An act of worship that begins as a visit
Umrah means a visit. In the legal sense it is completed by entering ihram, circling the Kaaba, walking between Safa and Marwah, and shaving or shortening the hair. Unlike Hajj it is not bound to a single season. Outside the days of Arafah and Eid, it may be performed whenever visas and group places are open.
Hajj is an obligatory pillar, both financial and physical. Umrah is, in most schools, a strongly emphasised sunnah. One does not replace the other. Many guests take Umrah as a first step toward the holy lands, and sometimes as preparation for Hajj.
This page is not a fatwa. Details of school, rulings for women and cases of excuse are spoken through with the group teacher. We would rather brief you calmly before you travel, and remind you on the way, than ask you to memorise a booklet on the telephone.
The core steps
Umrah looks like a long checklist. It gathers around four acts.
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Ihram. It begins with intention and talbiyah. Men wear the two cloths called izar and rida; women enter ihram in modest dress. The miqat must not be crossed without ihram. Groups landing in Jeddah often pass the miqat in the air, so ihram is put on at the airport in Turkey. Groups travelling from Madinah to Makkah complete ihram at the hotel before the transfer.
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Tawaf. From the line of the Black Stone the Kaaba is kept on the left for seven circuits. Pushing through a crowd is not a condition of the rite. Older or unwell guests speak with the teacher about upper floors or a wheelchair route.
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Sa’y. Seven lengths between Safa and Marwah, in memory of Hajar’s search for water. The jogging strip is for men; women walk at a calm pace.
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Shaving or shortening. Men shave or trim; women take a fingertip’s length. Ihram then ends.
Wudu, talbiyah, prayer and two rak’ahs after tawaf sit around this frame. The seminar sets the order; in the Haram the teacher’s cue is enough.
How it differs from Hajj
Hajj is performed in Shawwal, Dhu al-Qa’dah and the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah, with the standing at Arafat at its heart. Umrah has no Arafat, Muzdalifah, Mina or stoning. It is shorter and more flexible, and for most guests less arduous. Heat, crowds and walking should still not be underestimated.
When we speak about price or length we do not call Umrah “a small Hajj”. Intention and pace are different. We choose with you by phone, alongside health and budget.
How a Surre group proceeds
Programmes include flights, transfers, hotels, half board and guidance. Ihram and tawaf are covered in the pre-travel seminar. The first tawaf in Makkah is paced to the day of arrival; we do not force a tired group into the Haram at midnight.
Current seasons, visa rules and places are not locked on the website as a calendar. Call +90 531 929 16 34. There is no online booking.
