Doing Umrah alone. What do i need to know?

[Revert alYunani]

Salam alaikum guys

in shaa Allah,in shaa Allah by the permission of Allah i will perform umrah this year. I am thinking of it but i havent planned anything yet.
I cant go with an agency cuz they require me to have covid vaccine and i dont have (nor do i want to have) so i have to do everything alone.I am an EU citizen and i dont speak arabic.

What do i need to know? Any help is appreciated

 

[Murid]

Please read at least 4-5 of these books:

https://www.bookdepository.com/search?searchTerm=Hajj+and+umrah&search=Find+book

You need to get vaccines even if you are going alone.

I would recommend going with a well respected agency as they will guide you a lot on the way and it will be more interesting and less time consuming so you would be able to pray more.

Plan as you come to spend the more you can in the masjid. Eat a little and pray and ask duas during night, at tahajjud time.

I would recommend you to start right now the regimen of daily tasbeehs, like: subhanallahi walhamdulillahi wa la ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar wa la hawla wa la quwwattw illa billahil aliyyil adheem, estegfar: astagfirullah al adheem alladhee la ilaha illa huwal hayyul qayyumu wa atubu ilayh, salawat, like ibrahimi or: Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ala ali Muhammadin wa barik wa sallim, gratitude: shukrulillah, praying for others: Allahummagfirli warhamni wahdini wa lil momonina wal mominate, this tasbeh: la ilaha illallahu wajdahu la shatika lah lahul mulku wa lahil hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shayin qadeer, asma: ya hayyu ya qayyumu, ya dhal jalaali wal ikram and other, surah ikhlas.
Please find in Arabic and start consistantly to do these great rewarding good deeds and build up their numbers.

Try fasting nawafils, like 10 days of dhul hijah, and increasing the above adhkaar as much as you can and praying during the night.

 

[Revert alYunani]

Please read at least 4-5 of these books:

https://www.bookdepository.com/search?searchTerm=Hajj+and+umrah&search=Find+book

You need to get vaccines even if you are going alone.

I would recommend going with a well respected agency as they will guide you a lot on the way and it will be more interesting and less time consuming so you would be able to pray more.

Plan as you come to spend the more you can in the masjid. Eat a little and pray and ask duas during night, at tahajjud time.

I would recommend you to start right now the regimen of daily tasbeehs, like: subhanallahi walhamdulillahi wa la ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar wa la hawla wa la quwwattw illa billahil aliyyil adheem, estegfar: astagfirullah al adheem alladhee la ilaha illa huwal hayyul qayyumu wa atubu ilayh, salawat, like ibrahimi or: Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ala ali Muhammadin wa barik wa sallim, gratitude: shukrulillah, praying for others: Allahummagfirli warhamni wahdini wa lil momonina wal mominate, this tasbeh: la ilaha illallahu wajdahu la shatika lah lahul mulku wa lahil hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shayin qadeer, asma: ya hayyu ya qayyumu, ya dhal jalaali wal ikram and other, surah ikhlas.
Please find in Arabic and start consistantly to do these great rewarding good deeds and build up their numbers.

Try fasting nawafils, like 10 days of dhul hijah, and increasing the above adhkaar as much as you can and praying during the night.

what i asked was what i need to know to do umrah alone as there are so many complicated things such as tawakkalna and eatamarna.I said I cant go with an agency. But anyway jzk khair

 

[Murid]

Please be wise and lawful. You can get arrested and spend years in prison in KSA.

As umrah is ibadah it has its obligations that you must learn and follow.

Do not play as there are other perspectives you do not know now.

Without sincere learning/reading until you grasp the fards/wajibs/sunnahs and preparations better do not go.

And of course:
https://islamkazikr.com/bismillahi-tawakkaltu-alallah-dua-meaning-in-english/

[TABLE="class: grid, width: 100%, align: center"]
[TR][TD]Bismillahi Tawakkaltu Alallah Dua Meaning in English
Know the meaning of tawakkaltu alallah in English. Bismillahi tawakkaltu alallahi lahaula walakuata illabillah is a Dua before leaving home....[/TD][/TR][/TABLE]

 

[Revert alYunani]

Please be wise and lawful. You can get arrested and spend years in prison in KSA.

As umrah is ibadah it has its obligations that you must learn and follow.

Do not play as there are other perspectives you do not know now.

Without sincere learning/reading until you grasp the fards/wajibs/sunnahs and preparations better do not go.

And of course:
https://islamkazikr.com/bismillahi-tawakkaltu-alallah-dua-meaning-in-english/

[TABLE="class: grid, width: 100%, align: center"]
[TR][TD]Bismillahi Tawakkaltu Alallah Dua Meaning in English
Know the meaning of tawakkaltu alallah in English. Bismillahi tawakkaltu alallahi lahaula walakuata illabillah is a Dua before leaving home....[/TD][/TR][/TABLE]

And how do you know i dont grasp the fard/wajib/sunnas? You know nothing about me.
You can tell me the obligations of umrah and the perspectives that i dont know instead of giving me dhikr and duaa when one lives the house. I mean jzk khair but im asking for ssmth else and you say smth else

 

[Muhammad]

وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته

I would recommend you to start right now the regimen of daily tasbeehs, like: subhanallahi walhamdulillahi wa la ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar wa la hawla wa la quwwattw illa billahil aliyyil adheem, estegfar: astagfirullah al adheem alladhee la ilaha illa huwal hayyul qayyumu wa atubu ilayh, salawat, like ibrahimi or: Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ala ali Muhammadin wa barik wa sallim, gratitude: shukrulillah, praying for others: Allahummagfirli warhamni wahdini wa lil momonina wal mominate, this tasbeh: la ilaha illallahu wajdahu la shatika lah lahul mulku wa lahil hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shayin qadeer, asma: ya hayyu ya qayyumu, ya dhal jalaali wal ikram and other, surah ikhlas.
Please find in Arabic and start consistantly to do these great rewarding good deeds and build up their numbers.

Try fasting nawafils, like 10 days of dhul hijah, and increasing the above adhkaar as much as you can and praying during the night.

I have noticed that in nearly every thread you post in, your posts end with a long list of Nawafil actions that people should do, similar to the above. Whilst Nawafil actions are very virtuous and important, we also need to remember that people are of different levels and we need to be careful of overburdening them. Some people might be struggling with the obligations, so to tell them to do numerous daily voluntary worship might push them away. When people would come to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, he would give advice specific to the type of person and their situation. It is like a doctor giving patients different medication to treat their differing illnesses. If you give the same medication to every person, in some cases it can cause harm.

In addition, we need to take a gradual approach to self-development, not overwhelming ourselves with everything at once. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم started by calling people to monotheism, then he started telling them other things gradually as the Qur'an was being revealed during a period of 23 years. In the well-known Hadith regarding the manner in which a servant draws closer to Allah, it first mentions the obligations then it moves on to mention the Nawafil. We also learn in Islam the importance of moderation. In one Hadith we are taught that the best deeds are those done regularly even if they are few.

From what I have observed through the reactions of some members, I don't think this approach of yours is having the desired effect, rather the opposite - this thread being an example. Please reflect on this and advise people in a way that is relevant and beneficial to them. May Allah forgive us for our shortcomings and help us all to draw nearer to Him, Aameen.

 

[*charisma*]

Salam alaikum guys

in shaa Allah,in shaa Allah by the permission of Allah i will perform umrah this year. I am thinking of it but i havent planned anything yet.
I cant go with an agency cuz they require me to have covid vaccine and i dont have (nor do i want to have) so i have to do everything alone.I am an EU citizen and i dont speak arabic.

What do i need to know? Any help is appreciated

Walaikum asalaam,

If the agency requires it, it's because it's a mandate from the saudi gov't. From what I know there are military checks to ensure you are vaccinated before entering the haram (or that used to be the case a few months ago), and before you board your flight you will need to prove vaccination and have your umrah visa or you'll be denied entry. There's no way around it really.

However, covid measures have gotten much better recently so inshallah this vaccine mandate will be removed soon.

 

[Hamza Asadullah]

Salam alaikum guys

in shaa Allah,in shaa Allah by the permission of Allah i will perform umrah this year. I am thinking of it but i havent planned anything yet.
I cant go with an agency cuz they require me to have covid vaccine and i dont have (nor do i want to have) so i have to do everything alone.I am an EU citizen and i dont speak arabic.

What do i need to know? Any help is appreciated

Wa Alaikum Asalaam,

Masha Allah my brother it is good you have made the intention to go Umrah as that is the starting point and I pray that Allah makes it easy for you to go Umrah and to visit the holy lands this year insha Allah.

I booked Umrah myself a few years ago before the Pandemic and it is relatively easy to do so yourself. I think people in general find it easier to pay a group and everything is done for you. However it does work out to be more expensive than booking it by yourself. I booked the flights via Saudi Airlines to Jeddah and Hotels using price comparison websites like Travelsupermarket, Kayak, Sky Scanner etc. Some of the more expensive hotels are closer to the Harams in Makkah and Madina, otherwise the cheaper hotels may be a reasonable walk away. I always read reviews to see which hotels are worth booking in accordance with price, distance and value for money. Also bare in mind that Saudi 3, 4 or 5 star may not be the same as those in your country. Hence why I would not personally book lower than 4 star. But each to their own and it will be in accordance with your budget.

With regards to the duration of your time spent in the holy lands then I would personally suggest no less than 5 nights each for Makkah and Madina as one day each way will be spent on traveling alone. So altogether no less than 12 nights. But again it will be in accordance with how much time you can take off and whatever duration suits you best inshaAllah. So once you have booked your flights and hotels, then the next thing to do is to book your Umrah visa. Every country has a list of approved Umrah Travel Agents who can provide you with the Visa for a fee. You can find information on the application for an Umrah visa here:

https://www.saudia.com/before-flying/travel-information/hajj-and-umrah/umrah-visa

List of approved Umrah Travel Agents for each country:

http://www.hajinformation.com/umrah_agents.php

After that your good to go insha Allah. With regards to what you need to take with you on your journey then the following website has some very useful information:

Umrah Essentials : A Complete Checklist For First-Time Pilgrims

https://zamzam.com/blog/umrah-essen...men and women,prayer hat and folding umbrella.

How to perform Umrah:

https://hajjumrahplanner.com/umrah-guide/

https://thepilgrim.co/how-to-perform-umrah-guide/

Umrah guide that you can take with you:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hajj-and-U...f=sr_1_1?keywords=umrah&qid=1656280604&sr=8-1

Dua guide for Umrah:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dua-Guide-...f=sr_1_3?keywords=umrah&qid=1656280604&sr=8-3

It is also highly recommended especially as this is your first time to the holy lands to get a private or bus tour to all the places of relevance around the holy lands (Ziyaarah). Uou can arrange this with your hotel to either get a bus tour or private tour with your own driver. Please see the following link for a guide on the places to visit:

https://zamzam.com/blog/ziyarat-guide-for-makkah-madinah/

Finally I highly recommend for you to download the Taxi app "Careem". It is similar to Uber in that you can see the profile of the Taxi driver who will pick you up and how far they are etc. Their prices are also very low and they have very nice air cars. They never take tips by the way! This app you can use for your airport transfers and to get you around.

I hope the above helps. If you need anything else then please do not hesitate to ask.

May Allah enable us all to regularly visit the holy lands. Ameen.

 

[404]

Have there been any restrictions on which countries are allowed to do hajj/umrah? I’ve read bits of information about how there’s been last minute changes in regards to travel restrictions there which is causing nightmares for many people who have already been booked.

 

[Revert alYunani]

Walaikum asalaam,

If the agency requires it, it's because it's a mandate from the saudi gov't. From what I know there are military checks to ensure you are vaccinated before entering the haram (or that used to be the case a few months ago), and before you board your flight you will need to prove vaccination and have your umrah visa or you'll be denied entry. There's no way around it really.

However, covid measures have gotten much better recently so inshallah this vaccine mandate will be removed soon.

No you can go as a tourist without having the vaccine... These agencies make their own rules the way they see fit sis, maybe they dont wanna risk or idk. Jzk khair though ill find another way
Yes there are police checks i think not military ones hehe

Eid mubarak

 

[Revert alYunani]

Wa Alaikum Asalaam,

Masha Allah my brother it is good you have made the intention to go Umrah as that is the starting point and I pray that Allah makes it easy for you to go Umrah and to visit the holy lands this year insha Allah.

I booked Umrah myself a few years ago before the Pandemic and it is relatively easy to do so yourself. I think people in general find it easier to pay a group and everything is done for you. However it does work out to be more expensive than booking it by yourself. I booked the flights via Saudi Airlines to Jeddah and Hotels using price comparison websites like Travelsupermarket, Kayak, Sky Scanner etc. Some of the more expensive hotels are closer to the Harams in Makkah and Madina, otherwise the cheaper hotels may be a reasonable walk away. I always read reviews to see which hotels are worth booking in accordance with price, distance and value for money. Also bare in mind that Saudi 3, 4 or 5 star may not be the same as those in your country. Hence why I would not personally book lower than 4 star. But each to their own and it will be in accordance with your budget.

With regards to the duration of your time spent in the holy lands then I would personally suggest no less than 5 nights each for Makkah and Madina as one day each way will be spent on traveling alone. So altogether no less than 12 nights. But again it will be in accordance with how much time you can take off and whatever duration suits you best inshaAllah. So once you have booked your flights and hotels, then the next thing to do is to book your Umrah visa. Every country has a list of approved Umrah Travel Agents who can provide you with the Visa for a fee. You can find information on the application for an Umrah visa here:

https://www.saudia.com/before-flying/travel-information/hajj-and-umrah/umrah-visa

List of approved Umrah Travel Agents for each country:

http://www.hajinformation.com/umrah_agents.php

After that your good to go insha Allah. With regards to what you need to take with you on your journey then the following website has some very useful information:

Umrah Essentials : A Complete Checklist For First-Time Pilgrims

https://zamzam.com/blog/umrah-essen...men and women,prayer hat and folding umbrella.

How to perform Umrah:

https://hajjumrahplanner.com/umrah-guide/

https://thepilgrim.co/how-to-perform-umrah-guide/

Umrah guide that you can take with you:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hajj-and-U...f=sr_1_1?keywords=umrah&qid=1656280604&sr=8-1

Dua guide for Umrah:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dua-Guide-...f=sr_1_3?keywords=umrah&qid=1656280604&sr=8-3

It is also highly recommended especially as this is your first time to the holy lands to get a private or bus tour to all the places of relevance around the holy lands (Ziyaarah). Uou can arrange this with your hotel to either get a bus tour or private tour with your own driver. Please see the following link for a guide on the places to visit:

https://zamzam.com/blog/ziyarat-guide-for-makkah-madinah/

Finally I highly recommend for you to download the Taxi app "Careem". It is similar to Uber in that you can see the profile of the Taxi driver who will pick you up and how far they are etc. Their prices are also very low and they have very nice air cars. They never take tips by the way! This app you can use for your airport transfers and to get you around.

I hope the above helps. If you need anything else then please do not hesitate to ask.

May Allah enable us all to regularly visit the holy lands. Ameen.

Ma shaa Allah, thank youuu brother!!! This was very detailed and what i was looking for. THIS is what im talking about! I didnt check everything yet but i will as soon as i am free, it seems very helpful from what i read.
Yes i will ask you if i need anything

Eid mubarak, enjoy these days with your family

 

[Revert alYunani]

Wa Alaikum Asalaam,

Masha Allah my brother it is good you have made the intention to go Umrah as that is the starting point and I pray that Allah makes it easy for you to go Umrah and to visit the holy lands this year insha Allah.

I booked Umrah myself a few years ago before the Pandemic and it is relatively easy to do so yourself. I think people in general find it easier to pay a group and everything is done for you. However it does work out to be more expensive than booking it by yourself. I booked the flights via Saudi Airlines to Jeddah and Hotels using price comparison websites like Travelsupermarket, Kayak, Sky Scanner etc. Some of the more expensive hotels are closer to the Harams in Makkah and Madina, otherwise the cheaper hotels may be a reasonable walk away. I always read reviews to see which hotels are worth booking in accordance with price, distance and value for money. Also bare in mind that Saudi 3, 4 or 5 star may not be the same as those in your country. Hence why I would not personally book lower than 4 star. But each to their own and it will be in accordance with your budget.

With regards to the duration of your time spent in the holy lands then I would personally suggest no less than 5 nights each for Makkah and Madina as one day each way will be spent on traveling alone. So altogether no less than 12 nights. But again it will be in accordance with how much time you can take off and whatever duration suits you best inshaAllah. So once you have booked your flights and hotels, then the next thing to do is to book your Umrah visa. Every country has a list of approved Umrah Travel Agents who can provide you with the Visa for a fee. You can find information on the application for an Umrah visa here:

https://www.saudia.com/before-flying/travel-information/hajj-and-umrah/umrah-visa

List of approved Umrah Travel Agents for each country:

http://www.hajinformation.com/umrah_agents.php

After that your good to go insha Allah. With regards to what you need to take with you on your journey then the following website has some very useful information:

Umrah Essentials : A Complete Checklist For First-Time Pilgrims

https://zamzam.com/blog/umrah-essen...men and women,prayer hat and folding umbrella.

How to perform Umrah:

https://hajjumrahplanner.com/umrah-guide/

https://thepilgrim.co/how-to-perform-umrah-guide/

Umrah guide that you can take with you:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hajj-and-U...f=sr_1_1?keywords=umrah&qid=1656280604&sr=8-1

Dua guide for Umrah:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dua-Guide-...f=sr_1_3?keywords=umrah&qid=1656280604&sr=8-3

It is also highly recommended especially as this is your first time to the holy lands to get a private or bus tour to all the places of relevance around the holy lands (Ziyaarah). Uou can arrange this with your hotel to either get a bus tour or private tour with your own driver. Please see the following link for a guide on the places to visit:

https://zamzam.com/blog/ziyarat-guide-for-makkah-madinah/

Finally I highly recommend for you to download the Taxi app "Careem". It is similar to Uber in that you can see the profile of the Taxi driver who will pick you up and how far they are etc. Their prices are also very low and they have very nice air cars. They never take tips by the way! This app you can use for your airport transfers and to get you around.

I hope the above helps. If you need anything else then please do not hesitate to ask.

May Allah enable us all to regularly visit the holy lands. Ameen.

Bro im going on september in shaa Allah, i booked everything. In shaa Allah i will be willing to go and they wont ask for a vaccine till then.
I wanted to ask how did you get internet data while on saudi? Id like to be connected at all times with internet.
And how did you go from mecca to medina? I will use the app you showed me but seems kinda expensive to use it for a trip from mecca to medina

 

[Revert alYunani]

and this may be silly question but im going on foot from the hotel to the haram cuz its 10 mins away on foot, where will i leave my sneakers so i can walk barefoot in the haram?

 

[irama]

and this may be silly question but im going on foot from the hotel to the haram cuz its 10 mins away on foot, where will i leave my sneakers so i can walk barefoot in the haram?

Some do walk there with shoes on. You can get cheap sandals from there and wear those instead of the sneakers and take a shopper bag with you so you can take them off an put them in there and carry with you.

 

[Hamza Asadullah]

Bro im going on september in shaa Allah, i booked everything. In shaa Allah i will be willing to go and they wont ask for a vaccine till then.
I wanted to ask how did you get internet data while on saudi? Id like to be connected at all times with internet.
And how did you go from mecca to medina? I will use the app you showed me but seems kinda expensive to use it for a trip from mecca to medina

Asalaamu Alaikum,

Masha Allah that's great news. As far as I know you are not required to provide Covid-19 vaccination proof for Umrah but you must check with your GP asap if you are up to date with your measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and diphtheria-tetanus-polio as you will need to show proof of this in order to enter into Saudi Arabia.

Firstly you should take some money out at the airport from the cash machine. Regarding Saudi sims then when you get to the Airport you will see Saudi Mobile operator stands when you are approaching the exit. Just approach the person at the stand and purchase a Saudi sim and a top up amount that will comfortably get you through the duration of your journey. It is better to have a dual sim phone or you can put it into a separate phone if you wish but it is much easier just to have one dual sim phone which you can still use your normal sim with Wifi and the Saudi sim with internet and calls when your out and about. Then from the airport you can also connect to the Careem app and order a taxi to your hotel which is much cheaper than the standard Airport Taxi's.

You can get a taxi between Makkah and Madina but it is more expensive, so the most common transport between Makkah and Madina is to get an air conditioned coach. You can buy the tickets and catch the coach from the Bus station in Makkah. Your hotel will be able to give you further information as to how to get to the bus station from your hotel and for the timetable and how to buy the tickets etc.

 

[Hamza Asadullah]

and this may be silly question but im going on foot from the hotel to the haram cuz its 10 mins away on foot, where will i leave my sneakers so i can walk barefoot in the haram?

You must make sure you buy very comfortable footwear before you go like Crocs or Reef sandals as cheap sandals will ruin your feet and make your trip very uncomfortable. It makes a world of difference to get very good quality foot wear to walk around in. Never skimp on this. You will thank me later. You just take a small bag with you and pop your sandals in there and leave them next to you where you pray or sit.

 

[Revert alYunani]

Asalaamu Alaikum,

Masha Allah that's great news. As far as I know you are not required to provide Covid-19 vaccination proof for Umrah but you must check with your GP asap if you are up to date with your measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and diphtheria-tetanus-polio as you will need to show proof of this in order to enter into Saudi Arabia.

Firstly you should take some money out at the airport from the cash machine. Regarding Saudi sims then when you get to the Airport you will see Saudi Mobile operator stands when you are approaching the exit. Just approach the person at the stand and purchase a Saudi sim and a top up amount that will comfortably get you through the duration of your journey. It is better to have a dual sim phone or you can put it into a separate phone if you wish but it is much easier just to have one dual sim phone which you can still use your normal sim with Wifi and the Saudi sim with internet and calls when your out and about. Then from the airport you can also connect to the Careem app and order a taxi to your hotel which is much cheaper than the standard Airport Taxi's.

You can get a taxi between Makkah and Madina but it is more expensive, so the most common transport between Makkah and Madina is to get an air conditioned coach. You can buy the tickets and catch the coach from the Bus station in Makkah. Your hotel will be able to give you further information as to how to get to the bus station from your hotel and for the timetable and how to buy the tickets etc.

are you sure? your measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and diphtheria-tetanus-polio ?
I read that these were recomended but not required . The meningitis vaccine was the one who was required... I dont think i have time for those two i could hardly get an appointment for the meningitis one.

JazakhAllahu Khair for the rest info,its very helpful

 

[Hamza Asadullah]

are you sure? your measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and diphtheria-tetanus-polio ?
I read that these were recomended but not required . The meningitis vaccine was the one who was required... I dont think i have time for those two i could hardly get an appointment for the meningitis one.

JazakhAllahu Khair for the rest info,its very helpful

Asalaamu Alaikum,

Yes your right the MMR and diphtheria-tetanus-polio vaccines are only recommendations and not mandatory. Only the Meningococcal Meningitis ACWY is mandatory so make sure you get this asap.

May Allah make your journey easy for you and make it a means of your closeness to him and may you have a safe journey there and back. Ameen

 

[Nooralhuda]

I hope if i can go for umrah , but I have phobia of crowded places.

 

[Revert alYunani]

Asalaamu Alaikum,

Yes your right the MMR and diphtheria-tetanus-polio vaccines are only recommendations and not mandatory. Only the Meningococcal Meningitis ACWY is mandatory so make sure you get this asap.

May Allah make your journey easy for you and make it a means of your closeness to him and may you have a safe journey there and back. Ameen

Salam alaikum bro. I did umrah its my second day in Mecca now. Everything is great elhamdulillah. They dont require anymore almost nothing. Just visa, they didnt even check my vaccines but is better to have them ofc. Its very amazing here subhanAllah very peaceful