❖ Question:
While staying in Makkah, can one go to Masjid ʿĀʾishah (Tanʿīm) to enter into iḥrām and perform ʿUmrah again?Is it permissible to perform multiple ʿUmrahs from there, especially on behalf of deceased relatives who didn’t perform Ḥajj or ʿUmrah, such as a deceased younger sibling?
Additionally, is there any Islamic evidence for soaking the kafan (shroud) in Zamzam water to protect the deceased from the punishment of the grave?
❖ Ruling on ʿUmrah from Tanʿīm:
- The stronger scholarly opinion is that ʿUmrah should be initiated from the Miqāt, the prescribed boundary for entering Makkah.
- Performing ʿUmrah from Tanʿīm is not from the general Sunnah; rather, it was a special concession given to ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها because she was in menstruation and couldn’t perform ʿUmrah with the Prophet ﷺ.
Therefore, repeated ʿUmrahs from Tanʿīm (as commonly done today) do not have a valid basis from the early generations (Salaf al-Ṣāliḥīn) or major classical scholars of the Arabian Peninsula.Sheikh Ibn Bāz رحمه الله also rejected the practice of repeated Tanʿīm-based ʿUmrahs in his book “Al-Taḥqīq wa al-Īḍāḥ” (pp. 18–19).
❖ What Should You Do Instead?
Perform frequent Ṭawāf (circumambulations) around the Kaʿbah. The Prophet ﷺ said:“Ṭawāf around the House is like prayer, except that you may speak during it. So if one does speak, let it be only good words.”
[Sunan al-Tirmidhī 960 – Hasan; also in Ibn Khuzaymah & Ibn Ḥibbān – Sahih]
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما said:“Speak less during Ṭawāf, for indeed you are in a state of prayer.”
[Sunan al-Nasāʾī 2926 – Authentic]
You may pray for your deceased parents and siblings during Ṭawāf.❖ ʿUmrah on Behalf of the Deceased:
Yes, you may perform ʿUmrah on behalf of deceased relatives, but only if you go outside the Ḥaram boundary (i.e., to a proper Miqāt).The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Perform Hajj and ʿUmrah on behalf of your father.”
[Sunan Abī Dāwūd 1810; Sunan al-Tirmidhī 930 – Ḥasan Ṣaḥīḥ]
This ruling also applies to other relatives such as a deceased sister.❖ Zamzam Water and Shrouds:
There is no authentic Islamic evidence to support the practice of soaking a shroud in Zamzam water with the belief that it protects from the punishment of the grave. This practice is not established in the Sunnah and could fall into the category of bidʿah (innovation), so it should be avoided entirely.
Summary:
- Avoid multiple ʿUmrahs from Tanʿīm.
- Engage in frequent Ṭawāf and supplications for the deceased.
- You may perform ʿUmrah on behalf of the deceased by entering iḥrām from outside the Ḥaram (e.g., at the Miqāt).
- Avoid innovations like soaking the shroud in Zamzam water.
