The lesser pilgrimage (umra): its forms, pillars, obligations and invalidation

العُمْرَة

In the lexicon, 'umra is a visit; as a term most jurists define it as circling the House and running between Safa and Marwa in the state of ihram ¹. The Malikis and Hanafis hold it a confirmed sunna, some Hanafis hold it obligatory once in a lifetime, and the sounder view of the Shafi'is and Hanbalis is that it is an obligation once in a lifetime ¹. It may be performed alone, combined with the pilgrimage (tamattu') or in one ihram with it (qiran); the majority hold that the one who combines needs only one circuit and one running ^{1 2 3}. The majority hold its pillars to be three: ihram, circumambulation and running, and the Shafi'is add shaving; the Hanafis hold circumambulation alone to be its pillar ^{4 5 6 7}. Running and shaving or clipping the hair are obligatory according to the majority ⁷. Performing it in Ramadan is recommended, repeating it is encouraged, some disliked repeating it in the months of pilgrimage, and the best place to enter ihram for it is disputed ^{8 9 10 11}. It is invalidated by omitting a pillar or by a voiding act before release; the compensation for that is disputed, and performing it on behalf of another person is permitted by the majority ^{12 13}.