ʿumrah

ʿumrah, the “minor pilgrimage” undertaken by Muslims whenever they enter Mecca. It is also meritorious, though optional, for Muslims residing in Mecca. Its similarity to the major and obligatory Islamic pilgrimage (hajj) made some fusion of the two natural, though pilgrims have the choice of performing the ʿumrah separately or in combination with the hajj. As in the hajj, pilgrims begin the ʿumrah by assuming the state of ihram (ritual purity). Following a formal declaration of intent (nīyah) to perform the ʿumrah, they enter Mecca and circle the sacred shrine of the Kaʿbah seven times. They may then touch the Black Stone, pray at the sacred stone Maqām Ibrāhīm, drink the holy water of the Zamzam spring, and touch the Black Stone again, though these ceremonies are supererogatory. The saʿy, running seven times between the hills of al-Ṣafā and al-Marwah, and the ritual shaving of the head for male pilgrims complete the ʿumrah.

In its present form, the ʿumrah dates from Muhammad’s lifetime and is a composite of several pre-Islamic ceremonies that were reinterpreted in monotheistic terms and supplemented by Muslim prayers.