Welcome to our website

 

Labbaik Hajj and Umrah is brought to you by Discount Travel which caters specifically to unique travel requests with fast, friendly, and accommodating services.  Discount Travel has been providing travel packages for over 27 years and has received countless awards and recognition for our unique services.   During our vast years of experience we have specialized in hajj and umrah tours to provide quality experiences and competitive price points.  We are among a select few of elite tour providers who operate worldwide approved by the hajj ministry of Saudi Arabia and in compliance with the rules and regulations imposed by the Saudi government. Our tours are tailored to leave you worry free as you are traveling abroad focusing all your time at ziyarats and prayers.

Why Us

We are a corporation that is synonymous with always pushing the limits of providing unique and remarkable services to pilgrims so in doing so we have collaborated with a highly reputable Saudi company to establish an exceptional experience approved by local government regulators

Together we have collaborated on a package designed to delight all pilgrims on their journey.  We currently operate four offices for your added convenience.  Three locations in Saudi Arabia and one in the Midwestern belt of the United States just outside of the city limits of Chicago. Each are equally dedicated to servicing your needs with utmost professionalism to ensure your trip is worry free.  We have twenty-four  hour turnaround service via; toll free number, email, fax, and if you are in the area you can come in our doors at our stateside location in Chicago from 10 am to 6 pm Monday-Friday and on Saturdays from 10 am to 1 pm for your added convenience.

Our goal is to ensure your pilgrimage is one of prayer, remembrance, and contemplation.

Hajj

Hajj is an imperative duty (fard) for all Muslims who have the resources. It is to be performed during the days of Hajj, preferably once in a lifetime. The word Hajj means, literally, repairing to a place for the sake of visit, and in the terminology of the Islamic Sharia, it implies repairing to Bait-Allah (the House of Allah, one of the names of al-Ka'aba) to observe the necessary devotions. Hajj is not a new institution introduced by Islam in its Sharia, This institution is as old as al-Ka'aba itself which is called in the Holy Koran first House of Divine Worship appointed for mankind (3:95). This verse corroborates the Hadith (Prophetic Saying) which tell us that al-Ka'ba was first built by Adam, the first man on earth.

History Of Hajj The whole ceremony of Hajj is commemorative of Prophet Ibrahim and his family's acts of devotion to Allah Almighty. This demonstrates that Muhammad, the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon did not innovate this institution but purged it of all evil practices and made it an obligatory act of piety by which one can develop God-consciousness; hence it is one of the five pillars of faith incumbent upon each believer to do if he is capable physically and financially. Pilgrimage is rightly said to be the perfection of faith since it combines in itself all the distinctive qualities of other obligatory acts of prayer, patience, privation of amenities of life, devotion, Zakat (alms) and application. In fact, physical pilgrimage is a prelude to spiritual pilgrimage to Allah when man would bid good-bye to everything of the world and present himself before Him as His humble servant saying: 'Here I am before Thee, my Lord, as a slave of Thine.'

There are three forms of Hajj: Tamattu', Ifraad and Qiran.

Tamattu': A pilgrim wears Ihram for Umrah only during the months of Hajj, which means when a pilgrim reaches Makkah, he/she makes Tawaf and Sa'yi for Umrah. Then shaves or clips the hair. On the day of Tarwiya, which is the eighth of Dhul-Hijja, a pilgrim puts on his Ihram for Hajj only and carries out all of its requirements.

Ifraad: A pilgrim wears Ihram for Hajj only. When he reaches Makkah, he performs Tawaf for his arrival and Sa'yi for Hajj. He doesn't shave or clip his hair as he doesn't dis-engage from Ihram. Instead, he remains in Ihram till after he stones Jamrah Al-Aqaba on the Eid day. It is permissible for him to postpone his Sa'yi for Hajj until after his Tawaf for Hajj.

Qiran: A pilgrim wears Ihram for both Umrah and Hajj or he wears Ihram first for Umrah, then makes intentions for Hajj before his Tawaf for Hajj. The obligations on one performing Ifraad are the same as those on one performing Qiran, except that the latter must slaughter whereas the former is not obligated to do so. The best of the three forms is Tamattu'. It is the form that the prophet-may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him encouraged his followers to perform.

Even if a pilgrim makes intentions to perform Qiran or Ifraad he is allowed to change his intentions to Tamattu'; he can do this even after he has performed Tawaf and Sa'yi.

When the Prophet said- may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him- who performed Tawaf and Sa'yi during the year of the Farewell Hajj with his companions, he ordered all those who hadn't brought sacrificial animals to change their intentions for Hajj to intentions for Umrah, cut their hair, and disengage from Ihram till Hajj. He said, " If I hadn't brought the sacrificial animal, I'd have done what I've ordered you to do."

Umrah

 

 

In Arabic the word 'Umrah is derived from al-i'timar which means a visit. Here it means paying a visit to Ka'bah, performing tawaf around it, walking between Safa and Marwah seven times, and then shaving one's head or cutting one's hair short. There is consensus among scholars that it is a prescribed worship. Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "An 'Umrah in the month of Ramadan is equal (in reward) to performing a Hajj.''

RULES FOR TAWAF OF UMRAH

One should be in the state of Ihram before starting Tawaf.

There are three conditions essential for Tawaf of Umrah and for all other kinds of Tawaf as well, namely:

To be a Muslim Niyyah (intention) To perform Tawaf inside Masjid al-Haram Without niyyah, Tawaf is not valid. Tawaf can be performed in Mataf or on different floors of Masjid al-Haram or even on its roof.

While performing Tawaf, one should not look towards Kabah. One has to face Kabah only when doing Istilam of Hajar-e-Aswad.

After completing the seven circuits of Tawaf, if someone deliberately starts the eighth circuit, it becomes obligatory (wajib) for him to complete the second Tawaf by doing six more circuits.

Undesirable times for prayer are not considered undesirable for performing Tawaf.

If someone has to discontinue Tawaf because of time for prescribed prayer or because a dead body is brought for a funeral prayer or need for fresh ablutions arises, he can later resume Tawaf at the point where he discontinued.

Umrah has three pillars:
1. (Ihram) it is the intention to perform Umrah, according to the Hadith (Deeds come with intentions)
2. Circling Kaaba (Tawaf).
3. Saai (going to and fro in Alsaai place).

The Prophet Mohamed  Peace and blessing be upon him �said: (Who did not give his sacrifice, then let him circle Kaai (Go to Alsaai,
because Allah ordered you to).

Ihram is the intention to perform either Hajj or 'Umrah, or to make intention of performing both. Intention is an important element of both. Allah says: "And they have been commanded no more than this: to worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion.'' (Qur'an 98.5) The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The actions will be rewarded according to the intentions behind them, and every person will have what he had intended."