By: Haya Amiri

Performing Umrah in Ramadan is not easy! This must be one of the reasons why the reward for an Umrah in Ramadan is equal to that of a Hajj. To make it slightly easy for you, here are some tips on what to take along with you if you’re planning to go for an Umrah this Ramadan:

• Fragrance free soap – Take a fragrance free soap with you as you’re not allowed to use perfume while in Ihram. You can probably ask your local Islamic bookstore on where to get one.
• Phone without a camera – This one is for the ladies who’re planning to go to Madinah as part of their visit. Phones with cameras are not allowed in the ladies’ section of the Prophet’s mosque in Madinah, so it is best to take an extra phone with you on the trip.
• Wet wipes and tissues – After having a baby, I’ve discovered that wet wipes are one of the most useful things ever to be invented. You can use them to freshen up, remove food stains and spills from your clothes, and quickly clean your shoes This should definitely be in your Umrah travel case.
• Detergent – take a small pack of detergent with you so that you can quickly wash your laundry during your stay or you can purchase one immediately on arrival.
• Trainers – I strongly recommend that you take a pair of very comfortable shoes with you, preferably trainers and an extra pair that you can use. Please take the ones that you’ve already been using, as new shoes can generally be uncomfortable and take you some time to ‘break into’ them.
• A backpack – this has always been my trusted companion on my Umrah visits. This helps distribute the weight across your shoulders. However, I do not recommend carrying your cash and valuables in your backpack as it can be very easy for pickpockets to get access to them. You can also place your shoes in a shoe bag or a plastic bag inside the backpack and take them with you into the masjid because if you leave your shoes outside in the shelves, there’s a very high chance that you might not find them there when you come back!

Books & Booklets

You should always take some reading material with you on your trip. Here are some that I recommend:

– Small sized pocket Qur’an with translation so that you can utilize your time in the mosque

– ‘Fortress of the Muslim’ a pocket-sized book of du’as for many different situations

– ‘Some Selected Supplications from the Qur’an’ – a pocket sized booklet of beautiful du’as from the Qur’an which you can read in the many opportunities you get for making Du’a like Tawaf and Sa’ee

– ‘Hajj, Umrah and Ziyarah in the Light of the Qur’an and Sunnah’ – which is a pocket sized book on Hajj and Umrah with many du’as and guidelines on Umrah and Hajj.

And the list continues…

• Small praying mat – you can buy this immediately on arrival. This is very handy compared to the full sized prayer mats, and can even fit into your backpack.
• Umbrella – Considering that summers are quite hot in Saudi Arabia, you might want to think about packing a light colored umbrella in your suitcase. These are better to protect yourself from the sun than the usual black colored umbrella which will absorb more heat.
• USB Internet plug & play device – If you want to be connected to the Internet while on Umrah for work, this is not so easy while in Saudi Arabia. This is not strictly something you can pack into your travel bag, but I recommend this so that you don’t have to pay lots of riyals for Internet connections in Saudi Arabia! You can purchase this USB device easily available from telecoms stores for a dependable Internet connection wherever you are.

All these things I’ve realized were indispensable to me when I went for an Umrah this summer. We’d love to hear from you about what you think are the must-pack items when you go on an Umrah. May Allah accept and bless your Umrah(s)!

Posted on: August 1, 2011