Hajj and Umrah are both important religious duties that Muslims do every year. People from all over the world come to Holy Kabah to do them. Hajj and Umrah are both pilgrimages, but Umrah is considered a smaller pilgrimage and is not required like Hajj. However, it has a lot of benefits, which is why millions of Muslims do it every year. Hajj is a religious duty that every Muslim must do once in their life if they are physically, financially, and mentally able to do so. Hajj and Umrah have many of the same rituals and practises, but there are also many differences. The best person to tell the difference between the two is someone who does both. Most of the people used to book Best Umrah packages and Hajj Packages to perform this Holy Pilgrimage.

Difference between Hajj and Umrah

In terms of reward, Hajj is the "major" pilgrimage, and Umrah is the "minor" one. Hajj has a bigger and better reward than Umrah, but in this time of high inflation, many Muslims can't afford to do Hajj because of how much it costs. Instead, they do Umrah, which is cheaper. Umrah in Ramadan is the same as Hajj, as our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Umrah in Ramadan is like going with me to Hajj." Even though the reward for Hajj is greater than the reward for Umrah, if you do Umrah with a pure heart and only for the sake of God, you will get enough reward and inner satisfaction.

In terms of rituals, Hajj and Umrah are almost the same, but Hajj pilgrims have to do a few extra things. For example, they have to spend days and nights in Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah, stone the devil, and kill animals in the name of Allah. Umrah, on the other hand, has rituals like ihram, Tawaf (circling the Holy Kabah), Sa'ey (walking between Mounts Safa and Marwah), drinking ZamZam water, and shaving or cutting the hair on the head. All of these Umrah rituals are also part of the Hajj, and pilgrims do extra rituals with them during the Hajj.

In terms of how it is done, another difference between Hajj and Umrah is that Hajj can only be done during the set month. If it is done outside of this month, it is neither done nor accepted. From the 8th to the 13th Zilhajj of the Islamic year, the Hajj is done. In the Holy Quran, God SWT said:

"The Hajj must be done during the months of celebration. So, anyone who does the Hajj during that time must not be in a close relationship, do anything illegal, or fight during the Hajj. And God knows full well any good that you do. And make sure you have enough supplies. But the most important thing you need is morality. And be afraid of Me, you smart people!"

Only in the month of Zilhajj is the Hajj done. Umrah doesn't have a set time or month. It can be done at any time and in any month of the year, except during Hajj.

In terms of types, Hajj and Umrah are also different. Hajj has three types, while Umrah only has two. There are three types of Hajj: Ifraad, Qiran, and Tamattu. The most common type is Hajj Tamattu, in which Hajj and Umrah are done separately during the month of Hajj. Ifraad is the name for hajj, while Qiran is the combination of hajj and umrah or an alternative way to do them. The two types of Umrah are Umrah al Tamattu and Umrah al Mutradah. Umrah al Tamattu can be done by yourself, while Umrah al Mutradah can be done with other pilgrims who are also going to hajj at the same time.

In terms of the ruling, one of the biggest differences between Hajj and Umrah is that Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, while Umrah is not. Prophet PBUH said:

"Islam is built on five pillars: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad SAW is the Messenger of Allah, praying, giving Zakah, making a pilgrimage to Allah's house, and fasting during Ramadan."

The fact that Allah made Hajj one of the five pillars of Islam shows how important it is. If a believer doesn't do Hajj, his or her faith is not complete and strong. In the Holy Quran, Allah said:

"And making a pilgrimage to the House is a duty to Allah for everyone who can get there."

Allah's Messenger said on Khutba Hajj tul Wida:

"O people! You have to do Hajj because it is a law, so do Hajj." A man asked, "O Messenger of Allah, is it required every year?" He stayed quiet until the man said it three times. Then he SWT said, "Had I agreed, it would have become a requirement, and you would not have been able to meet it." Later, He (PBUH) said, "Don't ask me as long as I'm not charging you anything, because those who came before you were destroyed because they asked their prophets too many questions and didn't follow them." So if I tell you to do something, do it as much as you can, and if I tell you not to do something, don't care about it."

Umrah is something that our beloved Prophet did, and there's nothing better than following in his footsteps. Scholars have different ideas about Umrah. Some say it is required, while others say it is just a good idea. Umrah al Tamattu, which includes both Hajj and Umrah, is the best option.

The main difference between Hajj and Umrah is that Hajj and Umrah are both Islamic pilgrimages, but they are different in terms of how important they are, how they are done, and how they are observed.

Compared to Umrah, Hajj is a more important religious event because it is the most important pilgrimage.

The Hajj is a religious obligation that must be done once in a lifetime. The Umrah, on the other hand, is not required and is a smaller pilgrimage.

Umrah can be done at any time of year; there is no set month or time. Hajj, on the other hand, can only be done in the month of Zilhajj, from the 8th to the 13th.

Umrah is not one of the five pillars of Islam, but Hajj is.

The Hajj can be done with other pilgrims in a group, but the Umrah must be done by itself.

At first glance, Hajj and Umrah look like they are the same, but Hajj takes longer and has more rituals than Umrah.