--- title: "What Is Umrah? The Lesser Pilgrimage | Islam Is Mercy" description: "Umrah is the lesser pilgrimage to Mecca. Unlike Hajj, it can be made at any time of year, and it takes only a few hours to complete." lang: en url: https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/umrah/ --- 1. [Home](https://islamismercy.com/en/) 2. [Glossary](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/) 3. What Is Umrah? The Lesser Pilgrimage # What Is Umrah? The Lesser Pilgrimage Written by **Islam Is Mercy Editorial Team**· 1 min readAwaiting scholar review ## The short answer Umrah is the "lesser pilgrimage" to the Sacred Mosque in Mecca. It can be performed at any time of year and consists mainly of entering a state of consecration (ihram), walking seven times around the Kaaba, walking seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah, and cutting the hair. It is highly recommended, but it is not one of the five pillars. ## On this page 1. Meaning 2. Umrah and Hajj 3. Example **Umrah** (Arabic: العمرة) is pronounced *UM-rah*. The word carries the sense of “visiting” a place that is alive with worship. ## Meaning *Umrah* is a pilgrimage to the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, often called the “lesser pilgrimage”. The Qur’an mentions it together with *Hajj* (Qur’an 2:196). Its main steps are: 1. **Ihram** — entering a state of consecration with an intention; men wear two simple white cloths, women wear modest everyday clothing. 2. **Tawaf** — walking seven times around the Kaaba in worship. 3. **Sa’y** — walking seven times between the small hills of Safa and Marwah, remembering Hagar’s search for water for her baby Ishmael. 4. **Cutting the hair** — men shave or shorten their hair; women trim a small amount. ## Umrah and Hajj *Hajj* is one of the five pillars of Islam, required once in a lifetime of every adult Muslim who is able, and it takes place only on set days each year. *Umrah* is shorter, can be done in any month, and is strongly recommended rather than a pillar (scholars differ on whether it is required once in a lifetime). Many Muslims go especially in Ramadan. The Prophet ﷺ spoke of its spiritual reward: > Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "(The performance of) \`Umra is an expiation for the sins committed (between it and the previous one). And the reward of Hajj Mabrur (the one accepted by Allah) is nothing except Paradise [Sahih al-Bukhari 1773](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/26#:~:text=is%20an%20expiation%20for%20the)Grade: Sahih (in Sahih al-Bukhari) ## Example *“We’re going for umrah in the spring — please remember us in your prayers.”* To learn about the greater pilgrimage, read [Hajj](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/hajj/) and [The Five Pillars](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/five-pillars-of-islam/). ## Key takeaways - Umrah is the lesser pilgrimage to Mecca, possible at any time of year. - Its main rites are ihram, tawaf, walking between Safa and Marwah, and cutting the hair. - It is different from Hajj, which has fixed dates and is a pillar of Islam. ## Share this article [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=What%20Is%20Umrah%3F%20The%20Lesser%20Pilgrimage%20https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Fumrah%2F)[Telegram](https://t.me/share/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Fumrah%2F&text=What%20Is%20Umrah%3F%20The%20Lesser%20Pilgrimage)[X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=What%20Is%20Umrah%3F%20The%20Lesser%20Pilgrimage&url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Fumrah%2F)[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Fumrah%2F) ## Sources - [Sahih al-Bukhari 1773](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/26#:~:text=is%20an%20expiation%20for%20the) ## Talk to a Muslim Have a question that isn't answered here? Ask a real person — no pressure, no judgement. [Ask your question](https://islamismercy.com/en/talk/) ## Keep reading [Glossary ### Hajj — The Pilgrimage to Makkah Hajj is the pilgrimage to Makkah that every able Muslim makes once in a lifetime. It is the fifth Pillar of Islam and recalls Abraham. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/hajj/)[Glossary ### What Is the Kaaba? The House of God in Mecca The Kaaba is the cube-shaped building in Mecca that Muslims face in prayer. Muslims worship God alone — not the Kaaba itself. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/kaaba/)[Start Here ### The Five Pillars of Islam The five pillars of Islam — faith, prayer, charity, fasting and pilgrimage — explained simply: what they are, how Muslims practise them, and why. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/five-pillars-of-islam/)