The
ʿUmrah is a
pilgrimage to
Mecca,
Saudi Arabia, performed by
Muslims that can be undertaken at any time of the year, in contrast to the
Hajj. In Arabic, Umrah means "to visit a populated place". In the
Sharia, Umrah means to perform
Tawaf round the
Kaaba and
Sa'i between
Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, after assuming
Ihram (a sacred state), either from a
Miqat like Zu 'l-Hulafa, Juhfa, Qarnu 'l-Manāzil,
Yalamlam, Zāt-i-'Irq, Ibrahīm Mursīa, or a place in Hill. It is sometimes called the 'minor pilgrimage' or 'lesser pilgrimage', the
Hajj being the 'major' pilgrimage and which is compulsory for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it. The Umrah is not compulsory but highly recommended.