Returning to Makkah after missing one's flight...

18/10/2009| IslamWeb

Question:

If someone leaves Makkah after completing Umrah for Jeddah and misses the flight and comes back to Makkah to his hotel and wait for next flight for another few days, what will be his status in Makkah? Can he perform another Umrah or can he pray in Masjid Al Haram at all. Please explain.

Fatwa:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

When a person finishes the rituals (of Hajj or Umrah) and leaves Makkah, comes back again to it waiting the time of his journey, he has to enter Makkah with Ihram as he entered it the first time. Some of the people of knowledge said that this Ihram is Wajib (obligation), but we think that the preponderant opinion is that it is desirable but not obligatory.

It is confirmed that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) entered Makkah when he conquered it and he was wearing something on his head. This is evidence that he was not in the state of Ihram, because covering the head is contrary to Ihram.

Therefore, the one returning to Makkah can perform another Umrah, or can perform as many Umrah as he wishes. Doing more than one Umrah is desirable. This is the preponderant opinion of the Muslim scholars.

Al-Bukhari and Muslim reported that Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "A Umrah following another Umrah is an expiation of the sins committed between the two, and the reward of an accepted Hajj is no less than Paradise."

However, some scholars said that it is disliked to perform more than one Umrah in one year. But the first opinion is the most correct one. During the Umrah one can pray in the Al-Masjid Al-Haram, and this is better for him as he will get a great reward as the reward of the prayers are multiplied in the Al-Haram mosque.

Al-Bazzar and Al-Tabrani reported that Abu Al-Darda narrated that prophet said: "The prayer in Al-Haram mosque is 100,000 times(the reward of prayer in other mosques), and the prayer in my mosque is multiplied 1000 times, and the prayer in Al-Quds mosque is 500 times."

When this person wants to leave Makkah, he performs farewell Tawaf (circumambulation) around the K'aba, as this is desirable for the one who performed Umrah according to the majority of scholars.

Allah Knows best.