The government of Saudi Arabia has banned the performance of Humrah, otherwise called lesser Hajj, twice during the month of Ramadan.
This move was disclosed in a report by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on Sunday, March 17, 2024.
According to the Saudi Arabian authority, the reason for the regulation was to ease the challenges of overcrowding during the spiritual rites in the month of Ramadan, adding that the period was the peak of the Umrah season of the year.
“Permits to perform two or more Umrah pilgrimages will not be issued during the holy month. This move is to ease congestion and provide opportunity for all other pilgrims to perform Umrah in ease and comfort during the holy month,” the ministry said in a statement.
The report further explained that under the Nusuk application system, a platform where pilgrims plan their Hajj and Umrah trips, anyone who has been issued a permit for Umrah during Ramadan would not be issued for the second time.
It added that the system would display “Issuance of the permit failed” upon attempting a second application. The ministry emphasized the advantages of performing Umrah during Ramadan fasting.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, universally observed by Muslims as a period of fasting, prayer, introspection, and communal solidarity.
Lesser hajj (Umrah) can be undertaken at any time of the year, unlike the Hajj, which has specific dates during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah. The Umrah pilgrimage includes rituals such as Tawaf (circumambulation of the Kaaba), Sa’i (walking between the hills of Safa and Marwa), and shaving or trimming the hair.
The 2024 Ramadan begins on March 11 and is expected to end on April 9.