What is Umrah Badal?
Umrah Badal is the performance of Umrah in Masjid al-Haram, Makkah, by one person on behalf of another. The performer enters Ihram with a clear intention, this Umrah is for the named individual, and the full reward of the Umrah is dedicated to them. It is permitted for deceased individuals who never performed Umrah, and for living individuals permanently unable to travel.
What Is Umrah Badal? A Complete Islamic Guide
Many Muslim families reach a point where they want to give something that cannot be wrapped or delivered by courier. A parent has passed away. A mother who spoke about going to Makkah her whole life never made it. A father in his eighties whose body simply will not allow the journey. The question that follows is always the same: is there anything I can still do for them?
Umrah Badal is the answer many scholars have given to that question for centuries.
This guide explains what it is, where it comes from in the Islamic tradition, who qualifies, how it works, and what the majority of scholars say about it.
Also known as
Umrah Badal is also called Proxy Umrah, Badal Umrah, or Umrah on behalf of someone. All of these terms describe the same act. In Arabic, badal means substitute, someone performing an act in place of another.
The Meaning of Umrah Badal
Umrah, in itself, is the lesser pilgrimage, a voluntary act of worship that can be performed at any time of year. It consists of entering the state of Ihram, performing seven circuits of Tawaf around the Kaaba, walking seven times between Safa and Marwa (Sa’i), and cutting or shaving the hair (Taqsir).
In a standard Umrah, all of this is done for yourself. The intention is yours. The reward is yours.
In Umrah Badal, you do exactly the same acts. The only difference is the intention. Before entering Ihram, the performer states clearly: “O Allah, I am performing this Umrah on behalf of [name of your loved one].” The reward reaches them.
This mechanism is known in Islamic jurisprudence as isaal al-thawab, the transfer of reward. You perform the act, the reward is yours by default, and you gift it through sincere intention to the named person. Scholars across the Hanafi, Shafi’i, and Hanbali traditions accept this.
Where Does Umrah Badal Come From?
The foundation for proxy acts of worship comes from multiple authentic narrations. The most widely cited is the narration of the woman from the tribe of Khath’am who came to the Prophet ﷺ during the Farewell Hajj and said: “My father is elderly and cannot sit firmly in the saddle. Can I perform Hajj on his behalf?” The Prophet ﷺ told her to do so. This hadith is recorded in both Bukhari and Muslim.
While this narration specifically mentions Hajj, the majority of scholars applied the same ruling to Umrah. The underlying principle is the same: an act of worship performed with sincere intention, dedicated to a named individual, benefits them.
“Perform Hajj on his behalf, for if he had a debt, you would pay it.”
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih MuslimWho Is Umrah Badal For?
Scholars have identified two qualifying categories for the recipient of Umrah Badal:
1. Deceased individuals
A person who has passed away and never performed Umrah during their lifetime. This is the most common reason families arrange Umrah Badal. The intention names them specifically and the reward reaches them. For more, see: Umrah Badal for Deceased Parents.
2. Living individuals with permanent incapacity
A living person who is permanently and genuinely unable to travel to Makkah and perform Umrah themselves:
- Elderly parents in extreme old age who cannot physically manage the journey
- Individuals with a permanent debilitating illness
- Those with disabilities that make the physical acts of Umrah impossible
The key word is permanent. If the incapacity is temporary, someone recovering from surgery, scholars generally say to wait until they can perform it themselves. Umrah Badal applies when there is no realistic prospect of recovery or travel.
Who Can Perform Umrah Badal?
The person performing Umrah Badal must:
- Be Muslim
- Be physically capable of performing Umrah
- Have completed their own Umrah first, the majority of scholars hold this as a condition, based on the Prophet’s ﷺ instruction to perform your own pilgrimage before another’s
There is no restriction on gender. A woman may perform Umrah on behalf of a man, and a man may perform it on behalf of a woman.
Does the Reward Actually Reach the Deceased?
Yes, according to the majority of scholars in the Hanafi, Shafi’i, and Hanbali schools, based on authentic hadith. When you perform an act of worship with sincere intention, the reward of that act belongs to you. You then gift it to the named person through your intention. Allah conveys that reward to them.
Both you and the named recipient receive reward. Scholars describe this as one of the generosities of Allah, the reward is not divided, it is multiplied.
Umrah Badal vs Hajj Badal
These are often confused. Umrah Badal is proxy Umrah, voluntary, available any day of the year, a pure gift of reward. Hajj Badal is proxy Hajj, relates to an obligation (one of the Five Pillars), performed only during Dhul Hijjah, and involves significantly higher costs.
For a detailed comparison: Hajj Badal vs Umrah Badal, Key Islamic Differences
لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ
Arrange Umrah Badal for your loved one
Performed in Masjid al-Haram. Video proof included. Completed in 3 to 7 days.
Book Umrah Badal, $295.00Frequently Asked Questions
In a standard Umrah, you perform the worship for yourself, the intention is yours, the reward is yours. In Umrah Badal, the same physical acts are performed but the intention is dedicated to a named individual. The performer gifts the reward to them through sincere intention before entering Ihram.
Yes, but only for a living person with a permanent incapacity that prevents them from travelling to Makkah and performing Umrah themselves, extreme old age or permanent illness. It does not apply to a person who is capable but simply has not yet performed Umrah.
No. Scholars are clear on this point. When you gift the reward of your Umrah to another through intention, you do not lose your own reward. Both you and the person you named receive reward. Scholars describe this as a generosity of Allah.
Yes. Umrah can be performed any time of year including Ramadan. The Prophet ﷺ said that Umrah in Ramadan carries reward equivalent to Hajj. Many families specifically request Ramadan completion for their Umrah Badal booking.
You need to provide the full name of the person for whom the Umrah is being performed. This name is stated in the intention before Ihram. You also need a valid email address to receive the video proof after completion.
Yes. Our team is based in Makkah. They are not arranging this from abroad or through an intermediary. They have daily access to Masjid al-Haram and perform Umrah regularly. The Haram is where they pray.
$295.00 per Umrah Badal. This covers the full Umrah performed in Masjid al-Haram, Ihram, Tawaf, Sa’i, Taqsir, a sincere intention for your named loved one, and video proof sent to you within 3 to 7 days. One named recipient per booking.
No. Islamic acts of worship, including their reward, can only be dedicated to Muslims. Scholars agree that Umrah Badal cannot be performed on behalf of a non-Muslim.
There is no prescribed dua for this, but making dua for your loved one after the Umrah has been performed is encouraged. Ask Allah to accept the Umrah on their behalf, to have mercy on them, and to elevate their station. The Prophet ﷺ said the dua of a righteous child continues to benefit a person after death.
The practice of performing acts of worship on behalf of others has been part of the Islamic tradition since the time of the Prophet ﷺ. The hadith evidence comes from the Farewell Hajj and other occasions where the Prophet ﷺ directly permitted and encouraged proxy acts of worship for those unable to perform them.