Ramadan is a time of worship and holiness. When Umrah, a voluntary "minor pilgrimage" to the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, takes place during Ramadan, the experience becomes even more profound. The experience of fasting and pilgrimage is one that turns an act of worship into an immersive experience. It is not just about going to Makkah. It is about entering a spiritual cycle where every breath is deliberate.
There is a widely known hadith in which Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that performing Umrah during Ramadan carries the reward equivalent to Hajj with him. While it does not replace the obligation of Hajj, the spiritual merit attached to Umrah in this month is immense. For the believers, the promise of this month alone makes Ramadan Umrah a deeply aspirational experience.
Significance of performing Umrah during Ramadan
This act of devotion is performed by Muslims, who travel to the holy city of Makkah, where the sacred Ka'aba serves as the heart of Islamic belief and the primary direction for prayer, and engage in a series of blessed rituals.
The state of fasting heightens this experience. The hunger and thirst induce a state of heightened self-awareness, and when combined with the tawaf performed around the Kaaba and the sa’i between Safa and Marwah, the believer feels spiritually bare. Every step feels deliberate. Every dua feels urgent.
Ramadan is not only about abstaining from food and drink. It is about the discipline of the tongue, the heart and the mind. Doing Umrah during this time of the year usually enhances this practice.
The atmosphere in Makkah and Madinah during Ramadan is a special one. Having iftar at the Haram, the queues of people fasting together, the sound of congregational duas after Maghrib prayers – these are memories that the pilgrims will always cherish.
There is something majestic about fasting along with thousands of other people who are fasting at the same time, all in the same direction.
Night prayers and Laylat al-Qadr
The nights of Ramadan have their own charm. Doing Taraweeh prayers in Masjid al-Haram or Masjid an-Nabawi is a totally different experience altogether. The recitation, the environment, the sense of being together, it’s almost like being there. A lot of people choose to perform their Umrah during the last ten nights of Ramadan in hopes of experiencing Laylat al-Qadr, or the Night of Decree, which is mentioned in the Quran as being better than a thousand months.
Being in the holy cities during those nights amplifies the spiritual intensity. Worship feels heavier in reward, lighter in effort.
A test of patience and sincerity
Performing Umrah in Ramadan is not easy. Crowds increase. Temperatures can be challenging. Physical exhaustion from fasting adds to the experience. But that is also where the beauty lies. For some, Ramadan Umrah is more than a religious achievement. It is a moment of change.
Individuals come back home with a sense of clarity, with a renewed sense of faith, and with an attitude of gratitude. The experience of iftar near the Kaaba, the tears of dua, the dates shared with strangers – all these are etched in their memories.
Ramadan itself is a reset. The act of Umrah during this month is like pushing that reset button in the most holy environment possible. In the year 2026, as millions of people are about to observe Ramadan, there will be those who will hold within them the hope of being in front of the Kaaba while fasting.
Also read: Ramadan 2026 begins February 19: Full sehri and iftar timings
