Throughout the year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims keep on arriving in the holy region of Makkah through their Umrah packages. They arrive in the city, assume Ihram, and begin the holy rituals individually. This is because Umrah is a sunnah pilgrimage and can be performed at any time by an individual at his/her ease and convenience.

Factors affecting the time required for Umrah performance.

As for the time required for completing Umrah rituals is concerned, it depends upon;

Seasonality.

If it is a peak travel season for Umrah rituals, there will be huge crowds in Haramain. Hence, resulting in a slower pace for completing your Umrah rituals because of the huge influx of pilgrims present there. On the other hand, if you are traveling for Umrah during an off-peak time, umrah rituals can be performed swiftly without any hassle.

Therefore, seasonality is one of the major factors affecting the time required for Umrah's performance.

Personal preferences.

The second thing that directly influences the time for Umrah's performance is a pilgrim’s preferences. Some prefer to offer Umrah rituals consecutively while others divide the different rituals of Umrah for different days. Therefore, the duration of Umrah shortens or extends accordingly.

Physical health.

Lastly, the physical health of the pilgrim is another important factor to consider for the total time required for the holy rituals. If an individual is healthy, young, and physically strong – he/she can perform Umrah rituals consecutively without taking any breaks and peacefully. However, for old and elderly people or people with poor physical health, it can take longer to do so because they require rest in between the holy rituals as most of them are physically laborious in nature.

So, keeping in view all these factors, we can conclude that a healthy and young individuals can complete Umrah within a matter of few hours (if all the rituals of Umrah are performed consecutively). While for the elderly or ill, umrah performance can take up to several days.

Total time required for Umrah rituals.

There are four primary rituals of Umrah;

Assuming Ihram from Meeqat.

Ihram is the state of absolute purity that should be undertaken necessarily by the pilgrims of Umrah. It requires a set of rituals to be observed along with wearing specific clothes. Additionally, pilgrims can only assume Ihram from the Meeqat region (before entering Makkah city).

The preparation for Ihram includes;

• Trimming nails and hair.
• Shaving unnecessary hair from the body.
• Getting a haircut and beard trim (optional).
• Performing Ghusl.

Afterward, pilgrims can wear their Ihram clothes, offer Salat-al-Ihram, and then intend for Umrah.

All this process can take anywhere from 1-2 hours for a person.

Tawaf of Holy Kaaba.

Tawaf is an act of circling Holy Kaabah for seven rounds in an anti-clockwise direction keeping in view that every round of Tawaf starts from the place of Hajar-al-Aswad and ends there as well.

Afterward, pilgrims are required to proceed toward Maqam-e-Ibrahim for offering salat-al-Tawaf and then drinking Zamzam water.

Usually, it takes around 2 hours for the Tawaf ritual to complete.

Sayee of Safah and Marwah.

Sayee refers to the process of walking back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwah present within the premises of Masjid-al-Haram seven times. The first round is from Safah towards Marwah while the return from Marwah to Safah would constitute the second round. Therefore, proceeded in a way that the 7^th round ends at Marwah Hill.

Most pilgrims require 1-2 hours to complete the Sayee ritual.

Halq or Taqsir.

After the completion of Sayee, pilgrims go to get their hair trimmed. Men opt for shaving their heads completely because it is a recommended act while women only cut a fingertip’s length of their hair.

Usually, the process takes up to 30 minutes for a pilgrim.

Where the Umrah rituals are performed?

All of the rituals of Umrah are to be performed inside the premises of Masjid-al-Haram. Umrah rituals are performed in the holy city of Mecca. Many people book Umrah Packages 2024 to perform the rituals of Umrah in Mecca. If a pilgrim steps out of the boundary of the Grand Mosque of Makkah while performing the holy rituals, it would be invalid.

Can you do Umrah at night?

Yes, it is permissible for pilgrims to perform their Umrah rituals at night as well. This is because Umrah is a sunnah pilgrimage, thus, can be undertaken at any time of the day by a pilgrim. As a matter of fact, many pilgrims prefer performing Umrah during night-time because of the cooler temperatures and the calmer atmosphere it brings in Haram.

However, it must be kept in mind that certain areas of the Masjid al-Haram may remain closed during the late-night hours for cleaning and maintenance purposes. Therefore, it is advised for the pilgrims wishing to offer Umrah rituals at night to confirm the specific timings and arrangements with the administration of the holy mosque for pilgrimage performance.

Additionally, due to the huge influx of Hajj pilgrims throughout the Hajj season, certain limits are placed on completing Umrah during particular times. As a result, pilgrims' access to particular portions of the holy places may be restricted, and the authorities may enforce particular rules.

To conclude we can say that though Umrah can be performed at night, it is always advised for pilgrims to familiarize themselves with the latest guidelines and regulations from trusted sources in this regard. Hence, making the day hours an ideal and preferred time for the hassle-free performance of Umrah rituals.

So, in such a way, Umrah can be performed within a single day in a matter of few hours i.e., it is possible. But pilgrims book minimum 7 days for the Umrah. However, one must know that there are no time limitations associated with Umrah's performance. Therefore, one must focus on offering the holy rituals with sincerity and at a normal pace (not hasting through the process).