Combining Umrah and Hajj

Combining Umr'ah and Hajj is something that became forbidden by Umar, the second Sunni Caliph.

History

When planning a pilgrimage, one is expected to announce his intention to do so at the start of the journey. If one would start a pilgrimage with only the intention of doing a minor one, and after starting it he would decide that he also intends to do the major one, he needs to go a certain distance away from Mecca, and then start a new pilgrimage, intending to do the greater one.

Muhammad had decreed that Umrah and Hajj can be combined, ie: starting a pilgrimage with the intention of participating in both events.

However, Umar decided to ban this practice during his era as Sunni Caliph during a public announcement in which he forbade Mut'ah. This led to complaints from some of the citizens, as described in the hadith of the four advices to Umar.

The prohibition of this practice has since been voided, and the combination of both Umrah and Hajj in the same month is permitted by both Shi'a and Sunnis.

ee also

*Mut'ah of Hajj