Islamic Fiqh > Hajj and umra > Umra > Repeating umra in the year and the journey
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Updated on 24 September 2026 at 7:46 PM
This chapter continues the sheets devoted to the 'umrah according to the encyclopedia of fiqh (al-Mawsou'a al-fiqhiyya). It opens with the completion of the rites: the seven rounds of the sa'i, the shaving or shortening of the hair, then the farewell tawaf. It then examines three questions: repeating the 'umrah in the same year, repeating it within a single journey, and the reward of the 'umrah in proportion to effort and spending. For each one, the encyclopedia presents the positions of the schools with their evidence, the relevant hadiths and reports, and the classical references of each madhhab.
The pilgrim then descends and acts as in the first round until completing seven rounds that end at Marwah, and he should abound in supplication and remembrance of Allah during his walk. When the performer of the 'umrah has finished his sa'i, he shaves his head or trims it, shaving being preferable. He thereby comes out of his ihram completely, and remains in Mecca out of ihram for as long as he wishes.
The farewell tawaf then becomes due when he wants to travel from Mecca, according to the more correct of the two scholars' opinions, unless he is a Meccan or his residence lies within the Haram, in which case the farewell tawaf is not obligatory upon him. On this point the encyclopedia refers to the following classical sources: "al-Mabsut" (4/35), "Tuhfat al-Fuqaha" (1/410), "Bada'i' al-Sana'i'" (3/326), "al-Jawhara al-Nira" (2/117), "al-Mudawwana" (2/501, 502), "al-Istidhkar" (4/212, 372), "al-Kafi" (1/110), "al-Qawanin al-Fiqhiyya" (p. 90), "Hashiyat al-Dasuqi 'ala al-Sharh al-Kabir" (2/21, 40), "Rawdat al-Talibin" (3/118), "al-Majmu'" (8/14), "Sharh Muslim" (8/79), "al-Tanbih" (1/79), "al-Ihya" (1/257), "al-Rawd al-Murbi'" (1/523), "Matalib Uli al-Nuha" (2/444), "Sharh Muntaha al-Iradat" (1/595), "Sharh al-'Umda" (3/651), "al-Mughni" (3/228) and "Kashshaf al-Qina'" (2/519).
The people of knowledge differed on this issue: is repeating the 'umrah in the same year permitted and recommended, or disliked? Two views were held.
First view: repetition is disliked. The Malikis, according to the most famous position of the school, along with Sa'id ibn Jubayr, al-Hasan al-Basri, al-Nakha'i and al-Muzani among the Shafi'is, hold that repeating the 'umrah more than once in the same year is disliked, and that what should be sought instead is abundance of tawaf. The year begins from the month of Muharram: whoever performs an 'umrah in Dhu al-Hijja and then another in Muharram may do so with no blame upon his second 'umrah, for he performed it in another year.
Al-Hattab al-Maliki (may Allah have mercy on him) adds: excepted from this dislike is the one whose repeated entries into Mecca are from a place where ihram is due upon him; this is what appears correct, although I have not seen anyone state it explicitly, for if he entered ihram for a Hajj he would be entering it before its time, and if he does not enter ihram he enters without ihram ("Mawahib al-Jalil", 2/468).
The Malikis supported their view with two arguments:
Second view: repetition is recommended. The majority of jurists, namely the Hanafis, the Shafi'is, the Hanbalis and the Zahiris, along with Ibn Abd al-Barr, Ibn al-Mawwaz, Mutrif and al-Lakhmi among the Malikis, hold that repeating the 'umrah in the same year and multiplying it is recommended. Among the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), it is reported of Umar ibn al-Khattab, Ali ibn Abi Talib, Abdallah ibn Umar, Abdallah ibn Abbas, Aisha and Anas ibn Malik; among the Successors (tabi'in), of Ikrima, Ata' and Tawus.
The majority rely on the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), on the encouragement toward the 'umrah, and on the practice of his Companions after him.
First, the hadiths. The first is the long hadith of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) about Aisha's interrupted 'umrah during the Farewell Hajj:
We set out in ihram for a Hajj alone with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and Aisha had set out in ihram for an 'umrah. When we reached al-Sarif she had her menses. Upon arrival we performed tawaf around the Kaaba and then between al-Safa and Marwah, and the Messenger of Allah commanded those of us who had no sacrificial animal to come out of ihram. We said: what kind of coming out? He said: a complete coming out. So we had relations with our wives, applied perfume and put on our clothes, with only four nights remaining before Arafat. Then we entered ihram on the day of al-Tarwiya. The Messenger of Allah visited Aisha and found her weeping; he asked her: what is the matter? She said: my menses has come upon me; the people have come out of ihram and I have not, I have not performed tawaf of the House, and the people are now leaving for the Hajj. He said: this is a matter Allah has decreed upon the daughters of Adam; perform the major ablution, then enter ihram for the Hajj. She did so and performed all the standings; when she was purified she performed tawaf around the Kaaba and then between al-Safa and Marwah. He said: you have now come out of the state of your Hajj and your 'umrah. She said: Messenger of Allah, I feel that I have not performed tawaf of the House until after my Hajj. He said: go with her, O Abd al-Rahman, and let her perform 'umrah from al-Tan'im, and that was on the night of al-Hasba.Reported by Bukhari (1693) and Muslim (1213), the wording being that of Bukhari; many other versions exist
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) draws the conclusion: "From this hadith of Aisha are derived great principles of the rites, among them the permissibility of two 'umrahs in a single year, indeed in a single month" ("Zad al-Ma'ad", 2/175).
The second hadith is that of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
One 'umrah to the next is an expiation for what comes between them, and an accepted Hajj has no reward other than Paradise.Authentic hadith, cited earlier in the work
Its unrestricted and general wording implies the difference between the 'umrah and the Hajj: if the 'umrah could be performed only once a year it would be like the Hajj, and it would then be said "one Hajj to the next" ("Majmu' al-Fatawa", 26/268).
Second, the reports of the Companions. Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates in his "Musnad" and in "al-Umm", and al-Bayhaqi in "al-Sunan", that Anas ibn Malik, Ali ibn Abi Talib, Aisha and Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) acted thus:
These reports are found in al-Shafi'i's "Musnad" (1/113), in "al-Umm" (2/135, 136) and in "al-Sunan al-Kubra" of al-Bayhaqi (4/344).
Al-Shafi'i (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The 'umrah is valid throughout the year: there is no harm in a man performing the 'umrah several times in the year, and this is the view of the common people of Mecca and of the inhabitants of other towns. Some of the Hijazis, however, disliked the 'umrah in the year except once. Since the 'umrah is valid in every month, it does not resemble the Hajj, which is valid only on one day of a specific month, and if that day is missed one waits for the following year; it therefore cannot be compared to the Hajj, and it differs from it in all of this."
If someone asks: "what proves what you describe?", the answer is: Aisha was among those who had no sacrificial animal and among those whom the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded that her ihram be an 'umrah; she had her menses and could not perform tawaf, and the Messenger of Allah commanded her to enter ihram for the Hajj, so she became a qarina. Her 'umrah was in Dhu al-Hijja; she then asked him to perform 'umrah for her and he did so in Dhu al-Hijja, so she had two 'umrahs in one month. "How, after the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), could anyone deny two 'umrahs in one month while claiming that the 'umrah may be performed only once a year?" Al-Shafi'i then cites the previously mentioned reports of Anas, Ali, Aisha, Sadaka ibn Yasar and Nafi' with their chains of transmission.
Al-Shafi'i continues: "In what I have described of Aisha's 'umrah by the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and of her 'umrah in Dhu al-Hijja, and in the fact that he performed the 'umrah during the months of Hajj, there is proof that the 'umrah is valid at the time of Hajj and otherwise. If it is valid twice in a month by the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), its resemblance to the Hajj, which occurs only once a year, is removed, and it becomes valid in every month. And when its performer wishes to enter ihram for something else, a Hajj or an 'umrah, he must not enter ihram for anything else before completing it."
Al-Shafi'i also said: "When a man enters ihram for an 'umrah, he may add the Hajj to it as long as he has not begun the tawaf of the House; once he has begun it, he may no longer add the Hajj, and even if he does, no Hajj becomes due upon him, for he acts to exit his 'umrah at a time when adding the Hajj to it is not possible. Had he entered ihram for the Hajj, he could not add the 'umrah to it, and even if he did, he would not be in ihram for an 'umrah and would owe no fidya."
He further said: "Whoever has not performed the Hajj may perform the 'umrah throughout the year. Whoever performs the Hajj does not add the 'umrah to it until he has completed the acts of the Hajj, that is, the last days of al-Tashriq if he remains until their end; if he departs with the first departure he may perform the 'umrah that day and it becomes due upon him, for nothing of the Hajj remains for him, although deferring it would be more beloved to me; and if he entered ihram for the 'umrah on the day of the first departure without departing, his ihram would be void, for he is engaged in an act of the Hajj from which he exits only by its completion and his exit from it."
He concludes: "Some of our Hijazi colleagues disagreed and said: the 'umrah may be performed only once in the year. This contradicts the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), for he had Aisha perform two 'umrahs in a single month of a single year, and it contradicts the practice of Aisha herself, Ali, Ibn Umar and Anas (may Allah be pleased with them), and of the generality of people. The basis of their view: if they affirm that the 'umrah is valid throughout the year, how did they compare it to the Hajj, which is valid only one day of the year? And what time among the months would be the time of the 'umrah? If they answer: any time, why then not perform the 'umrah as often as one wishes at any time? The view of the generality accords with what we have said" ("al-Umm", 2/135, 136).
Al-Mawardi (may Allah have mercy on him) reports: al-Shafi'i said: "Whoever claims that the 'umrah may be performed only once a year contradicts the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), for he had Aisha perform two 'umrahs in one month, and contradicts the practice of Aisha herself, Ali, Ibn Umar and Anas." Al-Mawardi comments: "And this is as he said: it is permitted to perform the 'umrah several times in the year; it is the view of the majority, held by the Companions Umar, Ali, Ibn Umar, Aisha and Anas, and by the Successors Ikrima, Ata' and Tawus."
"Malik, al-Nakha'i, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, Ibn Sirin and al-Muzani said: the 'umrah is valid in the year only once, like the Hajj, because of their being joined in the command; and this is an error. Our proof is what Aisha reported: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) performed two 'umrahs in one year, in Shawwal and Dhu al-Qi'da; and it is reported that he had Aisha perform two 'umrahs in one year: she had entered ihram for an 'umrah and, upon entering Mecca, her menses came; the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told her: 'abandon your 'umrah', that is, leave the acts of your 'umrah. When she completed the qiran she said: 'Messenger of Allah, all your wives return with two sacrifices and I with one'; he ordered her brother Abd al-Rahman to perform 'umrah with her from al-Tan'im, and she thus obtained two 'umrahs."
Abu Salih narrates from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "An accepted Hajj has no reward other than Paradise, and two 'umrahs expiate what comes between them." Ali ibn Abi Talib is reported to have performed four 'umrahs in a single month, and similar is reported of Ibn Umar, Anas and Aisha (may Allah be pleased with them).
A linguistic remark is then cited: "It is said: the 'umrah was so named because it is permitted throughout one's lifetime ('umr), and the 'ummar of the House were so called for their constant performance of 'umrah. Since the whole year is the time of the 'umrah, this indicates its repetition and the permissibility of performing it repeatedly, like the voluntary acts in prayer and fasting; and in this sense it differs from the Hajj, which has a fixed time whose passing causes the loss of the Hajj: Arafat. The two thus differ from this angle" ("al-Hawi al-Kabir", 4/31, 33).
Ibn Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) says in "al-Istidhkar" (4/112, 114): "As for Malik's view in this chapter, I do not see that anyone is barred from performing the 'umrah several times in the year: others have said so. The majority of scholars hold that the 'umrah is permitted throughout the year, for, according to all, it has neither a fixed known time reserved for it, nor a forbidden time in which it must be suspended, except from the Hajj tawaf of the House, or its end within that tawaf, or the moment of the arrival tawaf, until the Hajj is completed; outside that moment, performing the 'umrah is permitted throughout the whole year."
"Some scholars, however, recommend not exceeding one 'umrah in the month, and others recommend that the performer of 'umrah perform only one in the year, as Malik said, for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) never combined two 'umrahs in one year. The majority hold that multiplying them by day and night is permitted, for it is a work of goodness and virtue from which one should abstain only upon evidence, and no evidence forbids it; rather the evidence points to it in the word of Allah (the Most High):"
"And do good"
Surah al-Hajj, 77
And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "One 'umrah to the next is an expiation for what comes between them, and an accepted Hajj has no reward other than Paradise." "As for the recommendation, it is not binding, nor should it be imposed as a constraint upon its practitioner."
Abd al-Razzaq reports that Ibrahim used to say: "they did not perform 'umrah more than once in the year"; that Ja'far reports from Hisham, from al-Hasan, that he disliked two 'umrahs in a year; and Ibn Sirin said: "the 'umrah twice in the year is disliked." Those who permitted the 'umrah several times in the year are Ali, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Umar, Aisha and Anas (may Allah be pleased with them), al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, Tawus and Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib.
Abd al-Razzaq also reports, from Ibn Uyayna, from Yahya ibn Sa'id, from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib: "Aisha performed 'umrah three times in one year: once from al-Juhfa, once from al-Tan'im and once from Dhu al-Hulayfa." Ubaydallah and Abdallah, the two sons of Umar, narrate from Nafi': "Ibn Umar performed two 'umrahs in the year of the fighting." And Ma'mar narrates from al-Thawri, from Sadaka, from al-Qasim: "Aisha, having missed the Hajj that year, performed 'umrah three times that year." Sadaka said: "I said to al-Qasim: did anyone blame her? He replied: Glory be to Allah! Against the Mother of the Believers?!"
Al-Tabari reports this saying of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): "The 'umrah may be performed throughout the year except four days: the day of Arafat, the day of sacrifice and the days of al-Tashriq." Abu Umar (Ibn Abd al-Barr) comments: this is the view of Abu Hanifa and his companions: the 'umrah is permitted throughout the year except on the day of Arafat, the day of sacrifice and the days of al-Tashriq, when it is disliked.
Al-Qasim disliked two 'umrahs in the year, while saying: "an 'umrah every month." Tawus likewise said: "an 'umrah every month", and it is reported from Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): "an 'umrah every month". Ikrima said: "he performs 'umrah whenever he wishes". Ata' said: "if he wishes, he performs two 'umrahs in each month". From Tawus: "when the days of al-Tashriq have passed, perform 'umrah as much as you wish". Al-Thawri said: "the whole year is the time of the 'umrah: whoever wishes performs one, whenever he wishes"; and this is the view of Abu Hanifa, al-Shafi'i and the jurists in general, except for the restriction we mentioned concerning the days of al-Tashriq. Al-Thawri's saying may be understood to mean that the 'umrah is permitted to everyone who has performed the tawaf of ifada, for he has then come out of ihram completely, and the 'umrah is not obligatory during the days of al-Tashriq.
Ibn Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him), who ranks among the great Maliki scholars, further said: "I know of no argument from a Book or a Sunnah requiring submission on the part of whoever dislikes the 'umrah several times in the year. The 'umrah is a work of goodness, and Allah said: 'And do good' (Surah al-Hajj, 77); it is therefore obligatory to apply its generality, and recommended to urge it, until there comes what requires submission" ("al-Istidhkar", 20/21).
A group of Malikis besides Ibn Abd al-Barr also permitted it: Mutrif, Ibn al-Majishun, Ibn al-Mawwaz and Ibn Habib. Ibn Habib (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "there is no harm in one 'umrah each month." Al-Lakhmi transmitted from Mutrif and Ibn al-Mawwaz the permissibility of repeating it several times in the year and chose that view; Mutrif's text, cited in Ibn Habib's book, is: "there is no harm in the 'umrah several times in the year; I hope there is nothing wrong in it." Al-Lakhmi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "I do not see that anyone should be prevented from drawing near to Allah by some act of obedience, nor from increasing in goodness where no text of prohibition has come" ("Mawahib al-Jalil", 6/498; "Zad al-Ma'ad", 2/98). Ibn Qudama said: "there is no harm in performing the 'umrah several times in the year."
Repetition of the 'umrah is reported from Ali, Ibn Umar, Ibn Abbas, Anas and Aisha (may Allah be pleased with them), as well as from Ata', Tawus, Ikrima and al-Shafi'i; those who disliked two 'umrahs in the year are al-Hasan, Ibn Sirin and Malik. Al-Nakha'i said: "they did not perform 'umrah in the year except once, and because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do it."
The supporters of the second view answer: Aisha performed two 'umrahs in one month by the Prophet's command, one 'umrah together with her qiran and one 'umrah after her Hajj; and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "One 'umrah to the next is an expiation for what comes between them", a hadith reported by Bukhari and Muslim. Ali said: "an 'umrah every month"; and Anas, whenever his hair grew back, would go out and perform 'umrah; both are narrated by al-Shafi'i in his "Musnad". Ikrima said: "he performs 'umrah when the touch of his hair becomes possible". Ata' said: "if he wishes, he performs two 'umrahs in each month".
As for multiplying 'umrahs back to back and chaining them, it is not recommended according to the apparent meaning of the saying of the early generations reported above. Ahmad said likewise: "when he performs 'umrah he must shave or trim, and the head can be shaved within ten days"; the apparent meaning is thus that the 'umrah is not recommended at intervals of less than ten days. In al-Athram's narration: "if he wishes, he performs an 'umrah every month". Some of Ahmad's companions say: "multiplying 'umrahs is recommended".
The sayings and conduct of the early generations confirm what precedes, for chaining 'umrahs is not reported of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) nor of his Companions; what is reported of them is their disapproval of it, and the truth lies in following them. Tawus said: "those who perform 'umrah from al-Tan'im, I know not whether they will be rewarded or punished." He was asked: why would they be punished? He said: "because he abandons the tawaf of the House, goes out four miles and returns; whereas the time of that four-mile round trip would suffice for two hundred tawafs, and every tawaf of the House is better than walking for nothing".
"The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed four 'umrahs in four journeys, not exceeding one 'umrah per journey, nor did any of his companions; nothing has reached us of any one of them combining two 'umrahs in a single journey, except Aisha, when she had her menses and he had her perform 'umrah from al-Tan'im because she believed her 'umrah of qiran was void; hence she said: 'Messenger of Allah, the people return with a Hajj and an 'umrah, and I return with only a Hajj'. He had her perform 'umrah for that reason; and had there been merit in it, they would not have unanimously abandoned it" ("al-Mughni", 3/90).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) then sets out the views: Malik said: "I dislike that more than one 'umrah be performed in the year"; Mutrif, one of his companions, opposed him, as did Ibn al-Mawwaz: Mutrif said: "there is no harm in the 'umrah several times in the year", and Ibn al-Mawwaz: "I hope there is nothing wrong in it". Aisha performed two 'umrahs in one month; "I do not see that anyone should be prevented from drawing near to Allah (the Most High) by some act of obedience, nor from increasing in goodness where no text of prohibition has come."
This is the view of the majority, except that Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him) excepted five days in which the 'umrah is not permitted: the day of Arafat, the day of sacrifice and specifically the days of al-Tashriq; and the Shafi'is excepted the one who stays at Mina for the stoning of the days of al-Tashriq. Aisha performed two 'umrahs in one year; al-Qasim was asked: "did no one blame her?" He said: "against the Mother of the Believers?!" And Anas would go out and perform 'umrah whenever his hair grew back. It is reported of Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that he performed 'umrah several times in the year, and he said: "One 'umrah to the next is an expiation for what comes between them".
Sufficient herein is that he had Aisha perform 'umrah from al-Tan'im in addition to the one for which she had entered ihram, in the same year. It cannot be said that Aisha had abandoned her 'umrah and that this one was its making-up (qada), for the 'umrah cannot legally be abandoned: the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told her: "your tawaf suffices for your Hajj and your 'umrah", and in one version: "you have come out of the state of both at once".
If it is objected: the Sahih of Bukhari establishes that he told her: "abandon your 'umrah, undo your hair and comb it", in another version: "undo your hair and comb it", and in another: "enter ihram for the Hajj and leave the 'umrah"; this would be explicit in her leaving it from two angles: first his saying "abandon it and leave it", second his commanding her to comb her hair. Ibn al-Qayyim answers: "the meaning of 'abandon it' is: leave its acts and being restricted to it, and be in Hajj along with it; this must be the meaning of his saying 'you have come out of the state of both at once' when she completed the acts of the Hajj. His saying 'your tawaf suffices for your Hajj and your 'umrah' is explicit that the ihram of the 'umrah was not abandoned: only its independent acts were left, and her Hajj, by completing itself, completed her Hajj and her 'umrah. Then he had her perform 'umrah from al-Tan'im to comfort her heart, for she would come with an independent 'umrah like her companions."
Clarifying this is the hadith Muslim narrates in his Sahih, from al-Zuhri, from Urwa, from her (may Allah be pleased with her):
We set out with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the year of the Farewell Hajj. I had my menses and remained menstruating until the day of Arafat, and I had entered ihram only for an 'umrah. The Messenger of Allah commanded me to undo my hair, comb it, enter ihram for the Hajj and leave the 'umrah. I did so; and when I had completed my Hajj, the Messenger of Allah sent me with Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr and commanded me to perform 'umrah from al-Tan'im in place of the 'umrah which the Hajj had overtaken and from which I had not come out.Reported by Bukhari (313) and Muslim (1211)
It is a hadith of utmost authenticity and clarity: she had not come out of the state of her 'umrah, and remained in it until the Hajj was added to it. It is her own report about herself, together with the word of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) concerning her, and each confirms the other. In the Prophet's saying (peace and blessings be upon him): "One 'umrah to the next is an expiation for what comes between them, and an accepted Hajj has no reward other than Paradise", there is clear proof of differentiation in repetition; for had the 'umrah been like the Hajj, performed only once a year, he would have equated them rather than differentiate them.
Al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): "perform an 'umrah every month". Waki' narrates from Isra'il, from Suwayd ibn Abi Najiya, from Abu Ja'far, that Ali said: "perform 'umrah within the month as often as you can". And Sa'id ibn Mansur narrates from Sufyan ibn Abi Husayn, from one of the sons of Anas, that Anas, when in Mecca, would go out to al-Tan'im as soon as his hair grew back and perform 'umrah ("Zad al-Ma'ad", 2/98 and following).
Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "As for the 'umrah, we love to multiply it because of the merit we have mentioned... and this is the view of al-Shafi'i, Abu Hanifa and Abu Sulayman, and it is the one we follow; for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had Aisha perform two 'umrahs in the same month and did not disapprove of it; rather he encouraged it and informed that the 'umrah expiates what lies between it and the other; multiplying it is therefore better" ("al-Muhalla", 7/68).
Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) concludes: "A derivative issue: the schools of these women on repeating the 'umrah in the year. Our madhhab is that it is not disliked; rather it is recommended; such is the view of Abu Hanifa, Ahmad and the majority of scholars of the early and later generations; al-Mawardi, al-Sarakhsi and al-Abdari reported it from the majority; Ibn al-Mundhir reports it from Ali ibn Abi Talib, Ibn Umar, Ibn Abbas, Anas, Aisha, Ata' and others (may Allah be pleased with them). Al-Hasan al-Basri, Ibn Sirin and Malik said: the 'umrah more than once in the year is disliked, for it is an act of worship comprising the tawaf and the sa'i, performed only once in the year like the Hajj."
Al-Shafi'i, his companions, Ibn al-Mundhir and others argued by the authentic hadith: Aisha had entered ihram for an 'umrah in the year of the Farewell Hajj; her menses came; the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded her to enter ihram for the Hajj; she did so, became a qarina and performed the standings; when purified she performed tawaf and sa'i; the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told her: "you have come out of the state of your Hajj and your 'umrah"; she asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to perform another 'umrah for her, he permitted her, and she performed another 'umrah from al-Tan'im; reported by Bukhari and Muslim in full, transmitted here in summary. Al-Shafi'i specifies: "her 'umrah was in Dhu al-Hijja, then he had her perform the other 'umrah in Dhu al-Hijja, so she had two 'umrahs in Dhu al-Hijja".
It is also reported that Aisha performed two 'umrahs in one year, that is, after the Prophet's death, and in one version three 'umrahs; and that Ibn Umar performed 'umrah for years during the time of Ibn al-Zubayr, twice every year. Al-Shafi'i mentioned all these reports, then al-Bayhaqi with their chains. As for the hadith mentioned by the author of the Sahih (Muslim), it has no apparent indication, for Aisha did not say that he had her perform it in Dhu al-Qi'da and Shawwal of one and the same year. Our companions also argued by the hadith of Abu Hurayrah: "One 'umrah to the next is an expiation for what comes between them", reported by Bukhari and Muslim and cited at the beginning of the book of Hajj; but its indication is not apparent, although al-Bayhaqi and others used it as evidence and opened the chapter with it; some of our companions said: its indication is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not differentiate whether the two 'umrahs were in one year or two: a weak remark.
It was also argued by analogy with prayer: it is a worship not bound to a time, whose repetition in the year is not disliked. Al-Shafi'i says in "al-Mukhtasar": "whoever says that the 'umrah may be performed only once a year contradicts the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)", referring to Aisha's preceding hadith. The objection is raised: Aisha's hadith establishes that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told her: "abandon your 'umrah, undo your hair, comb it and enter ihram for the Hajj"; she did so, then performed 'umrah: apparently only one 'umrah resulted for her.
The answer is that Aisha did not abandon it, meaning she did not come out of it by abandoning it: neither the 'umrah nor the Hajj is exited by the mere intention of exiting, by consensus. What she abandoned was its independent acts: she had entered ihram for the Hajj after her 'umrah and became a qarina; the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said "abandon it", that is, leave its independent acts, because they merged into the acts of the Hajj; as for the command to comb her hair, it carries no indication, for the one in ihram may comb his hair in our view, as al-Qadi Abu al-Tayyib and others explain. As for answering Malik's argument by analogy with the Hajj: the Hajj is bound to a time whose repetition in the year is not conceivable, whereas the 'umrah is not bound to a time and its repetition is conceivable, like prayer ("al-Majmu'", 7/116, 118).
The people of knowledge who permit repeating the 'umrah in the year differed: is it permitted within a single journey, by going out to the profane zone (hal) and returning with another 'umrah, or not? The majority of jurists, namely the Hanafis, the Shafi'is, the Hanbalis and the Zahiris, along with Ibn Abd al-Barr and other Malikis, and among the Successors Ata', Qatada and al-Thawri, permit repetition within a single journey; they nevertheless differed on the interval separating the two 'umrahs.
First evidence, the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
One 'umrah to the next is an expiation for what comes between them, and an accepted Hajj has no reward other than Paradise.Reported by Bukhari (1683) and Muslim (1349)
Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "This hadith indicates the recommendation of multiplying 'umrahs, contrary to whoever says that performing the 'umrah more than once in the year is disliked, such as the Malikis, and whoever says once a month, among the others." Ibn al-Tin said: "His saying 'one 'umrah to the next' can be read with the preposition 'to' meaning 'with': 'umrah together with 'umrah expiates what comes between them" ("Fath al-Bari", 3/598; al-Baji holds the same as Ibn al-Tin, see "Sharh al-Zarqani", 2/359).
Second evidence, the authentic hadith about Aisha: she had entered ihram for an 'umrah in the year of the Farewell Hajj; her menses came; the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded her to enter ihram for the Hajj; she did so, became a qarina, performed the standings; when purified she performed tawaf and sa'i; the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told her: "you have come out of the state of your Hajj and your 'umrah at once"; she asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to perform another 'umrah for her (reported by Bukhari (1693) and Muslim (1213) in full, transmitted here in summary). Al-Shafi'i said: "her 'umrah was in Dhu al-Hijja, then he had her perform the other 'umrah in Dhu al-Hijja, so she had two 'umrahs in Dhu al-Hijja" ("al-Majmu'", 7/116).
Third evidence, the hadith of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them):
An 'umrah in Ramadan equals a Hajj, or a Hajj with me.Reported by Bukhari (1764) and Muslim (1256)
The scholar Waliyy al-Din Abu Abdallah Muhammad ibn Abdallah al-Khatib al-Tabrizi says in "Mishkat al-Masabih": "another benefit has been drawn from his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) 'an 'umrah in Ramadan equals a Hajj': the recommendation of repeating the 'umrah and multiplying it." Al-Muhibb al-Tabari (p. 566) sees in it proof of the recommendation to repeat the 'umrah from two angles: "first, the indefinite noun in a context of superiority aims at generality: if you say 'a man of Banu Taym equals a tribe other than it', one understands nothing else than that every one of its members is such; the same applies to every 'umrah in Ramadan. Second, 'an 'umrah in Ramadan' means either every 'umrah of anyone, or an 'umrah of anyone, or the 'umrah of one unspecified person; the first is what is intended, the third is intended by no one, and the second follows from the first: the ruling extends by stating the necessary implication, for the merit of the deed can only arise from the time; what is established for a deed is therefore established for its like, so long as the cause of the attribute persists and the ruling cannot lapse. Whoever claims to particularize it by non-repetition, or by direct address, or by a specific miqat, or who contradicts it, must bring the proof".
As for the superiority of the Ramadan 'umrah and the Prophet's not multiplying it, al-Kamal Ibn al-Humam (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Ramadan is superior because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) specified it in his words, and he left it because something particular was attached to it: his occupation with other acts of worship in Ramadan in total devotion, and his care not to impose hardship upon his community; had he performed 'umrah in it, they would have gone out with him, and he was compassionate toward them. He reported of other acts of worship that he left them so as not to overburden them although he loved them, such as the night prayer with them in Ramadan, and his wish to draw water with his own hand alongside the water-carriers of Zamzam, then his renunciation for fear that people would overwhelm them in their task. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the 'umrah only once in the year" ("Sharh Fath al-Qadir", 3/139). Al-Kamal's saying agrees with what is established among the legal theorists: the indication of the word takes precedence over the indication of the deed.
Al-Azim Abadi (may Allah have mercy on him) answers the same objection: "the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was occupied in worship with what is more important than the 'umrah, and he could not combine those acts of worship with the 'umrah; had he multiplied 'umrahs, the community would have rushed to imitate him and it would have overburdened them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to leave many deeds he loved to do, for fear of hardship upon his community; when he entered the House he came out sad, and Aisha asked him about it; he said: 'I fear I may have imposed hardship upon my community'. He had also considered descending to pray for rain alongside the water-carriers of Zamzam for the pilgrim, and feared that the people of Zamzam would be overwhelmed in their task after him" ("Awn al-Ma'bud", 5/330).
Fourth evidence, the hadith of Abdallah ibn Dinar, from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them): "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to visit the mosque of Quba every Saturday, walking or riding, and Abdallah did the same" (reported by Bukhari (1135) and Muslim (1399)). Fifth evidence, the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "a prayer in the mosque of Quba equals an 'umrah" (an authentic hadith reported by al-Tirmidhi (324), Ibn Majah (1411) and others). It is one of the most fitting and subtlest of proofs: his visit to the mosque of Quba every Saturday, established in the Sahih, has no motive other than the merit of the 'umrah; its repetition therefore indicates the recommendation and merit of repeating the 'umrah.
Sixth evidence, the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Join the Hajj and the 'umrah together, for both of them remove poverty and sins as the bellows of the forge remove the impurity of iron, gold and silver" (an authentic hadith, cited earlier). This indicates the legality of repetition: continuing between Hajjs may be done as a mutamatti' or a qarin; on this basis one continues between the 'umrah of one's Hajj and an independent 'umrah. Al-Azim Abadi adds that the hadith indicates the recommendation of multiplying 'umrahs and that the Maliki view is not correct; the correct position is the permissibility of multiplying them, Mutrif and Ibn al-Mawwaz having opposed Malik ("Awn al-Ma'bud", 5/329). Al-Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on him) concludes: "the hadith indicates the recommendation of multiplying 'umrahs, contrary to whoever says that performing more than one in the year is disliked, such as the Malikis, or more than one in the month, among the others" ("Nayl al-Awtar", 5/7).
The Hanafis. Ibn Abidin (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "multiplying the 'umrah is not disliked, contrary to Malik; rather it is recommended, in accordance with the majority" ("Hashiyat Ibn Abidin", 3/472). Ibn al-Humam, discussing leaving Mecca for the profane zone (hal) to perform 'umrah there, writes: "it has been claimed that the sunnah regarding the 'umrah is to perform it entering Mecca, not leaving it, such that the resident of Mecca goes out to the profane zone (hal) to perform an 'umrah, as is done today; yet this is not forbidden" ("Fath al-Qadir", 3/137).
The Shafi'is. Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) reports: "al-Shafi'i and his companions said: the whole year is the time of the 'umrah; entering ihram for it is permitted at any time of the year, no time is disliked, the months of Hajj and the others being equal in its permissibility without blame; two, three and more 'umrahs in the same year are not disliked, nor in the same day; rather multiplying them is recommended, without disagreement among us" ("al-Majmu'", 7/113, 114). He says elsewhere: "the mutamatti' remains in Mecca out of ihram and does what he wishes of intercourse and other things; if he wishes to perform a voluntary 'umrah, that is his right; rather it is recommended for him to multiply 'umrahs" ("al-Majmu'", 8/85). Al-Haytami said: "multiplying the 'umrah is sunnah, even within a single day, for it is better than tawaf for the one who commits himself to it" ("al-Manhaj al-Qawim", 1/561). Al-Ghazali (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "the resident of Mecca should multiply 'umrah and tawaf" ("al-Ihya", 1/257). And al-Shafi'i says in "al-Imla'": "it has been recommended that no month pass without a man performing an 'umrah in it; and if he can perform two or three in the month, I would love that for him" ("Fatawa al-Haramayn", 2/404).
The Hanbalis. Al-Bahuti (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "the best of 'umrahs is that of Ramadan, and repeating it therein is recommended, for it equals a Hajj", based on the hadith of Ibn Abbas raised to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "it equals a Hajj", reported by Bukhari and Muslim. Ahmad said: "whoever catches a single day of Ramadan has caught the 'umrah of Ramadan" ("Kashshaf al-Qina'", 2/520; "Sharh Muntaha al-Iradat", 1/595). Ibn Qudama, however, reports from Ahmad: "when he performs 'umrah he must shave or trim, and the head can be shaved within ten days"; and he comments: "the apparent meaning is that the 'umrah is not recommended at intervals of less than ten days" ("al-Mughni", 3/90, 91). Ahmad's words concern the one who shaves his hair; but one may perform 'umrah and trim one's hair: on that basis two 'umrahs can be performed with only a short interval between them.
The Malikis. Ibn Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him), who ranks among the great Maliki scholars, said: "the majority hold that multiplying them by day and night is permitted, for it is a work of goodness and virtue from which one should abstain only upon evidence, and no evidence forbids it; rather the evidence points to it: 'And do good' (Surah al-Hajj, 77). And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'One 'umrah to the next is an expiation for what comes between them, and an accepted Hajj has no reward other than Paradise' (an authentic hadith, cited earlier). As for the recommendation, it is not binding, nor does it constrain its practitioner" ("al-Istidhkar", 4/113). Al-Lakhmi said: "I do not see that anyone should be prevented from drawing near to Allah by some act of obedience, nor from increasing in goodness where no text of prohibition has come" ("Mawahib al-Jalil", 6/498). Such is also the view of Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him): "as for the 'umrah, we love to multiply it because of its merit; this is the view of al-Shafi'i, Abu Hanifa and Abu Sulayman, and it is the one we follow; for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had Aisha perform two 'umrahs in the same month and did not disapprove of it; rather he encouraged it and informed that the 'umrah expiates what lies between it and the other; multiplying it is therefore better" ("al-Muhalla", 7/68).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and his student Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on them) hold that repeating the 'umrah within a single journey is not legally sanctioned. Ibn Taymiyyah was asked: which is better for the one in Mecca, the tawaf of the House or going out to the profane zone (hal) to perform 'umrah there and return? Is multiplying 'umrahs recommended for the one in Mecca, in Ramadan or otherwise, or rather tawaf? Likewise, is multiplying 'umrahs recommended for the non-Meccan? Is there, in the Prophet's 'umrah from al-Ji'rana and in the 'umrah of al-Hudaybiya, a basis for whoever performs 'umrah from Mecca, as in his ordering Aisha to perform 'umrah from al-Tan'im? And does his saying "it equals a Hajj" concern the 'umrah of the outsider, or does it include the Meccan who goes out to the profane zone (hal) to perform the 'umrah in Ramadan?
He answered: "Whoever is in Mecca, whether resident, neighbor of the Haram (mujawir), newly arrived or otherwise: his tawaf of the House is better for him than 'umrah, whether he goes out to the nearest of the places of the profane zone (hal), al-Tan'im where the mosques called the mosques of Aisha were built, or the farthest of them, from any side of the Haram, whether from al-Ji'rana or al-Hudaybiya or otherwise; and this is agreed upon among the early generations of the community, and I know of no imam of Islam who differs on it, regarding the 'umrah of the Meccan. As for the 'umrah from the miqat, by going to the miqat to enter ihram there, or returning home and resuming the journey from there for 'umrah: that is not a Meccan 'umrah but a complete 'umrah, and it is not the subject here; there is a dispute over it: is residence in Mecca preferable, or returning to one's land or to the miqat? We shall cite the words of some of those who preferred residence in Mecca and tawaf over returning for 'umrah from the miqat."
"The dispute bears only on this: is going out for 'umrah from the profane zone (hal) disliked for the Meccan, or not? Is it disliked for the one for whom the 'umrah is sanctioned, such as the outsider in the year, to perform more than one, or not? Is multiplying 'umrahs recommended, or not?" That tawaf of the House is better than 'umrah for the one in Mecca admits of no doubt for whoever knows the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the sunnah of his successors, the reports of the Companions, the early generations of the community and their imams: tawaf of the House is among the best acts of worship and drawing near that Allah (the Most High) has legislated in His Book and upon the tongue of His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and it is among the greatest acts of worship of the people of Mecca, resident or not. Being so, the one who remains at the House, going around it and adorning it with worship, has done what is more complete than the meaning of the performer of 'umrah, and has attained the aim of the 'umrah; it is therefore not recommended for him to abandon that by leaving the service of the mosque to become afterwards one of those who adorn it, for he has exchanged the lesser for the better.
He then said: "this is what indicates the superiority of tawaf; it indicates that 'umrah from Mecca with the abandonment of tawaf is not recommended; what is recommended is tawaf without 'umrah; the 'umrah in that case is an innovation the early generations did not practice, which was not commanded in the Book or the Sunnah, and for whose recommendation no legal proof stands; what is such is among the blameworthy innovations by the agreement of the scholars."
He further said: "Third issue: once it is established, by the sunnah and the agreement of the early generations, that chaining 'umrahs is not recommended but disliked for whoever enters ihram from the miqat, the one who chains 'umrahs from Mecca in the month of Ramadan is more deserving of dislike: two pitfalls combine in him."
"The first: 'umrah from Mecca, on which they agreed in disliking its being chosen instead of tawaf. The second: the chaining of 'umrahs, on which they agreed that it is not recommended; rather it should be disliked absolutely, as far as I know, for the one who cannot replace it with tawaf, and it is the farther removed; how then the one who can replace it with abundant tawaf, which is recommended and commanded, especially for those arriving? The majority of scholars indeed hold that their tawaf of the House is better for them than prayer in the Sacred Mosque, despite the merit of prayer in the Sacred Mosque... to the end of his words" ("Majmu' al-Fatawa", 26/248, 301). He wrote on this more than fifty pages: let whoever wishes consult them.
Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) cites: "The author of 'al-Hadi', that is, Ibn al-Qayyim, said: it is not reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed 'umrah throughout his stay in Mecca before the Hijra, nor that he performed one after the Hijra except by entering Mecca; he never performed 'umrah by leaving Mecca for the profane zone (hal) and then re-entering Mecca with an 'umrah, as people do today; nor was such a deed established for any Companion during his lifetime, except Aisha alone." Ibn Hajar adds: "after Aisha did it by his command, this indicates its legality" ("Fath al-Bari", 3/606). Al-Shawkani comments: "but this indicates legality only if his command was not aimed at comforting her heart, as has been said" ("Nayl al-Awtar", 5/26); among those who held this: al-Bahuti in "Kashshaf al-Qina'" (2/521), al-Zarqani in his "Sharh al-Muwatta'" (2/499), al-San'ani in "al-Subl" (2/187), and others.
The author answers al-Shawkani's remark with the words of Imam Hamd ibn Nasir ibn Uthman Al Ma'mmar al-Tamimi al-Hanbali (d. 1225 AH), in his book "al-Fawakih al-'Idhab, refutation of the one who does not subject judgment to the Sunnah and the Book": "The saying of whoever held that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent her with her brother for that 'umrah in order to comfort her heart is by no means an argument; for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) does not command her an 'umrah, which is a nusuk and an act of worship, except according to the legal mode valid for the generality of people, because all people are equal in the rulings of obligation. The 'umrah mentioned of her is therefore unquestionably a nusuk, and the situation in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded the performance of that nusuk is, without doubt, legal for all people, unless a proof of specification exists, to which one must then return; yet the story of Aisha's 'umrah contains no established proof of specification. And knowledge rests with Allah the Most High."
Those who permit repeating the 'umrah within a single journey say: the 'umrah performed from Mecca carries a lesser reward than the one brought from the miqat of one's people. The illustration is the Prophet's saying (peace and blessings be upon him) in the story of Aisha; Bukhari and Muslim narrate from her (may Allah be pleased with her):
Messenger of Allah, the people return with two rites and I with only one. It was said to her: wait; when you are purified, go out to al-Tan'im and enter ihram, then rejoin us at such and such a place; but it (the reward) is in proportion to your spending or your effort.Reported by Bukhari (1695, chapter on the reward of the 'umrah according to effort) and Muslim (1211)
In al-Hakim's version, which he declared authentic: "your reward in your 'umrah is in proportion to your spending" ("al-Mustadrak", 1/644). Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar said: "it has been inferred that the 'umrah for the one in Mecca from the nearest place of the profane zone (hal) carries a lesser reward than the one from the farthest: this is the apparent meaning of the hadith" ("Fath al-Bari", 3/611).
Al-Shafi'i says in "al-Imla'": "the best places of the profane zone (hal) for 'umrah are al-Ji'rana, for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entered ihram from there, then al-Tan'im, for he permitted Aisha from there. When these two places are set aside, I prefer the farthest, so that the journey be greater." Al-Muwaffaq reports in "al-Mughni" from Ahmad: "the Meccan, the farther he goes for his 'umrah, the greater his reward." The Hanafis say: "the best of the places of the profane zone (hal) for 'umrah is al-Tan'im", and some Shafi'is and Hanbalis followed them. The reason is what precedes: it is not reported that any Companion, in the Prophet's lifetime, left Mecca for the profane zone (hal) to enter ihram for the 'umrah, except Aisha; as for his 'umrah from al-Ji'rana, it took place on his return from al-Ta'if, in transit toward Medina. But it does not follow that al-Tan'im is necessarily the place of merit, for this report indicates that merit lies in the increase of hardship and spending: al-Tan'im would be better than a place equal to it in the profane zone (hal), not one farther than it.
Al-Nawawi said: "the apparent meaning of the hadith is that reward and merit in worship increase with the abundance of hardship and spending." Such is his saying, but it is not uniform: an act of worship may be lighter than another yet greater in merit and reward, relative to time, as with the night vigil of Laylat al-Qadr compared with other nights of Ramadan; relative to place, as with two rak'ahs in the Sacred Mosque compared with more rak'ahs elsewhere; relative to the nobility of the worship, financial or bodily, as with the obligatory prayer compared with a greater number of rak'ahs or a longer recitation, and likewise the voluntary prayer; and likewise the dirham of zakat compared with more voluntary charity. Ibn Abd al-Salam indicated this in "al-Qawa'id": "prayer was the coolness of the Prophet's eye (peace and blessings be upon him) and it is burdensome for others; the prayer of another, despite its hardship, is never equal to his prayer."
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) concludes: "his saying 'but according to your effort, or your spending': the apparent meaning is that reward and merit in worship increase with the abundance of hardship and spending; the hardship intended is that which the sharia does not condemn, and likewise the spending" ("Sharh Muslim", 8/152, 153).