The Question:
If a person comes to Makkah al-Mukarramah to perform Ḥajj or ‘Umrah, is it permissible for him, after completing his Ḥajj or ‘Umrah, to perform another ‘Umrah for himself or for someone else in the same season he arrived, by exiting Makkah to At-Tan‘īm for iḥrām (the state of ritual consecration), and then performing this ‘Umrah? Please advise, may Allah bless you.
The Answer by Shaykh Abdul Azeez bin Abdullah bin Baaz (Rahimahullah):
There is no harm in that, and all praise is due to Allah. If one comes for ‘Umrah or Ḥajj, and performs Ḥajj or ‘Umrah for himself, or performs Ḥajj or ‘Umrah for someone else, and then wishes to perform another ‘Umrah for himself or for someone else, there is no harm in that.
However, he must assume iḥrām from outside the sacred precinct (al-Ḥill), meaning he exits Makkah to al-Ḥill—At-Tan‘īm, Al-Ji‘rānah, or other places—then assumes iḥrām from there, then enters to perform ṭawāf (circumambulation of the Ka‘bah), sa‘y (walking between Safa and Marwa), and taqṣīr (shortening the hair). This applies whether it is for himself, or for a deceased relative or loved one, or for an incapacitated elderly man or woman who is unable to perform ‘Umrah. There is no objection.
‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) did this by the command of the Prophet (peace be upon him). She performed ‘Umrah with the Prophet (peace be upon him), then sought permission on the night of Al-Ḥaṣbah—the night of the thirteenth… the night of the fourteenth—she sought permission, rather, on the night of the thirteenth, on the night of Al-Ḥaṣbah, which was the evening of the third day, the night of the fourteenth, she sought permission to perform ‘Umrah, and he (peace be upon him) granted her permission. He commanded ‘Abd ar-Raḥmān ibn Abī Bakr, her brother, to go with her to At-Tan‘īm, and she performed ‘Umrah (may Allah be pleased with her). This was a second ‘Umrah from within Makkah.
In summary: there is no harm for a person to perform Ḥajj or ‘Umrah for himself, and then perform ‘Umrah for another person, or perform ‘Umrah for someone else, or perform Ḥajj for someone else, and then perform ‘Umrah for himself. There is no harm in that. Yes.
The Presenter: May Allah reward you with good. If the first and second ‘Umrahs are for himself, do you stipulate a specific time interval between them?
The Shaykh: There is no evidence for that. Some scholars disliked the close succession of two ‘Umrahs, but there is no evidence for this.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “‘Umrah to ‘Umrah is an expiation for what is between them, and an accepted Ḥajj has no reward but Paradise.” [Agreed upon as authentic]. He (peace be upon him) did not specify any particular interval. And ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) performed her second ‘Umrah less than twenty days after her first. She assumed iḥrām for ‘Umrah at the end of Dhū al-Qa‘dah from Madīnah and completed her Ḥajj with the Prophet (peace be upon him) as qārinah (combining Ḥajj and ‘Umrah), because her menstruation prevented her from performing ‘Umrah, so she performed Ḥajj Qirān. Then she sought permission for a new ‘Umrah on the night of Al-Ḥaṣbah, the night of the fourteenth, and said: “You are departing with Ḥajj and ‘Umrah”—meaning, performing them separately—”while I am departing with Ḥajj,” meaning a Ḥajj combined with an ‘Umrah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) granted her permission, and she performed ‘Umrah.
The point is: there is no clear evidence for stipulating a specific duration between two ‘Umrahs. The Prophet’s (peace be upon him) general statement, “‘Umrah to ‘Umrah is an expiation for what is between them,” encompasses both short and long intervals.
However, if there is overcrowding or hardship, it is preferable to refrain from doing so to avoid causing difficulty for others, especially during the days of Ḥajj when there is much hardship. If many people perform ‘Umrah, they cause difficulty for others, so refraining from it is more appropriate.
This is also because the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions, with the exception of ‘Ā’ishah, did not perform ‘Umrah after Ḥajj; rather, they sufficed with their first ‘Umrah. So, if a believer emulates them and refrains from performing another ‘Umrah, this is better. However, if one performs ‘Umrah after the crowds have lessened and the congestion has decreased, there is no harm in that.
The Presenter: May Allah bless you and reward you with good.
(Translated by Mohammed bin Thajammul Hussain Manna)
Saheehus-Seerah 