Direct Answer, Can You Perform Umrah for Someone Else?
Yes. You can perform Umrah on behalf of another person, this is called Umrah Badal, also known as Proxy Umrah or Badal Umrah. The person performing it states the name of the intended recipient in their intention before entering Ihram, and the reward of the complete Umrah is dedicated to that person. This is permitted by the majority of Islamic scholars for deceased individuals and for those permanently unable to perform Umrah themselves.
Can You Perform Umrah for Someone Else? A Complete Islamic Guide
This question comes up in many different forms. Can I do Umrah for my deceased mother? Can someone perform Umrah on my behalf if I cannot travel? Can I send someone to Makkah to do Umrah for my father?
The answer to all of these is yes, with specific conditions that Islamic scholarship has outlined clearly.
This guide covers who can perform Umrah for another person, who qualifies as the recipient, what conditions apply, how the intention is made, and how it is arranged practically.
What Does It Mean to Perform Umrah for Someone Else?
When you perform Umrah for yourself, the intention is yours. The reward is yours. Every circuit of the Tawaf, every lap of Sa’i, every act of the Umrah, they are for you.
When you perform Umrah for someone else, you make a different intention. Before entering Ihram, you state clearly: “O Allah, I am performing this Umrah on behalf of [name of the person].” From that point, all the acts of Umrah are performed in the same physical way, but their reward is dedicated to the named person.
This is the mechanism scholars call isaal al-thawab, the transfer of reward. You gift the spiritual benefit of your act to another person through sincere intention.
Who Can Perform Umrah for Someone Else?
The person performing Umrah on behalf of another must meet these conditions:
1. Must be Muslim
The performer must be a Muslim. Non-Muslims cannot enter Masjid al-Haram and cannot perform Umrah.
2. Must be physically capable
The performer must be capable of performing all the acts of Umrah themselves, the Tawaf, Sa’i, and Taqsir. If a person cannot perform Umrah for themselves, they cannot perform it for another.
3. Should have completed their own Umrah first
This is the majority position based on a narration in which the Prophet ﷺ was asked about performing Hajj for another and instructed the person to perform it for himself first. Scholars extend this to Umrah. The performer of Umrah Badal should have already completed their own Umrah before performing it for another.
4. Must make a sincere, clear intention
The intention must name the recipient and must be made before entering Ihram. A vague or post-hoc intention does not count. The name should be stated clearly.
On gender
There is no restriction based on gender. A woman may perform Umrah on behalf of a man. A man may perform Umrah on behalf of a woman. The conditions apply equally regardless of the performer’s gender.
Who Can Be the Recipient?
The person on whose behalf Umrah is performed must fall into one of two categories:
Deceased Muslims
A person who has passed away. This is the most common case. A parent, grandparent, sibling, or any deceased Muslim. There is no time limit, Umrah Badal can be arranged years or decades after someone’s passing.
Living Muslims with permanent incapacity
A living person who is permanently unable to travel to Makkah and perform Umrah themselves. The incapacity must be genuine and permanent:
- Extreme old age, someone in their late 80s or 90s who cannot physically make the journey
- Permanent illness that prevents travel
- Permanent physical disability that prevents the physical acts of Umrah
The incapacity must be permanent. If someone is temporarily unwell but expected to recover, scholars generally say to wait until they can perform Umrah themselves.
Important condition for living recipients
If you are arranging Umrah Badal for a living person who is incapacitated, scholars recommend (and some require) that the person has genuinely attempted or intended to perform Umrah during their capable years. Performing Umrah Badal for a capable, healthy person who simply has not gotten around to it is not what this act is for.
How Is the Intention Made?
The intention in Islamic worship is primarily in the heart, it is not a ritual recitation. However, for Umrah Badal, scholars recommend stating the name of the recipient out loud before entering Ihram. This makes the dedication explicit and clear.
A common formulation is:
“Labbayka Allahumma labbayk, ‘an [name of recipient].”
“Here I am, O Allah, here I am, on behalf of [name].”
The name should be the full name of the person. Some scholars recommend including the mother’s name as well (e.g., “Ahmad ibn Fatima”), as this is common in Islamic supplication and helps specify the individual. Either format is widely accepted.
Does the Performer Lose Their Own Reward?
No. This is one of the most important points, and one that many people misunderstand.
When you perform Umrah Badal, you gift the reward of your act to the named person. But you do not lose your own reward. Scholars across the Hanafi, Shafi’i, and Hanbali schools are clear on this: both the performer and the recipient receive reward. The reward is not divided, it is multiplied, as a mercy from Allah.
This means that performing Umrah for a deceased parent is not self-sacrificing in the sense that you miss out. You receive reward for the act. Your parent receives the reward you dedicated to them.
What Happens During the Umrah?
The person performing Umrah Badal carries out the exact same acts as a normal Umrah, with the intention dedicated to the named recipient:
- Ihram, entering the state of consecration with the intention stated in the name of the recipient
- Tawaf, seven circuits of the Kaaba in Masjid al-Haram, in the anti-clockwise direction
- Sa’i, seven laps between the hills of Safa and Marwa
- Taqsir or Halq, cutting or shaving the hair, completing the Umrah
All of this is performed in Masjid al-Haram in Makkah. There is no shortened or symbolic version, the full Umrah must be performed for it to be valid.
Can You Perform Umrah for Someone Without Being in Makkah Yourself?
No. The person performing Umrah Badal must physically be in Masjid al-Haram and perform the acts of Umrah in person. There is no remote or proxy-of-a-proxy arrangement, the person making the intention must be the person physically performing the Tawaf and Sa’i.
This is why umrabadal.com is based in Makkah. Our team members are physically there, with daily access to Masjid al-Haram. They are the ones entering Ihram, performing the Tawaf, and sending you the video.
How to Arrange Umrah on Behalf of Someone Else
If you want to arrange Umrah for a deceased parent or permanently incapacitated loved one:
- Visit umrabadal.com/book-now/
- Provide the full name of the recipient
- Complete payment ($295.00)
- Receive confirmation and an estimated completion window
- Our team in Makkah performs the full Umrah with your loved one’s name in the intention
- You receive video of the Tawaf in Masjid al-Haram within 3 to 7 days
You can book from anywhere in the world. Families in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, UAE, Pakistan, and Singapore regularly use this service.
لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ
Arrange Umrah Badal for your loved one
Performed in Masjid al-Haram. Video proof included. 3 to 7 days.
Book Umrah for Someone Else, $295.00Performing Umrah for Specific People
Performing Umrah for a deceased mother
One of the most common reasons people arrange Umrah Badal. A mother who talked about going to Makkah her whole life. A mother who passed away before she could. The intention names her specifically, and the reward reaches her.
Performing Umrah for a deceased father
The same applies. A father whose circumstances never allowed the journey. Arranging Umrah Badal in his name is one of the most meaningful things children can do for a parent who has passed.
Performing Umrah for an elderly parent
If a parent is still alive but permanently unable to travel due to age or illness, Umrah Badal can be arranged for them. Many families do this and then show the parent the video, an experience that is often deeply moving for both parties.
Performing Umrah for a sibling, grandparent, or other relative
Umrah Badal is not restricted to parents. Any deceased Muslim or permanently incapacitated Muslim can be the recipient, a sibling, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or any person you wish to honour.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to the majority of scholars, no. The performer of Umrah Badal should have completed their own Umrah first. This is based on a narration in which the Prophet instructed a person asking about proxy pilgrimage to perform it for themselves first. Our team in Makkah has met this condition.
No. You can arrange Umrah Badal for multiple people, parents, grandparents, siblings, or other family members. Each is a separate booking with a separate intention naming the specific individual. There is no Islamic restriction on gifting the reward of multiple Umrahs to different people.
The performer must have completed their own Umrah first. If they have never performed Umrah, they should do so for themselves before performing Umrah Badal. This is why this service is performed by our team in Makkah who have met this condition.
If the illness is temporary and they may recover, scholars generally advise waiting until they can perform it themselves. If the condition is permanent and travel to Makkah is genuinely impossible for them, Umrah Badal is valid. If you are unsure whether their condition qualifies, consulting a knowledgeable scholar is the right step.
No. One Umrah can only be dedicated to one person per performance. You cannot split the reward between yourself and someone else, or dedicate one Umrah to two people. Each Umrah Badal requires a separate performance with a specific intention for one named person.
If the recipient has passed away, clearly they cannot know. For a living recipient, most scholars do not require the person to have specifically requested it or to know in advance. You can arrange Umrah Badal for a living parent as a surprise gift, as long as the qualifying conditions are met.
Not in one Umrah. Each Umrah is a separate performance for one named person. However, a person can perform multiple Umrahs during one trip to Makkah, completing one, leaving and re-entering Ihram, and then performing another for a different person. This is how multiple bookings can be completed within a short period.
Yes. There is no requirement for the performer to be a scholar, imam, or person of religious authority. Any Muslim who has completed their own Umrah, is physically capable, and makes the correct intention with sincerity can validly perform Umrah Badal.
Use the name you know them by, the name they were called in life. If you know their Islamic name, use that. If you are unsure, do your best with the information you have. Allah knows who you intend even if the name is not perfectly complete.
We send video of the Tawaf performed in Masjid al-Haram. You can see the Kaaba in the video. You know it was done in the right place. Beyond the practical proof, our team are Muslims performing this act with the same sincerity they would bring to any act of worship, the intention is real, the Umrah is real, and the reward reaches your loved one.
Related Guides
- What Is Umrah Badal?, Complete overview
- Is Umrah Badal Permissible in Islam?, Full Islamic ruling
- Umrah Badal for Deceased Parents, Guidance for families
- Hajj Badal vs Umrah Badal, Key differences