For Muslims around the world, Umrah is an important journey in their lives. This minor pilgrimage changes their personality for good by bringing them close to the Creator, Allah. However, it is imperative to prepare for your journey to avoid inconveniences and to easily navigate through the process.
To ensure easy and seamless travel, we’ll share some tips for doing Umrah in the summer, winter, and Ramadan seasons. If you’re planning to embark on this spiritual journey by choosing special luxury Umrah packages, this article can be a guiding light for you. So, let’s kick off!
Pro Tips To Make Your Umrah Journey Smooth & Easy
Ø Summer Umrah
Saudia Arabia is a desert country where summers are dry and hot. The mean temperature is 27°C to 38°C in the coastal areas and 27°C to 43°C in the inland parts. Therefore, you can find it hard to do Umrah in the scorching heat. Even nighttime is quite hot so you need to keep some tips and tricks up your sleeve to navigate through your journey. So here are our top tips to follow to perform summer Umrah:
- Decide On a Suitable Time to Do Umrah
It is better to select a suitable time to do Umrah before departing so you face minimum heat. As per the Saudi Hajj and Umrah Ministry, 11 pm to 2 am and 7:30 am to 10:30 am are the perfect durations to do Umrah as heat is minimal during these times.
- Avoid Large Crowds
If you’re doing Umrah during peak season, choose a time when the crowd is minimal in the Haram area. Most pilgrims circle close to the Kaabah during Umrah. You should remain at a distance from the Kaabah to avoid large crowds. This will help you not to feel suffocated and also get mixed in the crowd and lose sight of your fellow pilgrims.
- Take Frequent Breaks
Although continuity in rituals is advised, you can take short intervals during the Umrah process. However, these breaks need to be short and you can’t go outside the Haram area during this time. Sit inside the covered areas of mosques, take some time to rest, drink and eat as per your requirement, gain energy, and continue your pilgrimage.
- Keep Essential Stuff in Bag
Keep a small bag that you can hold on to during Umrah. Use it to pack essential items such as salt water, juice packs, dates, fruits, and nuts. Consume them when you feel low and gain instant energy. However, don’t eat or drink too much so you don’t feel dizzy or heavy while performing rituals. You can also keep ice packs and use them to lower body temperature.
- Use Umbrella
Umbrellas are a must to bear the scorching daytime heat whether you’re doing Umrah or other activities. The outside area of the Prophet’s Mosque is covered with large umbrellas that open during severe heat to protect pilgrims from its effects. Thus, you don’t always need to use umbrellas however, you should keep them in the bag during the day.
- Apply Sunscreen
Sunscreen is also essential to protect your skin from sunburns, rashes, and other issues. Thus, you can apply the cream before going out. However, you need to use unscented sunscreen (SPF 40 or higher) as the use of any sort of scent is forbidden in the state of Ihram.
- Wear Loose Clothes
Dress colors play a vital role in attracting sunlight. So, you should wear clothes that are light in color and are also loosely fitted. Women can wear loose-fitted abayas with ivory colors instead of black ones to attract less sunlight and thus, resist intense heat.
Ø Winter Umrah
Winter is quite pleasant in Saudia Arabia. The average temperature ranges between 7°C to 20°C in the interior parts and 19°C to 29°C in the coastal areas. Considering the weather situation, you can follow these tips to help you navigate through winter Umrah:
- Pack For Winter
Daytime is pleasant in both Mecca and Medina while nights can get quite cold in both Mecca and Medina. Therefore, you should pack some thermals, jackets, socks, sweaters, and socks to ward off the night cold.
- Buy Ihram for Winter
It is not allowed for men to wear clothes in the state of Ihram. Thus, you should buy warmer and thicker Ihram fabric. Women can, however, wear multiple clothes under the burqa so they can layer up to avoid the winter chill.
- Ward Off Daylight Heat
Although winter is pleasant, however, the sunlight can be severe during the daytime even during winter. Therefore, you should apply unscented sunscreen before getting out to ward off the heat effects. Use an umbrella and sunglasses as well as you do in summer.
- Keep Hydrated
Pilgrims often hydrate themselves as much as they do in the summers. However, this can cause blood sugar levels to get low as the body consumes water stored inside the body. Therefore, keep yourself hydrated even in winter by taking small sips of water.
Ø Ramadan Umrah
Whether you’re doing Umrah in summer or winter, you can follow the tips stated previously to ward off the weather effects. However, you need to consider other factors like possible fatigue due to fasting, etc. while doing Umrah in Ramadan, and prepare accordingly. Follow these pro tips to make your Ramadan Umrah easy:
- Choose an Ideal Time
Perform Umrah during the non-fasting time. If you decide to do Umrah while fasting choose these times for this purpose, i.e., either right before sunset or after Fajr. The time between Asar and Maghrib is considered best to do Umrah before sunset as sunlight is minimal.
The reason for doing Umrah after Fajr is that you have enough energy to make the pilgrimage as you’ve just kept the fast. Secondly, the sun just rises at this time so you can easily avoid its scorching heat.
- Pause For a While
Doing Umrah while fasting and facing day-time heat can be hard on the body. Therefore, don’t over-exert yourself and take frequent breaks during pilgrimage to rest and revitalize.
- Take Shower
You should take a shower before doing Umrah as it gives you energy and revitalizes the body to perform the hectic Umrah obligations. Even after doing Umrah, you should take a shower to pull off the fatigue.
- Consume Nutrient-Rich Foods
Eat foods that are rich in nutrients such as minerals, protein, and vitamins, found mostly in veggies and fruits. It is better to eat and drink a little every hour after Iftar than to over-indulge in food at suhoor time. Over-eating at suhoor can make it hard for you to do Umrah while fasting as you feel heavy and dizzy.
Hope these tips and tricks help you navigate through the Umrah journey easily whether it’s in summer, winter, or Ramadan season. In the meantime, you can check out the luxury Umrah packages offered by Muslims Holy Travel that will make your pilgrimage convenient and memorable.