Umrah is a privilege only the chosen ones are blessed with. Umrah is one of the most admired forms of worship even though it is not obligatory in Islam. Umrah holds great importance for all Muslims as it allows them to visit the Holy Kaaba and enables them to worship at the place that is also called the home of Allah. Thus, the journey of Umrah is considered as valuable as other higher forms of worship.
Umrah by definition is known as a pilgrimage to Makkah. Makkah is the holiest of all cities for Muslims. The pilgrimage of Umrah can be done at any time of the year, and it is also known as the “lesser pilgrimage”.
The overall process of performing Umrah is based on four main pillars.

The following are the most important rituals of an Umrah:

Tawaf – This ritual requires the Umrah performers to take rounds of the Holy Kaaba around 7 times.
Sa’i – This ritual involves taking rounds of Safa and Marwah in the Great Mosque of Makkah. This ritual is of great significance as it commemorates the struggles of Bibi Hajra in search of water for her son.
Ihram – This is a vital part of Umrah as Ihram is the dress code for men for performing their Umrah.
Halq/Taqsir – This ritual requires men to either trim their hair or shave their heads.

Other than these rituals many other rituals are performed during Umrah, such as the following:

Ziyarat – Visiting old and historical sites associated with Islamic history is also an essential part of Umrah, etc.
What is the significance of Umrah for Muslims?
Umrah is of great significance to Muslims as it allows Muslims to experience the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. Muslims believe that even if they cannot afford to perform Hajj, if they are blessed with the opportunity to perform and in that way visit their God’s home then what could be better than that for them?

Muslims are of the view that Umrah enables them to feel and experience everything people do on Hajj as both of these worships are done at the same places. However, Umrah is considered to be less crowded and thus, calmer and peaceful in contrast to Hajj.

What is the difference between Hajj and Umrah?
Hajj and Umrah are two forms of worship performed in the sacred cities of Makkah and Madinah. Umrah is a lesser pilgrimage in comparison to Hajj which is of 40 days. Unlike Hajj, Umrah does not have any fixed duration, it can be 7 days minimum to a maximum of 15 days.
Hajj has more rituals than Umrah but most of the basic rituals performed during these worships are the same. Hajj is performed during the holy month of Ramadan but, there are no fixed or special days during which Umrah has to be performed.

Umrah has smaller crowds while Hajj always has larger crowds. Having large crowds makes it difficult for people to walk properly and perform all their prayers peacefully. Umrah having fairly a calmer environment enables Muslims to execute all their prayers appropriately.

While performing Hajj among a large set of people worries people about their belongings as people can get pushed a lot during the ritual of Tawaf which causes the loss of personal belongings. The matter of getting pushed by people also causes people to lose their balance making them fall which can end up in a severe injury for them.

On the other hand, Umrah is much calmer due to its smaller set of people. People can walk among the other Umrah performers without any fear of losing their belongings or losing the balance of their steps. Umrah is fairly less expensive as well in comparison to Hajj as it is of longer duration.

More or less of these facts become the reason for people to choose Umrah over Hajj, according to whatever their budget allows as well.

What are the Cheap Umrah Packages?

Cheap Umrah Packagesare deals that are designed specifically for all social classes. As people from all social backgrounds perform as one at Allah’s home during Umrah, the cheap Umrah packages have been made to make the experience equally pleasurable for them all.

Cheap Umrah packages include all the amenities of visas, tickets, food, internet services, stay at luxury hotels, guided tours, and more. These all-in-one benefits can be found in cheap Umrah packages as well let alone in the all-inclusive packages. There are different types of Umrah packages such as all-inclusive to most budget-friendly packages.

However, the 5-star packages are considered as the all-inclusive luxury packages having hoteling nearer to Harrem and the Mosque of Makkah, with captivating views, 3 courses of food, etc.
The 4-star packages include more or less the same amenities except lunch or dinner, at lower prices in comparison to 5-star packages. The cheap Umrah packages are the 3-star packages that are exclusively designed to make the ultimate experience of Umrah affordable for people from all social classes.

The 3-star packages do not offer the services of food, transport, and Ziyarat guided tours. But these packages include all the rest of the main necessities that are required by people on their journey of Umrah. These packages offer visas, tickets, hoteling, and other services, which makes it budget-friendly for people who may have a tight budget.

How can Muslims avail of the Cheap Umrah Packages?

Muslims can grab the cheap Umrah package opportunity digitally as well as through in-person inquiry of Umrah packages from various Umrah organizations. Muslims can discover cheap Umrah packages to enjoy an affordable journey by easily booking from digital platforms made for the holy travels of Muslims.

Many organizations work both onsite and online to provide Muslims with the best Umrah and Hajj packages, to make their religious journeys memorable and budget-friendly for them. Muslims can also book their Umrah packages online, from the comfort of their homes.

Author's Bio: 

There are several platforms dedicated to these religious travels, but Muslims holy travel is the most preferred and trusted platform out of all having the approval of the Saudi Ministry and the protection of ATOL.