How to Prepare for Umrah: A Step-by-Step Guide

Preparing for Umrah is an essential part before departing for the journey. Preparation in advance can lead to many benefits, such as last-minute hassles. Millions of Muslims perform Umrah each year by booking their Umrah Packages.

If you are going to Umrah and want a proper guide, read this article from start to end. In this article, we will go through some advanced steps of mental to physical preparation that you must do. So, let’s start the essay without wasting further time.

Here are some tips and guidelines on how you can prepare for Umrah:

Firstly, prepare your finances for Umrah:

Finances and money are essential for everything. Preparing finances for Umrah is the most important and first step for going. For this, you must make a budget line for your pilgrimage. Take quotations from a reliable travel agency according to your budget for Umrah. Also, make some extra budget for your additional expenses in Saudi Arabia.

Make your Umrah travel arrangements in advance for Umrah:

Getting ready for any travel arrangements is necessary for Umrah. Do you know you must make proper travel arrangements for Umrah, like other trips? Umrah needs additional travel documents, such as, sometimes, showing your accommodation voucher, an Umrah visa, etc. But now, you can use other visas to perform Umrah. Another necessary document is your flight tickets. However, you can make all your travel arrangements through any travel agency if you face any difficulty.

Learn the Umrah rituals:

Undoubtedly, the journey you are preparing for is Umrah. For Umrah, you must know all the rituals. If you don’t know, look at the list below. There are four rituals of Umrah:

·       Ihram attire

·       Performing Tawaf

·       Sa’i

·       Halq/Taqsir

Ihram is the first step to performing Umrah. It’s not a physical act, but an attire you must wear to perform other rituals. Ihram is a specific white dress for men and a traditional Islamic dress (Abaya) for women.

Performing Tawaf is the second step of lesser pilgrimage. It’s related to walking around the Holy Kaaba seven times in an anticlockwise direction. It would be best if you needed a proper guide to perform Tawaf accurately.

Sa’i is the third ritual of pilgrimage. It’s also related to walking/running seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah. Perform it with full passion, as it can be an energetic ritual.

Lastly, you will mark your Umrah completion with a haircut/shaving. Head shaving is specifically for men, while hair is for women. Remember, you must follow the guidelines to perform this ritual well.

Note: Men should fully shave their hair, but they can also take haircuts depending on their own. Women should cut their hair equal to the fingertips.

Be ready for your physical and mental condition for Umrah:

Muslims should prepare their mental and physical condition in advance before their departure. Most of the time, things are looking to be changed due to cultural differences. Prepare yourself physically in advance, as Umrah requires an energetic body to perform rituals. A healthy man can achieve a pilgrimage within 4 to 5 hours.

On the other hand, mental preparation requires your mental health to be strong. For this, make yourself available in nature and do exercises, etc. Sometimes, being mentally strong should be more as compared to physical preparation.

Read Also: New Umrah Dress Code for Women: Everything You Need to Know

Pack your Umrah luggage lightly:

Luggage is necessary for Umrah, just like other tours. You must have all the Umrah essentials you may require while staying in Saudi Arabia during the pilgrimage. Your luggage must include the list below:

·       Self-care essentials

·       Your comfortable clothing

·       Footwear

·       Normal dressings to wear

·       Electronic gadgets (type G plug used in KSA)

·       Must include travel documents

·       Other checklists, if you need them, according to your own

Umrah is an act that you can’t do directly, especially if you’re travelling from another country. It requires proper planning and advanced preparation. You must do many things in advance for a comfortable journey and stay in Mecca and Medina. Follow the tips that we have discussed in this article. I hope this helps you a lot!