Umrah is a sacred journey for which Muslims wait for their whole lives. There is no better place than the House of Allah to spend special days and events such as Ramadan. That’s why a large number of Muslims have already booked Ramadan Umrah Packages 2025 to avail special discounts as well.
If you’re also one such individual intending to embark on a Ramadan pilgrimage next year then this article is going to be an interesting read for you. We’re going to share a day in the life of a Ramadan Umrah pilgrim who had recently performed Umrah which can give you an idea of how interesting this holy journey can turn out to be. So, let’s start!
The Full-Day Routine of a Ramadan Umrah Pilgrim
The Beginning of the Day
It was the 26th of Ramadan and I had just reached Mecca from Medina with my family. We were staying in a nearby luxury hotel called Raffel Mecca Palace. The time was 2:00 am and we needed to reach inside the mosque where we intended to pray Tahajjud, do our Sehri and keep fast, and then pray Fajr. We planned to perform our second Umrah right after Fajr as the crowd is the least plus the weather is quite pleasant relatively at this time of the day. Me and my family got fresh and prepared for Umrah. Everyone had already entered the state of Ihram while coming back from Medina to Mecca at a point called Dhul Hulayfah.
Entering the Mosque
We entered the mosque around 2:30 am and the crowd at that time was overwhelming. Although the amount of pilgrims is minimal relative to other times of the day, however, it is still huge. The reason is that this is the last Ashra of Ramadan when the maximum pilgrims from all over the world swarm toward this holy place.
I along with my family chose a suitable spot near Kaabah where we prayed Tahajjud together. Then we all sat together and placed all the food we brought with us on the prayer mat. However, as we were preparing our Sehri meal, a person came distributing buns, dates, and laban bottles (sweet lassi) for each of us. This is a usual case in Kaabah during Ramadan as pilgrims often distribute food for Sehri and Iftari. We already expected this and that’s why we brought minimum food. All of us ate Sehri and kept fast. Then we started preparing for Fajr.
Starting Umrah
Praying Fajr while listening to the soulful voice of the Imam truly was spiritually uplifting. The crowd was massive but we loved every moment as all these people were also there to attain closeness to Allah and to acquire His mercy. After praying Fajr, it was time to perform Umrah so we rested a little and then reached the main Mataf area at the starting point to start circling the Kaabah. The weather was quite pleasant as expected but there was still a high percentage of pilgrims so we all felt a little suffocated but it wasn’t much to worry about.
Performing Sa’ae
We tried to remain at a distance from the Kaabah as the crowd got dense near it. So we maintained a careful distance and kept holding each other’s hands so everyone stayed together during the ritual. After circling the Kaabah it was time to perform Sa’ee at Safa and Marwah. The sun had come in full swing in the sky and was shining brightly. However, as our first ritual was complete so we didn’t need to worry about the Sun as Sa’ee is done in a closed area where sun rays don’t reach.
Avoiding Exertion
We prayed two prayers before Sae’e and now it was time to start the ritual. To perform Sa’ee, pilgrims are required to travel back and forth seven times between the mountains of Safa and Marwa. We also followed the same and performed Sae’e while taking frequent breaks in between to avoid over-exertion. Walking and running for Sa’ee among a massive crowd was quite overwhelming but seeing such a large number of devotees also made me delighted as a Muslim and proud of my religion. The ritual was intense but we made it through the ritual so now it was time to get our hair cut as it is the last ritual of Umrah called Qasr.
Performing Qasr & Concluding Umrah
The ladies can get a few inches of their hair cut right at the spot in Safa and Marwa as it is not a big task. So, my wife and daughter got their hair cut by fellow Muslim sisters standing at a side with scissors. Then it was just me and my two sons who needed to get outside the mosque, reach a barber’s shop, and get our whole heads shaved. The typical price for getting your head shaved is 5 Riyal however, the barbers here try to convince pilgrims to do it for 10 Riyal. I already had been deceived previously I got my head shaved for the first Umrah so now we got our heads shaved for 5. This was the end of Umrah for us.
Breaking the Fast
We headed back to the hotel where we planned to freshen up and rest until noon and prepare for Zuhr. We followed the same schedule and prayed Zuhr in the mosque. However, we remained inside the mosque until Asr. After praying Asr, we planned to circle Kaabah before breaking fast. No doubt it was tiring but spiritually fulfilling.
It was time for Iftar so we found a sitting place near Mataf and placed food we brought with us. It wasn’t that much as we again expected to obtain meals from the management. Just as we expected, a fellow Muslim brother came distributing dates, bread, yogurt, two juices, and a box of rice with chicken. Each of us got the same meal and it was enough for Iftar.
Praying Taraweeh & The Night of Qadr
After Iftar and praying Maghrib, we head back to the hotel to rest a little and freshen up for Taraweeh. So, we came back for Isha and prayed Taraweeh in the Imamat of Qari Al Sudais who is known for his soulful voice. It was the expected night of Qadr so the atmosphere was magical. The Imam got emotional while reciting Quran and so did we. After praying Taraweeh, we spent three hours reciting the Quran, praying Tasbeeh and Nawafil, and praying to Allah for His Mercy on that special night. We came back to the hotel filled with spiritual bliss but we only had an hour to rest as the Tahajjud time was again approaching. Truly a hectic day but full of enlightenment. If this little story of just a single day of Ramadan Umrah has inspired you to embark on a minor pilgrimage then contact Muslims Holy Travel. We offer lucrative Ramadan Umrah Packages 2025 that you can avail to visit the House of Allah with your family.
