. The Kaaba is located in the great mosque complex of Mecca known as Masjid al-Haram.
At every step of the mosque, one should pray to Allah for forgiveness and mercy for one’s mistakes. Then the believers perform Tawaf. The Kaaba is circumambulated seven times in a counter-clockwise direction. After performing this ceremony, pilgrims must recite verses from the Quran at Maqam Ibrahim, the site of Abraham near the Kaaba. Later the holy water called Samsam will be served.
After this, the pilgrims will circumambulate seven times between Mount Safa and Mount Marwa. This ceremony commemorates the journey of Prophet Ibrahim’s wife Hajar in search of water for her son Ishmael in the barren land. Legend has it that the angel Gabriel appeared in front of Hajjar, who had reached from one hill to another, and created holy water there, thus saving Ishmael’s life. Pilgrims still drink water from this water source.
After completing this ceremony there is a prayer. It is known as Takseer. Cutting the hair and shaving the head are part of this prayer. These ceremonies are performed as a completion of rebirth and pilgrimage. Women pilgrims cut only a small part of their hair. Ihram should not be followed following Taqseer.
Difference between Umrah and Hajj?
Umrah is not obligatory. But Hajj must be performed by physically able Muslims. Hajj is one of the five fundamental principles of Islam. Hajj is a pilgrimage that Muslims must perform at least once in their lifetime.
Umrah can be performed at any time of the year. But Muslims go for Hajj between the 8th and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
Umrah pilgrimage is cheaper and faster than Hajj. As of last October, Saudi Arabia had issued more than two million visas for pilgrims from 176 countries.
10 lakh Muslims have completed Hajj this year. This year, only those who have been vaccinated once morest the Covid-19 virus and are between the ages of 18 and 65 have been allowed to perform the pilgrimage. About 85 percent of pilgrims come from foreign countries for Hajj.
All Muslims who are able to travel must perform the Hajj pilgrimage. The Hajj pilgrimage aims to guide the faithful along the path traveled by the Prophet Muhammad some 1,400 years ago. It takes regarding five days for the pilgrims to complete the pilgrimage.
The story of Shihab, a young man who was going to Mecca on foot from Malappuram, was in the news recently. The young man hopes to complete the journey in eight months. The journey started last June. It is estimated that the distance of 8640 km will be reached in 280 days. The plan is to apply for Hajj in 2023 following going to Saudi.
Read the most reliable news, live information, world, national, Bollywood, sports, business, health and lifestyle news on News18 Malayalam website.
