Ramadan Umrah: every question Moroccans ask, answered one by one

Wiki Tours International (Bab Makka) is a licensed travel agency in Casablanca. This page gathers the questions we are asked about Ramadan Umrah: for each one, a short answer, then a link to the page that goes further.

• The agency: travel agent licence no. ODV-25012; Wiki Tours International appears on the official list of travel organisers and distributors published by Morocco's Ministry of Tourism.
• Departure: from Mohammed V airport in Casablanca, for pilgrims coming from Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakesh, Fez, Tangier, Agadir, Meknes and Oujda.
• The visa: according to the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah FAQ, the Umrah visa allows 90 days in the Kingdom at most from entry, with no extension.
• Start of the month: it follows the crescent sighting.

When does Ramadan start, and when should you book?

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Hijri calendar; both its start and its end depend on the sighting of the new crescent. The countdown above therefore gives the expected start according to the Umm al-Qura calendar, with its sighting margin, and the official announcement fixes the exact day. Ramadan has no fixed Gregorian date: it moves a few days earlier each year, which changes its place relative to the school holidays from one year to the next. Booking, for its part, means choosing a specific departure among the open ones: a group departure has one date, the same for the whole group. The short answer: book once you have chosen a specific departure and settled your leave, since a booking is confirmed by a contract and a deposit.

The right time to book has its own article: when to book a Ramadan Umrah. And the guide chapter on choosing when to go places Ramadan among the other months of the year, with what each one changes for a pilgrim.

How long should you go for during Ramadan?

Sha'ban is the month directly before Ramadan. A trip that starts in it and ends at the beginning of Ramadan lets you welcome the month in Makkah, before the last ten nights. Other programmes leave once the month has begun and cover a large part of it. Either way, the day changes shape in Ramadan: fasting from dawn to sunset, prayer at night. The table sums up the difference; the exact dates are on each departure's page:

| Type of programme | What it covers of the month | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Sha'ban–Ramadan | the end of Sha'ban and the first days of Ramadan | those who want to welcome Ramadan in Makkah and return before the last ten nights |
| Ramadan Umrah | a large part of the month | those who want tarawih and the night prayers on most evenings |

Check each departure's page to see whether the last ten nights are part of the stay. To weigh a short stay against a longer one, our article 8-day or 15-day Umrah sets out what the length really changes. And families often tell us their decision depends on everyone's leave, the school holidays and the parents' health.

Is an Umrah in Ramadan equal to a Hajj?

Ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: "An Umrah in Ramadan is equal to a Hajj" (narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim). The equivalence concerns the reward, as the definition of Ramadan in our Umrah glossary recalls.

We are often asked the question that follows: does a Ramadan Umrah release someone who has not yet performed it from the obligatory Hajj? That is a question of fiqh. Its answer belongs to a scholar you trust, not to a travel agency, and we build no offer on it. For reference, the Hajj of Moroccans is overseen by the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs, and goes through electronic registration in a window announced each year, then a lottery that settles the final lists.

Can you fast while travelling and perform your Umrah?

The traveller's exemption is set out in the Quran, in Surah al-Baqarah: "Whoever among you is ill or on a journey, then an equal number of other days." How to apply it when you stay several days in Makkah, and what suits your situation, is something to ask a scholar before you leave.

The rites of Umrah — ihram, tawaf, sa'y, then halq or taqsir — involve no eating or drinking. The physical effort while fasting is a matter for your doctor, especially with a chronic illness or medication taken at set times: your doctor, not a travel agency, decides with you how to fast and how to perform your rites.

How do tarawih and Laylat al-Qadr work at the Haram?

Tarawih are voluntary prayers performed in congregation every night of Ramadan, after the Isha prayer; at Masjid al-Haram the whole Quran is recited over the course of the month.

Laylat al-Qadr is the night on which the revelation of the Quran began; Surah al-Qadr describes it as better than a thousand months. It is sought in the odd nights of the last ten, so anyone who hopes to spend it at the Haram should make sure those nights fall within their stay. Here are those nights with their calculated Gregorian dates:

I'tikaf, finally, is a spiritual retreat in a mosque, most often during the last ten nights, given over to prayer, reading the Quran and supplication. Our article on the last ten nights of Ramadan describes how those nights are lived at the Haram.

Do you need a permit?

Yes. The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah FAQ states that performing Umrah requires a permit issued through the Nusuk app, and that praying in the Rawdah requires a second one, separate from the first. Nusuk is Saudi Arabia's official platform for pilgrimage services; for Moroccan travellers using a licensed agency, these steps are handled by the agency. These rules can be adjusted during Ramadan in particular, so we check them with you before departure. Our guide to the Nusuk app shows how to use it, and the details of the Rawdah permit are in the frequently asked questions below.

And Madinah: what should you know?

The Prophet's Mosque ﷺ in Madinah is Islam's second holiest site; founded by the Prophet ﷺ himself, it houses his grave ﷺ and the Rawdah. Visiting it is not part of the Umrah rites, and each departure's page shows how many nights are spent in Madinah and where they fall in the programme.

The Rawdah is the area of the mosque between the minbar and the Prophet's ﷺ chamber, especially sought for prayer; visits are booked through the Nusuk app, and the details of its permit are in the frequently asked questions below.

Does the hotel need to be close to the Haram during Ramadan?

That depends on how you will live the month. If you break your fast at the Haram, stay for tarawih, then go back to the hotel for suhoor, the trip between the hotel and the mosque repeats several times in the same night, and distance then counts for more than at other times of year. Iftar is breaking the fast at sunset, at the Maghrib call; suhoor is the meal eaten before dawn, just before Fajr. That is why each departure lists its tiers, the name of the hotel in each tier and its distance from the Haram in metres, on its own page.

These are our partner hotels in Makkah:

Children, health, documents: what matters?

Our groups welcome families; here is the rule as we apply it today:

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah FAQ sets the minimum age for an Umrah visa or permit at 5: if you are travelling with a younger child, talk to us before booking. The Saudi Ministry of Health requires every pilgrim to be vaccinated against ACYW meningitis, with timing set in health requirements reissued every season: see your doctor or a vaccination centre early. And according to the Ministry FAQ, a woman is permitted to perform Umrah without a mahram; the chapter on women and the mahram explains what that changes.

For the passport, the agency's rule is the one that applies:

Each departure also states its own conditions on its page, and the full list of documents is in the guide chapter on documents and the visa.

What does Moroccan law say about the contract?

In Morocco nobody may work as a travel agent without a licence issued by the competent authority, and the law on the organisation of the travel agent profession requires the licence number to appear on the website, the contracts and the correspondence. Our licence page displays licence ODV-25012.

The same law provides that any package service is covered by a contract, and that before signing the customer receives detailed information on the services, the prices, the payment terms, the cancellation conditions and the border formalities. The agency remains responsible for the proper performance of the contract, whether it provides the services itself or entrusts them to other providers. It also sets out what the contract must state:

1. the names and addresses of the organiser, the travel agent, the guarantor and the insurer;
2. a detailed description of the services;
3. the price, the schedule and the payment terms;
4. any price revision, and cancellation;
5. informing the customer before departure, and the border formalities.

If any of these is missing from your contract, ask us before you sign. Here are our deposit and payment rules:

What is the next step?

Here are the open departures for Ramadan, Sha'ban–Ramadan programmes included; each has its page, with its dates, length, hotels and prices by room type:

Programmes that start in Sha'ban let you welcome Ramadan in Makkah; they are grouped here:

And all our Ramadan offers on one page:

Frequently asked questions

Does a Ramadan Umrah replace the obligatory Hajj?

The hadith narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim compares the reward of a Ramadan Umrah to that of a Hajj. Whether it releases someone who has not yet performed the obligatory Hajj is a question of fiqh that a travel agency does not answer: put it to a scholar you trust before choosing between the two.

I am travelling from Fez, Oujda or Agadir: how do I join the group?

All our departures leave from Mohammed V airport in Casablanca. From Fez, direct ONCF trains run to Casa Voyageurs, which is then linked to the airport, over about 290 km. From Oujda, about 600 km away, we advise arriving the day before. From Agadir, a little under 500 km away, the motorway, coaches or a domestic flight will do.

What does the law say if I cancel my booking?

The seven-day withdrawal right in Morocco's consumer protection law does not apply to transport or accommodation services provided on a set date. Cancellation is therefore governed by the conditions of the contract, which the law on the travel agent profession requires the agency to give you in detail before signing. Read them before committing.

Do you need a permit to pray in the Rawdah?

Yes, a permit of its own, separate from the Umrah permit, booked through the Nusuk app. According to the authority in charge of the two Holy Mosques, one person can obtain it only once every 365 days, and an instant access route also exists near the Prophet's Mosque. These rules can change during Ramadan, so we check them with you before departure.

Can you do i'tikaf with the group?

At Masjid al-Haram and Masjid al-Nabawi, i'tikaf follows rules published every year by the authority in charge of the two Holy Mosques, so the agency does not promise it before they are out. If it is your main aim, ask us before booking, and choose a departure whose stay includes the last ten nights.

Can you bring an elderly parent?

Yes, our groups welcome families. Before booking, ask their doctor about fasting, walking and a long journey, and ask us which tier is closest to the Haram on each departure, since distance counts for more during Ramadan. Each departure shows its hotels and their distance in metres on its page.

Sources

• Official FAQ of the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah

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