How many days do you need for Umrah?

 Umrah is a sacred, yet non-obligatory practice in Islam, commonly known as Minor Pilgrimage.
Muslims can perform Umrah on any day of the year if they are physically and financially sound
to undertake the hardships of the journey. Various tour operators in the market are offering
different Umrah packages, varying between 4 days to 30 days. Therefore, the question
concerning the exact days needed for Umrah has been raised by many. If you are also the one
searching for this answer and have a quest to know more about the minimum days needed to
complete Umrah obligations, then you are in the right place. Here’s what you need to know
about Umrah and its obligations
 
 What are the Umrah Obligations?
 There are some specified acts, without undertaking them, Umrah is considered incomplete.
Here’s an outline of mandatory practices in Umrah
 Coming into a state of purity (wearing Ihram) when entering Meeqat.
 Tawaf e Kaabah (encircling Kaabah).
 Performing Saee (ritual walk between the mount of Safa and Marwa).
 Trimming or shaving hair after Umrah completion.

Ihram
 Wearing ihram is the basic obligation and an essential state of Umrah that is to be followed
with absolute religious zeal and zest. The state of Ihram is also called Shart-e-Ada (first and
fundamental condition). Ihraam is a particular dress that is necessary for Umrah and hajj. Ihram
condition begins from Meqaat, it is important to be in ihram before entering Mecca. 

Perform Tawaaf 
 Performing Tawaf is another important obligation of the Umrah. Tawaf actually means to
revolve around the Kaabah in a counter clock-wise direction. Pilgrims have to complete 7
rotations to complete Tawaf. Muslim scholars and jurisprudence experts unanimously agree
that without undertaking the act of Tawaf, Umrah cannot be considered. After completing
Tawaf, pilgrims offer 2 Rakat at Muqam e Ibrahim, this prayer is also compulsory for all pilgrims.

Ritual walk of Sa'ee

 The walk is to be performed between the mount of Safa and Marwa. Sa'ee is wajib in Umrah
and in hajj as well. Hazrat Hajra ran in the middle of 2 mountains looking for water for his child
Hazrat Isma'eel (AS). Pilgrims demonstrate the walk to reinforce the memory of hardships faced
by Hazrat Hajra and Hazrat Isma'eel. 

Trimming or shaving hairs (halq)

 After completing the obligations mentioned above, it is mandatory to trim hair for all pilgrims.

 
 

How much time is required to complete obligatory acts of Umrah?

 Once you reach Masjid e Haram in a state of Ihram, it is likely to take a couple of hours to
complete the obligations of Umrah under normal circumstances. The very first obligation is
Tawaf (7 times counter clock-wise rotation around Kaabah). The rotatory movement can take
about 2-4 hours, depending upon the number of pilgrims encircling Kaabah. Therefore, Tawaf
takes relatively more time during peak Umrah seasons, such as in the Holy month of Ramadan.
After completion of Tawaf, one has to offer 2 Rakat prayers at Muqam e Ibrahim, this can be
easily completed in a few minutes. Afterword, you need to proceed to the mount of Safa and
Marwa to undertake the ritual walk of Saee. It is estimated that the walk normally takes about
2-3 hours to be completed. Last but not the least, you have to trim or shave your hair
(Qasar/Halq) to complete your Umrah obligations. The act of trimming or shaving is an act that
is likely to take a few minutes. However, it may take longer if the hair salons in the vicinity are
over-burdened during rush seasons. All things considered, Umrah can be undertaken in almost
4-7 hours. Though the obligatory practices of Umrah can be performed within few hours, and
you can get back to your job, yet it must be noted that the course of journey mentioned is
merely for the residents of the Mecca, and other non-obligatory yet recommended acts
associated with Umrah are not taken into account. 
 
 
 The time needed for overseas pilgrims to perform Umrah
 Even if the Muslims traveling from far-flung areas of the world offer pilgrimage and do not
intend to visit Medina and other holy sites due to limited time or some other reason, they need
a minimum of 2 days to complete Umrah and return to their native countries. Plus, they also
need to acquire accommodation in Mecca. In a nutshell, pilgrims coming to the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia need to spend time in immigration, traveling, and much more. Therefore, a
minimum of 2 days should be reserved for the religious journey of Umrah.
 
 
 Whatare other recommended visits and acts to be performed during
Umrah Stay?
 In addition to the fundamental obligations of the Umrah, pilgrims are also encouraged to visit
holy sites of the country and perform Nafl. First and foremost, pilgrims are advised to offer
congregational prayer at the Masjid e Haram daily. In addition to this, visiting holy sites of Mina
and Muzdailfa also remain an utmost priority of the Umrah pilgrims. Furthermore, pilgrims are
also motivated to visit Jabal Thawr in Mecca city. Pilgrims also deliberately extend their stay in
Mecca city so they can perform multiple Umrahs and offer as many prayers in Masjid e Haram
as possible. Moreover, unless there is no limitation of time and budget, visiting Medina is
considered to be an essential part of the Umrah trip. In Medina city, Muslims offer a visit to the
Masjid e Nabvi, burial place of Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H), and offer Nafl in the mosque. Last but
not the least, upon returning from Medina, pilgrims perform farewell Tawaf in Mecca again
before they depart for their destined country.
 
 
 What is the ideal duration for Umrah trip?
 Though Umrah can be performed in a couple of hours, yet it is strongly recommended to at
least plan 7 days for Umrah trip, so you can perform the religious duty with an absolute peace
of mind. By giving a minimum of 4 days to Mecca, you can perform multiple Umrahs and can
also visit all holy sites. Likewise, one must not skip visiting the holy land of Medina when visiting
the country on Umrah Visa, because no one knows if you will be allowed to come for Umrah
again or not. To be precise, your Umrah stay should be planned in such a way that you can
perform all Umrah obligations, recommended religious practices, and visit holy sites
comfortably.