Affluent head for Umrah in Ramzan

MUMBAI: City-based businessman Iqbal Memon Officer wrapped up his work, put several meetings on hold, and headed to Saudi Arabia a couple of days ago to spend the initial 20 days of Ramzan at the holy shrines of Mecca and Medina. The holy Islamic month of Ramzan began Tuesday.
Officer is one of the many affluent Muslims who are heading to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah in Ramzan. While Haj is a five-day annual ritual, Umrah can be done in two hours and through the year. Since Umrah in Ramzan carries a special significance, there is a rush of pilgrims visiting Mecca this month. Though Umrah is performed within the precincts of the holy shrine in Mecca and Haj rituals are performed in and around Mecca, most Umrah and Haj pilgrims also visit Medina as Prophet Muhammad is buried there.
Explaining the significance, Yusuf Ahmed Kherada of Al Khalid Tours and Travels, a leading organiser of Haj and Umrah, said, "According to a Hadith or saying of the Prophet, performing Umrah in Ramzan is like performing Haj with the holy Prophet. The divine blessings are manifold and there is certainly a huge rush to perform Umrah in Ramzan."
Bandra resident Shadaab Patel, whose wife is currently in Mecca with her parents, said every good deed done in Ramzan gets blessings 70 times more than in other months and, in Mecca, the divine benefits for the same deed is 70 lakh times.
Another reason is pilgrims don't want distractions during Ramzan. "Cut off from home and business, the worshippers are engrossed in prayer without distractions. The holy month is spent in prayer, contemplation and seeking divine forgiveness," said businessman Usman Lokhandwala who is going for Umrah with his wife and children.