Question:
What is the Islamic ruling of performing umrah multiple times in one journey?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the many countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
In the issue of performing multiple umrah in one hajj season or one journey, the Islamic scholars have differing opinions:
First opinion: Some scholars regard the act of performing multiple umrah is in contradiction of what the Prophet PBUH did while he was alive. The Prophet PBUH performed 4 umrah at four different times:
اعْتَمَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَرْبَعَ عُمَرٍ عُمْرَةَ الْحُدَيْبِيَةِ وَالثَّانِيَةَ حِينَ تَوَاطَئُوا عَلَى عُمْرَةٍ مِنْ قَابِلٍ وَالثَّالِثَةَ مِنَ الْجِعْرَانَةِ وَالرَّابِعَةَ الَّتِي قَرَنَ مَعَ حَجَّتِهِ
“The Messenger of Allah PBUH performed ‘Umrah four times: The ‘Umrah of Hudaibiyah, the ‘Umrah to make up for (the one not completed previously), the third from Ji’ranah and the fourth that he did with his Hajj.”
Sunan Abi Daud (1993)
From Thawus:
الذين يعتمرون من التنعيم لا أدري يؤجرون أو يعذبون " ، قيل له : لم يعذبون ؟ قال : لأنه ترك الطواف بالبيت ، ويخرج إلى أربعة أميال ، ويخرج ، إلى أن يجيء من أربعة أميال قد طاف مائتي طواف ، وكلما طاف بالبيت كان أفضل من أن يمشي في غير شيء
Those who perform umrah from Tan’im, I don’t know whether they are rewarded or will be punished (if they sinned). He was asked: “Why would they be punished?”. He answered: “For he left tawaf around the Kaabah and travelled for four miles and come back again. The distance that he travelled is the same as two hundred times of tawaf. Every single tawaf is better than travelling for any other purposes.”
This act is undesirable according to the majority of salafossoleh and they never performed multiple umrah themselves. Even if fuqaha from mazhab Syafie and Hanbali ruled it sunnah, according to Imam Ibn Taimiyyah, their arguments are not strong and is based on general qiyas, which is from the principle of asking us to increase our worship and by referring to the many benefits of umrah. (Refer Majmu’ al-Fatawa, 26/270)
Imam Ibnu Qudamah states that the act is undesirable according the literal meaning of what has been written by salaf scholars, where he wrote the words of Imam Ahmad that said when we are performing umrah we must shave or cut our hair which is impossible to do unless we wait for ten days. (Refer Al-Mughni, 3/220)
Second opinion: Other scholars however, do not regard performing multiple umrah in one season as a problem. According to Imam al-Nawawi, performing umrah for two, three or more times in a year or a day is not undesirable, but it is considered sunnah. Increasing the number of umrah performed in the opinion of Shafiites scholars is also considered as sunnah. (Refer Al-Majmu’ Syarh al-Muhazzab, 7/147-148)
Furthermore, Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr also stated that most scholars hold the opinion of increasing the number of umrah is permitted. It is not obligatory to prevent it without any evidence discouraging it and there is no evidence that restricts the act of increasing the number of umrah. (Refer Al-Istizkar, 4/113)
Imam Ibn Qudamah said that according to mazhab Syafi’e and Hanbali, there is no restriction of performing umrah multiple times in a year. (Refer Al-Mughni, 3/220)
They based this opinion on a hadith that specifies the benefits of umrah, from Abu Hurairah RA, the Prophet PBUH said:
الْعُمْرَةُ إِلَى الْعُمْرَةِ كَفَّارَةٌ لِمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَالْحَجُّ الْمَبْرُورُ لَيْسَ لَهُ جَزَاءٌ إِلاَّ الْجَنَّةُ
"(The performance of) `Umra is an expiation for the sins committed (between it and the previous one). And the reward of Hajj Mabrur (the one accepted by Allah) is nothing except Paradise."
Sahih al-Bukhari (1773) and Sahih Muslim (1349)
Conclusion
As a conclusion, we are inclined towards the opinion that permits the act of doing multiple umrah in one journey or in one hajj season. This is based on the general commandment to increase any type of worship and this is the opinion that scholars of the mazhab Syafie and some of the scholars from mazhab Hanbali hold. Moreover, pilgrims that come from faraway places such as Malaysia rarely have the chance to visit Mecca for the second or third time. Hence, they should take their chance with the time they have in Mecca to perform umrah without disregarding the hajj that they are about to perform.
May Allah give us an understanding to perform umrah and hajj and we will be able to gain mabrur hajj and umrah. Amin.