Hajj and Umrah: Their Differences and How They Are Done

Hajj and Umrah are acts of worship performed at the Kaaba and the sacred sites around it. Hajj is a great obligation, due once in a lifetime upon every able Muslim, while Umrah is a highly meritorious Sunnah. Both begin by entering the state of ihram and include the tawaf around the Kaaba.

What is Hajj and its conditions

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and is performed only on specific days each year (in the month of Dhul-Hijjah). For it to be obligatory one must be a sane, mature Muslim with the means to travel there and back safely. Its most essential pillar is the standing (wuquf) at Arafat; without it the Hajj is not complete.

What is Umrah

Umrah is an act of worship with no fixed time and may be performed almost any time of the year. In Sunni tradition it is regarded as an emphasized (muakkad) Sunnah and has no pillar such as the standing at Arafat. It can be completed in a short time through ihram, tawaf and sa'y.

The main rites

In both, one enters ihram at the boundary points called miqat and recites the talbiyah. The Kaaba is circled seven times in tawaf, then sa'y is performed seven times between Safa and Marwah. Hajj additionally includes the standing at Arafat, the stay at Muzdalifah and the stoning of the pillars; you can use the qibla tool on our site to find the direction of the Kaaba and the way to face for tawaf.

Differences between Hajj and Umrah

Hajj is performed on specific days and is obligatory, whereas Umrah is an emphasized Sunnah that can be done any time of year. Hajj has the standing at Arafat, Muzdalifah and the stoning of the pillars; Umrah does not. In short, Umrah is a shorter visit made up of the core elements of Hajj apart from Arafat and the rites that follow it.