How Umrah Packages are Helping Muslims Worldwide

Posted by Safeena Rahman on May 30th, 2019

Umrah is one of the Islamic pilgrimages that Muslims across the world perform by embarking on a journey from their home countries to the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia. It is also called 'minor pilgrimage' by many, as the major pilgrimage in Islam is Hajj. There are great spiritual benefits associated with Umrah and this is the reason why a number of Muslims from different parts of the world travel to Makkah in order to accomplish the pilgrimage. Another important reason why it is held in high regard by Muslims is that it is the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Although the minor pilgrimage can be performed at any time of the year, accomplishing it during the holy month of Ramadan brings greater spiritual rewards for pilgrims. One can understand this from the fact that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had once said that an Umrah performed in the holy month is just like accompanying him on Hajj. This has become a reason for the popularity of Umrah packages in Ramadan among Muslims across the world. Every year, a large number of Muslims from different corners of the globe make their sacred journey to the holy city of Makkah in Ramadan to fulfil their dream of performing the minor pilgrimage.

There are many Muslims in the world who do not have adequate finances to accomplish this pilgrimage. However, in recent times, several tour operators have provided cheap Umrah packages during certain times of the year to help such individuals in fulfilling their dream. In order to make these packages even more affordable, the prospective pilgrims can book their desired package several months in advance. The amount that they save after getting the discount can be used to purchase attractive souvenirs or to visit some of the important places in and around Makkah.

For those who are concerned about the extreme heat of Makkah during most parts of the year, December would be the best month to perform the minor pilgrimage. The climate in Makkah in this month can be highly pleasant, especially for pilgrims arriving from the countries of Northern Europe. As most of the offices and educational institutions in these countries are closed for Christmas celebrations in the last week of December, Muslims in those countries can make their journey to Makkah along with their family members for performing Umrah. Many of the tour operators come up with special offers on Umrah packages in December, which helps the prospective pilgrims in reducing the overall cost of their package.

Some Islamic places of great significance can be explored by the pilgrims with the help of savings that they make while booking the packages with discounts. One of them is a sacred mountain located in the Hejazi region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, called 'Jabal al-Noor' which means 'Mountain of Light'. It houses the 'Cave of Hira', where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had spent a significant amount of time in deep contemplation. Another mountain of great importance is Mount Arafat, which is also known as 'Jabal al-Rahmah', literally translated as 'Mountain of Mercy'.

Muslims residing in the United Kingdom can perform their Umrah from UK with the help of cost-effective packages offered by tour operators based in different parts of the country.