The Prophet ﷺ said that Umrah to Umrah is an expiation for what is between them, and an accepted Hajj has no reward but Paradise. Allah says: complete the Hajj and the Umrah for Allah (2:196). It can be done at any time of the year.
1The steps
Ihram from the miqat with the intention for Umrah, and the talbiyah.
Tawaf of the Kaaba seven times, starting and ending at the Black Stone, then pray two rak'ahs behind the Station of Ibrahim if possible.
Sa'i, seven laps between Safa and Marwa, starting at Safa and ending at Marwa.
Shaving or shortening the hair (for women, a fingertip's length from the ends).
2Women and Umrah
A woman performs Umrah as men do. She wears her ordinary modest clothes, and in ihram she does not wear a face veil (niqab) or gloves, as reported in the hadith, although she covers from men who are not her mahram in other ways.
Where the schools differ
The four Sunni schools agree on the main ruling above and differ in these points. No school is preferred here.
The ruling. the Hanafi and Maliki schools say Umrah is a sunnah (stressed); the Shafi'i and Hanbali schools say it is an obligation once in life, like Hajj.
Et accomplissez pour Allah le pèlerinage et l'Umra. Si vous en êtes empêchés, alors faites un sacrifice qui vous soit facile. Et ne rasez pas vos têtes avant que l'offrande [l'animal à sacrifier] n'ait atteint son lieu d'immolation. Si l'un d'entre vous est malade ou souffre d'une affection de la tête (et doit se raser), qu'il se rachète alors par un Siyâm ou par une aumône ou par un sacrifice. Quand vous retrouverez ensuite la paix, quiconque a joui d'une vie normale après avoir fait l'Umra en attendant le pèlerinage, doit faire un sacrifice qui lui soit facile. S'il n'a pas les moyens qu'il jeûne trois jours pendant le pèlerinage et sept jours une fois rentré chez lui, soit en tout dix jours. Cela est prescrit pour celui dont la famille n'habite pas auprès de la Mosquée sacrée. Et craignez Allah. Et sachez qu'Allah est dur en punition.
From the Sunnah
Sahih al-Bukhari 1773Authentic collection
The point of the hadith: Umrah to Umrah is an expiation for what is between them, and an accepted Hajj has no reward other than Paradise.
Read the Arabic text
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ سُمَىٍّ، مَوْلَى أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ السَّمَّانِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " الْعُمْرَةُ إِلَى الْعُمْرَةِ كَفَّارَةٌ لِمَا بَيْنَهُمَا، وَالْحَجُّ الْمَبْرُورُ لَيْسَ لَهُ جَزَاءٌ إِلاَّ الْجَنَّةُ ".
This is general information, not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar.
Fiqh questions
Umrah
The Prophet ﷺ said that Umrah to Umrah is an expiation for what is between them, and an accepted Hajj has no reward but Paradise. Allah says: complete the Hajj and the Umrah for Allah (2:196). It can be done at any time of the year.
Is this a fatwa?
No. It is a summary of well-known rulings with their evidence. For your own case, ask a qualified scholar.
What if my school differs from this answer?
Follow the view of the school you follow and the scholar who teaches you. The page lists the differences of the four schools.
