Umrah (Arabic: عمرة), sometimes referred to as the ‘lesser’ or ‘minor’ pilgrimage, consists of carrying out a set of rites in the precinct of Masjid al-Haram in Makkah. It consists of four essential practices and can be carried out at any time of the year.The Prophet ﷺ performed Umrah four times during his life. There is a difference of opinion among the four Sunni schools of thought as to whether performing Umrah at least once in a person’s lifetime is compulsory or not. There are two types of Umrah:</p>
<p>Umrah al-Mufradah – this type of Umrah is performed independently to Hajj and can be carried out at any point during the year, except during the days of Hajj.</p>
<p>Umrah al-Tamattu – this type of Umrah is performed in conjunction with Hajj and is normally carried out in the month of Dhul Hijjah, just before the commencement of Hajj. This particular type of Hajj is known as Hajj al-Tamattu and is the most common and easiest type performed by pilgrims.
