Umrah on behalf of another: performing Umrah al-badal

For whom can an Umrah be performed?

Umrah al-badal — Umrah performed in another's name — applies to three situations:

• a person who has died;
• an elderly person no longer physically able to travel;
• a person with a lasting illness from which recovery is not expected.

It does not apply to someone who could travel but doesn't, for reasons of time or budget: in that case the Umrah remains theirs to perform.

The main condition

It is clear and often overlooked: whoever performs Umrah for another must already have performed their own. You do not begin with a relative's Umrah.

That's the first question to ask before committing — and the first we ask when a pilgrim tells us they're travelling on someone's behalf.

How it works in practice

The rites are exactly the same: ihram at the miqat, tawaf, sa'i, then shaving or trimming. Nothing changes in the sequence (see our rites of Umrah chapter).

What changes comes down to two points:

1. The intention (niyyah) is made in that person's name, when entering ihram.
2. The Talbiya names them — for example "Labbayka 'an …" followed by the person's name. Our article on Umrah supplications gives the full Talbiya.

The rest — tawaf, sa'i, supplications — proceeds normally, and nothing prevents you supplicating for yourself too.

A frequent question

Can several badal Umrahs be performed in one stay? One Umrah counts for one person. To perform a second on someone else's behalf, you must leave the Haram boundary to resume ihram, as for any additional Umrah.

Arranging this trip

Many of our pilgrims travel with this intention, often for a deceased parent. Simply tell our team at registration: it changes nothing in the organisation of the stay, but it lets us guide you and, if you wish, connect you with the group's religious guide. Message us via Bab Makka.