Makkah: When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) returned after performing his pilgrimage (Hajj), he asked a woman from the Ansar why she had not performed Hajj. She replied that her husband had two camels for fetching water: he rode one for Hajj while the other watered the land for them. The Prophet (PBUH) said to her, "The performance of 'Umrah during Ramadan is equal to Hajj (pilgrimage)," or said, "Equal to the performance of Hajj with me."
According to Qatar News Agency, this hadith, highlighting the exceptional merit of 'Umrah in Ramadan, has offered hope to those unable to fulfill the obligatory Hajj due to circumstances, without relieving them of the Hajj obligation itself. Over the centuries, Muslims across various historical contexts have undertaken journeys to Makkah for Ramadan 'Umrah, seeking its spiritual rewards and following the Prophet's (PBUH) guidance.
In this particular period, performing 'Umrah represented an opportunity for the pilgrims to realign their psychological, spiritual, and moral lives in accordance with the requirements of this rite and the objectives it instills within the soul. In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), Dr. Nawaf bin Fahad Al Otaibi, a Sharia specialist at the Institute of Da'wah and Islamic Sciences within the Department of Da'wah and Religious Guidance of Qatar's Ministry of Awqaf, emphasized that 'Umrah during Ramadan carries a special merit, abundant with reward and spiritual benefit, and represents a cherished aspiration for all Muslims.
Al Otaibi noted the unique distinction of Ramadan 'Umrah in the convergence of two values: the temporal value represented by Ramadan, and the spatial value embodied by the Sacred Mosque in Makkah. This combination endows the rite with additional solemnity, motivating Muslims to vie for the opportunity to perform it. He further explained that 'Umrah requires the pilgrim's wholehearted presence and spiritual purity, ensuring that the act is free from ostentation or boastfulness.
Al Otaibi said that 'Umrah can shift from a source of reward to a nullified act if love of fame or pride intrudes during its performance. He points out that the phenomenon of photographing and sharing one's pilgrimage on social media has led many to fall into ostentation, undermining one of the principal purposes of the rite-spiritual refinement and the cultivation of piety-since the act demands sincerity and devotion solely for the Creator.
Following the approach of understanding evil and pointing it out in order to avoid it, Al-Otaibi highlights certain negative phenomena during 'Umrah that may strip the rite of its religious, spiritual, and even ethical significance. He draws attention to harmful crowding during the performance of the rituals, as well as to instances of anger that are incompatible with the pilgrim's proper conduct in these sacred places, where the heart should be emptied of material attachments, desires, or misplaced anger.