Highlight five ways by which ‘Umrah is different from Hajj.

Answer Details

Both ‘Umrah and Hajj are pilgrimages to the Sacred House in Makkah, but they differ in several ways. Five differences are:

1. Ruling and obligation. Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and is obligatory (fard) once in a lifetime upon the able Muslim; ‘Umrah, according to the majority, is recommended (sunnah) or a lesser obligation, not a pillar.
2. Time of performance. Hajj can only be performed in the specific months of Hajj (Shawwal, Dhul-Qa‘dah, and the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah); ‘Umrah may be performed at any time of the year.
3. The rites (Manasik) involved. Hajj includes standing at ‘Arafah, staying at Muzdalifah and Mina, stoning the Jamarat and animal sacrifice; ‘Umrah consists mainly of Ihram, Tawaf, Sa‘i and shaving or trimming the hair, without ‘Arafah, Muzdalifah, Mina or stoning.
4. Duration. Hajj takes several days (from the 8th to the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah); ‘Umrah can be completed within a few hours.
5. The essential pillar of ‘Arafah. Standing at ‘Arafah is the greatest pillar of Hajj, without which Hajj is invalid; ‘Umrah has no such standing and no fixed day.
6. Reward and rank. Hajj is greater in status, and its reward, when accepted, is nothing but Paradise; ‘Umrah, though rewarding, does not carry the same rank, and is sometimes called "the lesser pilgrimage".

Thus ‘Umrah is the minor pilgrimage while Hajj is the major pilgrimage.