Performing Umrah is the desire of every Muslim as it helps them connect with Allah Almighty and revitalize their faith. Several poor Muslims spend life savings to undertake this holy journey and bask in the spiritual pleasure. For intending pilgrims and dedicated Muslims, this article would be a delight as it covers the story of the first Umrah pilgrimage performed by Muslims.

Background

The first Umrah done by Muslims dates back to 7 AH (629 CE) in the month of Dhul-Qi’dah. According to the recorded narrations, Muslims wanted to perform Umrah since the time they arrived in Medina to avoid oppression by the pagans of Makkah. In 622 CE, Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H ordered His followers to migrate towards Medina according to Allah’s will after facing years of tyranny. They migrated towards Medina and built their own society and state based upon Islamic principles. The Hegira or the migration completed on the 24th of September in 622 CE which marks the first year of the Islamic Calander. Several wars took place among the Muslims of Medina and the pagans of Makkah in the following years. Muslims gained several victories however with time, their desire to return to the homeland (i.e., Makkah) and perform Umrah started to rise.

The Dream of Umrah

Finally, in 628 CE, prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H. saw a dream performing Tawaf around Ka’abah. He knew that the dream was Allah’s order to be fulfilled. Thus, He told His companions about the dream and ordered them to prepare for Umrah. The number of His followers was around 1400 and they were in Ihram and without any arms to show the opponent their pure intentions. However, this didn’t turn out to be the case as the Muslims were stopped outside the city. Diplomacy prevailed and Muslims signed the Treaty of Hudaybiyah with the approval of Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H.

Treaty of Hudaybiyah

The Important points of the treaty are as follows:

1. Muslims will not visit Ka’abah and perform Umrah that year and will return to Medinah. They will instead, return next year, perform Umrah, and stay in Makkah peacefully for three days only.
2. There will be a ceasefire between the Muslims of Medina and the pagans of Makkah for ten years. People on both sides would live in harmony and safety during these years.
3. Any agreement between the Prophet and other tribes will not be prohibited. In the same way, any agreement between the Quraish and other people and tribes would not be forbidden.
4. Any Quraishi individual entering Medinah will be returned to the tribe. However, any individual belonging to Medinah found inside Makkah will not be returned.
Despite criticism of the treaty from fellow Muslims, they accepted the treaty on the orders of Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H. Allah sent the following verse upon the agreement on this treaty:
“Verily! We have granted You clear victory.”
(Quran - 48:1)
Among those who criticized the treaty, Umar Farooq R.A, one of the closest companions of Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H. was the fiercest one. However, he regretted going against the decision of the Prophet P.B.U.H. and took many fasts, freed several slaves, and prayed extra prayers in future as penance. The word of Allah prevailed and Muslims did attain a clear victory in the coming years.

The Succession of Makkah

The following year i.e., in 629 CE, 2000 Muslims performed Umrah, stayed for three days, and returned to Medinah. The Umrah pilgrimage took place on the morning of the fourth day of Dhul Qi'dah in 7 AH (629 CE). For this reason, this pilgrimage is called Umrah-al-Dhul Qi'dah. However, only one year after this Umrah i.e., in 630 CE, the treaty broke due to an attack on Muslims by the allies of Quraish, resulting in several deaths. Following this event, prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H. prepared an army of 10,000 followers and marched towards Makkah. Muslims captured Makkah without any bloodshed and the word of Allah prevailed as prophesized in the verse stated previously.
This story of the first Umrah pilgrimage is the story of faith. It gives several lessons to people who ponder. This story tells us that often what we think is bad for us, leads to the ultimate success. It also gives the lesson to put behind logic in the matters ordained by Allah Almighty. This story revitalizes our faith as Muslims and increases the desire to perform Umrah and achieve closeness to Allah.
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Thank you for sharing OP. It's quite interesting and educative.