What is Umrah Badal (On Behalf of Someone) and Who Qualifies for It?
The desire to perform acts of worship and secure blessings for ourselves and others is a great drive. And sometimes it happens that a family member or friend is unable to perform some acts of worship like Umrah.
Old age and illness are the factors due to which some of the family members will be unable to perform Umrah. It also happens that the one with the desire to perform Umrah will leave this world.
This is where the concept of Umrah Badal comes from. When we perform Umrah on behalf of someone, it will become a hope and an expression of love and duty. This comprehensive guide will explore the meaning, rules, and spiritual significance of Umrah Badal, which will help you to understand how this selfless act can be a bridge of mercy and reward.
Islamic Meaning and Purpose of Umrah Badal
At its heart, Umrah is an act of religious deputization. It is the Islamic practice where a physically and financially able Muslim performs the rites of Umrah with the sole intention of transferring the spiritual reward to another person who is incapable of performing it themselves. The purpose is rooted in compassion and communal solidarity.
The permissibility comes from the general principles in Islamic jurisprudence. It allows one person to perform certain physical acts of worship (Ibadah) on behalf of another who is unable. The primary intent is to allow those who are prevented by genuine, legitimate reasons such as chronic illness, incapacitating old age, or death to still receive the blessings of this beloved pilgrimage.
It is a way to honor our parents, assist the sick, and send gifts of reward to our deceased loved ones. The underlying principle is that as the obligation (Fard) of Hajj is personal and cannot be transferred, the voluntary act of Umrah can be performed for others under specific conditions.
Who Is Eligible to Perform Umrah Badal?
Not every pilgrim can undertake Umrah on behalf of someone. The person who acts as the agent (Na'ib) must meet all the criteria to ensure the validity to perform the act:
Muslim and Sane: The performer of Umrah should be a Muslim. To perform all the rituals,
Mental Health: They should be sane to perform the rituals of Umrah well.
Capable of Performing Umrah: They must have performed their own Hajj or Umrah earlier, if it was incumbent upon them. And they should be physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey of Umrah and rites. A person struggling to validly complete their own worship cannot deputize for another.
Explicit Intention (Niyyah): This is the cornerstone. Before entering the state of Ihram, the performer must clearly intend that this Umrah is solely for the designated person. They cannot combine it with an intention for themselves.
Financial Clarity: The expenses for the journey should ideally be covered by the person on whose behalf the Umrah is performed (or from their estate, if deceased). If the performer covers the cost themselves as a gift, it is highly meritorious.
Essentially, the eligibility to perform Umrah on behalf of othersl demands that the performer be as qualified as if they were performing their own pilgrimage, with the added layer of a pure, other focused intention.
Who Can Have Umrah Badal Performed on Their Behalf?
First, understand for whom you are going to perform Umrah for deceased or living individuals? The recipients fall into these categories:
The Deceased: A child can perform Umrah on behalf of his parents who have passed away as a continuous act of charity (Sadaqah Jariyah) and filial piety. Ref: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:1852
The chronic patients or elderly: For individuals who are permanently unable to travel or fulfill the physical demands due to a medically verified condition. Ref: https://sunnah.com/abudawud:1810
The Incapacitated: For the persons with physical challenges.
It is important to note that Umrah Badal is not intended for someone who is lazy, procrastinating, or temporarily unable but can recover and perform it themselves in the future. The key condition is a permanent or terminal inability.
Conditions and Requirements for Umrah Badal in Islam
The Islamic rulings on performing Umrah for others are specific. To ensure the act is accepted, one must adhere to the following rules:
Inability of the Original Person: The fundamental condition is the established, irreversible inability of the person for whom Umrah is being performed.
Sequential Performance: Before performing a voluntary Umrah on behalf of another, the performer must complete their own obligatory Hajj first. Ref:https://sunnah.com/abudawud:1811. This is a point of emphasis among many scholars.
One Person Per Performance: A single Umrah performance can only be credited to one individual. You cannot perform one Umrah with the intention for multiple people.
Correct Performance: When you perform Umrah for someone else, all the rituals of Umrah are the same as those for the normal Umrah. Performers of Umrah on behalf of someone have to complete all the rituals of Umrah, wearing of Ihram, doing Tawaf, performing Sa'i, and Halq in order as it is performed in a personal Umrah.
You may also consult with a reliable Islamic scholar for your specific situation.
Step by Step Process of Performing Umrah Badal
If you want to perform Umrah on behalf of someone, here is a step by step guide to performing Umrah:
Make an Intention: Purify your intention solely for the sake of Allah and to benefit the specified person.
Seek Knowledge: Ensure that you understand the rites of Umrah. For this, you can engage a reliable guide or learn it beforehand. You may also use some of the online applications like My Umrah Companion, where they provide all Umrah duas and step by step guides to perform Umrah.
Make Niyyah (Intention): After donning Ihram, at the point of Meeqat, you have to make Niyyah to perform Umrah on behalf of others. Make it easy for me and accept it from me and from him/her.
Perform the Rites: You have to perform all the rituals of Umrah in sequential order.
Take a bath.
Don Ihram.
Recite Talbiya.
Make Niyyah at Meeqat.
circumambulate around the Kaaba seven times Tawaf.
perform Sa'i.
Complete Halq/Taqsir.
And at each step supplicate for the person you are representing for the Umrah.
Dedicate the Reward: Upon completion of Umrah, pray to Allah that He accepts this Umrah and grants its full reward to the intended beneficiary.
While performing Umrah, maintain a state of humility and remember that you are a conduit for another soul's spiritual benefit.
Common Misconceptions About Umrah Badal
Clearing up misunderstandings is vital for correct practice:
Misconception 1: "Umrah Badal absolves the original person of a missed obligation."
Clarification: Umrah is an act of sunnah. Unlike Hajj, it is a voluntary act of worship. It is a gift of reward, not a discharge of duty.
Misconception 2: "I can perform one Umrah for my entire family."
Clarification: As per mainstream scholarly opinion, each Umrah on behalf of someone must be performed individually for a single person.
Misconception 3: "The performer gets no reward."
Clarification: While the primary reward is assigned to the intended person, the performer gains immense reward for the effort, travel, and sincere act of helping another Muslim.
Misconception 4: "It is exactly like performing Hajj for someone."
Clarification: The difference between Umrah and Umrah Badal versus Hajj Badal has an important distinction between them. Hajj Badal has stricter conditions, and it deals with an obligatory act of worship. Whereas performing Umrah on behalf of others is not obligatory.
FAQs
1. Is Umrah Badal allowed in Islam according to the Quran and Hadith?
Yes, it is allowed in Islam. It is based on extrapolation from Hadith. Umrah Badal rules allow people to perform Hajj on behalf of others who are incapable. As per the Islamic rulings on Umrah Badal, scholars have applied this to Umrah.
2. Can Umrah Badal be performed for a deceased parent?
Absolutely. You can perform Umrah for the deceased parent. It is a meritorious and recommended act. It is one of the good ways to provide them rewards after their passing.
3. Who is not eligible for Umrah Badal?
A person who has not yet performed their own Umrah previously
A non Muslim
Or the one who cannot perform the rites of Umrah in a proper way for themselves too is not eligible to perform this Umrah.
4. Can a woman perform Umrah Badal on behalf of a man?
Yes, on behalf of man, a woman can perform Umrah. She has to fulfill all other eligibility conditions. And has to travel with a Mahram.
5. What is the difference between Hajj Badal and Umrah Badal?
For those who can fulfil the requirements of performing Hajj, Hajj Badal is obligatory for them . And Umrah Badal is a virtuous and voluntary act of worship. The rules to deputize for an obligatory Hajj are strict when compared to Umrah.
