Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

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One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

How many times did Prophet Mohamed (saws) perform Umrah and why did He perform Hajj only once.

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Answer:

How many times Prophet Mohammed (saws) performed Hajj and Umrah?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and who-ever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

It has been recorded that the Messenger of Allah (saws) performed a total of four Umrahs and one Hajj pilgrimage.

Umrah 1: 6^th Hijri, after the Treaty of Hudaibiya. Although he was not allowed to visit the Kaaba by the polytheists of Makkah to perform Umrah, it is still counted as an Umrah. He came out of the Ehram, shaved his head, and sacrificed his ‘hadi’ (animal) and went back to Medina. The deal made with the polytheists, that he would return to Medina, and come back the next year for his Umrah.

Umrah 2: 7^th Hijri, as per the Treaty of Hudaibiyah.

Umrah 3. 8^th Hijri, after returning from the Battle of Hunain.

Umrah 4: 10^th Hijri, along with the Hajj.

Your comment: Why did he (saws) perform the Hajj only once.

Until 8^th Hijrah, Makkah was under the rule and control of his enemies, the Quraish; thus obviously he was not allowed to perform the Hajj. After the Muslims conquered Makkah in 8^th Hijrah, the muslims had control over Makkah and thus the Kaabah. In the 9^th year after Hijrah, Abu Bakr was made the ‘Ameer ul Hajj’ by Prophet Mohamed (saws), and later Ali ibn Abi Taalib (r.a.) was sent from Makkah to recite the newly revealed Surah Taubah, in which Allah declared that no ‘mushriks’ (polytheists) were hereby allowed to visit the Sacred House of Allah.

The next year 10^th year after Hijrah, the Prophet (saws) himself performed the pilgrimage of Hajj, and this became famous as the ‘Hajja tun Wida’.

And Allah Alone Knows Best, and He is the Only Source of Strength

May Allah guide you and us all to the Siraat al-Mustaqeem.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan