Please share your experiences about the accomodations, food, etc Which hotel(s) (close to Al-Masjid al-Ḥarām) would you reccommend? How straight forward is it if you decide not to go with a private group? Do travel agents arrange tour operators who pick you up and take you around? What kind of things must you watch out for?
A question about when in ihram, at what point of the journey must the Ihram be worn?
Re: Performing Umrah
Please share your experiences about the accomodations, food, etc Which hotel(s) (close to Al-Masjid al-Ḥarām) would you reccommend? How straight forward is it if you decide not to go with a private group? Do travel agents arrange tour operators who pick you up and take you around? What kind of things must you watch out for?
A question about when in ihram, at what point of the journey must the Ihram be worn?
spend that money on poors...u wont find any thing there
Re: Performing Umrah
spend that money on poors...u wont find any thing there
IF you're not muslim, please do not interfere in the matters about which you do not have the knowledge :) thanks...! what Umra and Hajj mean to muslim and how it is "different" than other good works like "spending money on poors" is something that requires full understanding of ISLAM.
Coolmunda: I would've shared my experience but then the last umra I did was back in 1998.. things have changed... back then, even Umra visa was for 15 days.. now it is I think is for a month... accomodation is also something that was different for us.. in makkah, I and my father took the room in PAKISTAN HOUSE and it was very cheap... in madinah, we took a room behind the Bab-un-Nisaa for about 40 Riyals.... remember, it was back in 1998...
Re: Performing Umrah
By the grace of Allah,I performed Umrah Earlier this month.
I live in Saudi Arab so i am not able to guide you on tour/private group. But rest I can guide you.
• If you are coming from overseas and you are landing in Jeddah then you have to wear Ahram from your departure place or in the plane(if you feel comfortable to change it inside plance).Normally Saudi airline announce when the MEEQAAT range start .I fly from Dammam to Jeddah so I wear Ahram at Dammam airport.
• Umrah Season just started so the hotels are not that expensive nowadays. You can get in makkah from starting 60/70 SR per day .You can get more hotels near HAYY-AL- GAZAA( gazza district) outside gate MARWA so the price can be cheap on this side. its not more than 10/15 min walks from HARAM
• You can get KFC,Pizza Hut,Burger king in front of ABDUL AZIZ gate,there are many paksitani restaurant also outside gate MARWA.
• Take care of you belonging inside haram, its rush there .
• Its very hot, if you have family with you prefer evening time to do tawwaf
In Madina,there are many hotels outside Bab-Abu Bakar,you can get accomadation in 70 SR per day with 15 min walk to Haram.
Re: Performing Umrah
We went for Umraah in 2005 from the UK (North West)
There were 9 of us family members (including 2 kids) and we organised everything through a local travel agent. We didn't go as part of a group but the package was such that it included pre-organised ziyarat etc.
The hotels in both Makkah and Madinah were around 3-4 mins walk. Can't remember the name of the Makkah hotel, but it was on the basically behind the Bin Dawood Shopping Centre.
In Madina the hotel we stayed at was Safar Al Sa'ha, I think it was near the ladies gate???
In terms of tips for a successful trip and stuff - it's a challenging time for all, but remember, everyone has the same agenda - to perform Umraah.
We wore our ehraam on the plane; just before Riyadh. (We flew with Swiss Airlines via Zurich)
We had 2 kids in the group - my 5 year old nephew and 1 year old niece; and as is with kids they became agitated in the crowds, the heat got to them and they did get tired in the acts of umraah. We also had my mum and auntie who used wheelchairs as they can't walk so much, and each had one child on their knee during safa marwa and tawaaf.
In Makkah, when the heat was really bad and the kids were playing up, we did read our namaaz (usually Zuhar and Asar times) in the masjid on the top floor of Bin Dawood Centre as it's so close. Or also on the upper floor of haram which tends to be a little cooler.
Our agent did arrange for airport pick up and drop off as well
What to look out for? Make sure you don't have things like camera's and sharp objects in bags and stuff as it'll delay your entrance into haram sharif as they tend to search on the way in.
Also, don't carry large bottles to fill with zam zam as they get confiscated at the entrance in both makkah and madina.
Although crime is virtually non existent there, we did see some pick pocketing and the consequent chase after the criminal.
We took those drawstring NIKE bags that you can buy to hold our champals - better than the scramble to locate them after namaaz!
Also, if you are travelling with a group of people and get lost within haram sharif, make sure you have a pre arranged meeting spot. For us, in Makkah it was the green light opposite kabah and in Madina was the gate at which we entered.
Above all, enjoy the experience, make the most of the time you have for ibadat and umraah, forget all wordly matters- for most of us in todays busy lifestyle, it's probably the only time we can dedicate 100% to ibadat and rememberance of Allah SWT.
Also, I don't agree with all the people who arrange shopping trips and stuff when there. I'm not ruling it out totally, but why go with a shopping list?????
Yeh - we did some shopping, but it was just: a bangle from my hubby as a present of our first umraah, a ring from my mum for umraah and I got some scarves as I was starting to do hijaab from that time.
Anyway thats a long enough post - hope someone frinds this info helpful.
Remember to make duas for us all when you go for Umraah
Re: Performing Umrah
The advice was was useful, thanks guys.
Just another question, Does the Umrah have to be performed right away as you enter Makkah (i.e. you don’t stop at the hotel first to offload baggage etc?)
I am looking around travel agents to find the best package. SO far I have been offered two different packages:
Re: Performing Umrah
We got to Jeddah, drove to Makkah and offloaded baggage etc at hotel, then went to Masjid e Aisha to start off Umraah. I believe that you do need to perform Umraah immediately. We did our first Umraah in the very early hours of the morning having got to Makkah at around 1.30am and then stayed for tuhajjud and fajar namaaz rather than coming back to the hotel
All this talk of Umraah - I want to go back!!! Insha Allah
Re: Performing Umrah
Thanks, As I will be taking my mum with me, I want to know whether there is a separate entrance for women into the Haram? I believe there is no segregation when the tawaf is performed?
Re: Performing Umrah
Enterance is common as far as I know
There, however, is a separate area inside the haram for offering prayers
During Tawaf there is no segregation
Re: Performing Umrah
CM2000:
In Haram Al Makkah, you can enter seperate or together depending upon what you want to do. If you are coming for Tawaf, you should enter together and perform the tawaf. If Salah time comes when go in, you will have to pray seperately.
Similarly, if you are going in just for Salah, then you will have to go to the seperate areas for praying. The key will be remembering the name of the gate you entered from. The names are in Arabic, e.g., Malik Abdul Aziz gate (Bab malik abdel Aziz) etc...because other than that most every section will look the same.
It seems tough first time you enter and then you will get the hang of it.
Now for Masjid An Nabawi, Haram in Madinah, you must enter seperately if you visit Madinah as well. Although at Masjid an Nabawi it is easier.
Ye syou will have to take the tour package and they will most of the time tell you what kind of accomodation you are paying for. If you want very close to the harmain (each city) then you should be spending more on the package.
Depending on the package, they might or might now take you for the visits around Makkah. And I can tell you its not easy to go to those places either. So if your mother is older, don't worry about the extra stuff. Just do the basic Umrah, which is Tawaf and Halaq in Makkah.
Also, Shahbax answered about the meeqat. It is the point where you have to enter into ihram if you are coming for Umrah or Hajj. Your airline, if it has a lot of umrah visitors will announce the point while in flight where you have to put on the ihram. Otherwise you can ask. It is near Jeddah when you are coming by plane, so you will be told like an hour before you land. Many people will be doing it so you will know when. For women it is better they wear the clothes for Umrah before boarding, and just make the niyyah when reaching Meeqat.
For men, you can put the ihram on in the bathroom as well.
May Allah guide you and accept your Umrah InshAllah! (ameen)
Re: Performing Umrah
Ameen and That was very useful.
Regarding the meeqat i intend to stop over in Jordan for two days for ziyarats and visit Masjid Aqsa (Palestine) at the same time. So Insha Allah I will wear Ihram from there.
We are having problems booking a twin room, the group I want to go with are booking hotels in Makkah and Medina that only do triple rooms, as we are only two, we are having to pay for the extra bed (I’m in the process of finding out how much it will cost us). The other obvious option is for my mum to share with other sisters and me with other brothers in the group. My mum isn’t too comfortable about sharing with strangers.