Group Badal Umrah: Is One Umrah for Several People Valid?

If you want one representative to perform a single Umrah for a whole family or group, the safest answer is this: each person who needs Badal Umrah should have their own Umrah, with its own intention. Scholars do differ on this point, especially for optional (nafl) Umrah. But when the Umrah is meant to fulfill a duty for someone who cannot travel, or for a deceased parent, a separate performance for each person is the clearest path to validity. This guide explains the rulings, the conditions, and how we handle group requests.

TL;DR

• A single Umrah is generally understood to be performed for one person. Several people means several Umrahs, each with a fresh Ihram and intention.
• Some scholars allow a recommended (nafl) Umrah to be gifted to many people. That is a different question from fulfilling an obligation for someone unable to go.
• A living person must be permanently unable to travel and must give permission. The proxy should have performed Umrah for himself or herself first.
• For a family or group, book one Umrah per person and ask for proof of completion for each one.
• We perform each Badal Umrah separately, with documentation, so every name in your group is covered on its own.

Table of Contents

• What “group Badal Umrah” really asks
• Who can have Umrah performed on their behalf
• What the scholars say about one Umrah for several people
• The conditions that make a Badal Umrah valid
• How several people are covered correctly
• How the four schools differ
• What can undermine a Badal Umrah
• Our perspective
• Arranging Umrah for several people with us
• A short checklist before you book
• FAQ
• Sources

What “group Badal Umrah” really asks

People who search for this usually mean one of three things:

1. One representative makes a single Umrah and names five relatives in the same intention.
2. One representative performs five Umrahs in one trip, one after the other, each for a different person.
3. A group of proxies travels together, each performing Umrah for someone different.

These are not the same, and the rulings differ. The first is where scholars disagree. The second and third are the same act repeated, and they are accepted when each Umrah is complete in itself. The rest of this article separates them so you know which one you are actually asking for.

Our own guides cover the same ground from the family’s side: Umrah for multiple people and multiple proxy Umrahs with separate intentions.

Who can have Umrah performed on their behalf

Before the question of groups, there is the question of eligibility. Badal Umrah is not a convenience for people who are busy or far away. It is a provision for those who truly cannot go.

The Iftaa’ Department of Jordan permits a person who cannot perform mandatory Hajj or Umrah because of an illness with no expectation of recovery, or because of old age, to appoint a proxy. The same page describes the person in this situation as someone physically unable because of a condition with no expectation of recovery, such as old age, chronic illness or disability, or someone elderly who cannot bear the journey without excessive hardship.

For a person who has passed away, the picture is simpler and families often act on it out of love. Ibn Baz, in a ruling reproduced on Al-Fatawa, says there is no harm in performing Hajj or Umrah for someone who is deceased or permanently unable. The same ruling gives a warning: a person who did not maintain prayer should not have Hajj performed for him.

If your situation is a specific one, these pages go deeper:

• Umrah for an elderly parent
• Umrah for a terminally ill person
• Umrah delegation for bedridden patients
• Proxy Umrah for a living person

What the scholars say about one Umrah for several people

The sources do not all say the same thing, and it helps to see why. The table sets out what each one states.

Read closely, these answers are not as far apart as they look. The permissive rulings speak about recommended, optional Umrah, where the worshipper performs the act and gifts the reward. The stricter rulings speak about performing the Umrah on someone’s behalf, as a proxy standing in for a person who cannot go. In the second case, the person has a duty that needs to be discharged, and one act of worship cannot discharge several duties at once.

Why this matters for validity

When a family asks for Badal Umrah, they usually want to know that the duty of their father, their mother and their grandmother has been fulfilled. That is a request to discharge an obligation, not to share a reward. So the cautious reading is the one that serves them: a distinct Umrah for each.

A family that only wants to gift reward to many relatives, alive or deceased, is asking something different. For them, some scholars give wider room. If you are unsure which category you are in, ask a qualified scholar in your own community, and tell us which one you intend when you book.

The conditions that make a Badal Umrah valid

Group or not, every Badal Umrah rests on the same conditions.

1. The person is truly unable

For a living person, the inability must be one with no expectation of recovery. Islamweb states that for Umrah on behalf of a living person to be valid, the person must suffer an incurable disability. A temporary illness or a busy season does not meet this standard.

2. Permission is given

The Iftaa’ Department of Jordan explains that consent is a condition for living people, because they are alive with free will and choice. The unable person must permit the delegation. In a group booking, this means each living person on your list gives their own permission. One relative cannot grant it for all.

3. The proxy has performed Umrah for himself or herself

The same Islamweb ruling states that the one who performs Umrah for another should already have performed Umrah for himself. Schools discuss the detail differently. According to Duaa Guides, Hanafi scholars consider doing it before one’s own Umrah highly disliked, while Shafi’i and Hanbali scholars say it counts as the proxy’s own Umrah. A proxy who has completed his own Umrah avoids all of that. Our guide on minors as Umrah proxies and the one on female Umrah proxies cover who is suitable to represent you.

4. A clear intention for each person

The proxy makes the intention at Ihram, naming the person for whom the Umrah is performed. When there are several people, the intention is made again for each one. This is the heart of the “one intention, one soul” principle.

How several people are covered correctly

There is a well-known method for performing more than one Umrah in a single stay. Fiqh IslamOnline outlines the procedure: the pilgrim first performs Umrah for himself, then exits Ihram (Tahleel), then re-enters Ihram from At-Tan’eem, the nearest Miqat for those in Makkah, and repeats the cycle for each person on whose behalf the Umrah is performed.

In practice, that looks like this:

1. The proxy completes Tawaf, Sa’i and the exit from Ihram for the first person.
2. He leaves for At-Tan’eem and enters Ihram again, with the intention for the second person.
3. He completes the full rites again.
4. The cycle repeats for each name.

This is not a shortcut. Each person receives a complete Umrah. It also explains why a package that promises “ten people in one hour” should make you ask questions. Real Umrahs take time, and ten of them take ten times as long.

One ruling from the office of Grand Ayatollah al-Hakeem adds that when someone has performed Umrah for himself and wants to perform another on behalf of somebody else, it is permissible to do so the next day and within the same month. That is a point from his school, and you may follow the ruling of the scholar you trust.

How the four schools differ

The four Sunni schools all accept the principle of Badal Umrah, though they differ on conditions. Duaa Guides summarizes that Maliki scholars discourage proxy Umrah but still consider it valid, focusing on the idea of performing the pilgrimage and gifting the reward to the person intended. The Hanafi view in the IslamQA ruling is generous toward nafl acts for many people.

What does this mean for you? Three things:

• Follow the school you or your family normally follow, and tell your provider.
• Where schools differ, a separate Umrah for each person is accepted across the board. It is the point of agreement.
• If your question involves a specific unusual case, speak to a scholar you trust before you book.

What can undermine a Badal Umrah

These are the practical failure points that families should watch for:

• No genuine inability. A healthy relative who simply prefers not to travel does not meet the condition for a living person.
• No permission. A living person has not agreed to the delegation.
• A merged intention. Several names are spoken in one Ihram and treated as several Umrahs.
• An unsuitable proxy. The person did not perform his own Umrah, or is not someone you can rely on to do it properly.
• No evidence. You have nothing to show that the rites were performed. Our page on Umrah completion proofs explains what to expect.

Our perspective

When families come to us with a list of names, we hear the same hope each time: that every person on that list is remembered, and that nothing is left to doubt.

That is why we do not merge names. Each Badal Umrah we perform has its own intention and its own completed rites, and it is performed in accordance with Islamic law and verified by qualified imams. A mother, a father and a grandparent each deserve a complete Umrah, not a share of one.

We would rather you wait for each to be done properly than receive a single certificate with many names on it. You get documentation for each, real-time updates, and a team that answers your questions with compassion. Our fixed prices make it simple to plan, and a portion of our profits supports charity, including help for Gaza.

For you. For your loved ones. For their forgiveness.

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Arranging Umrah for several people with us

We offer four Umrah packages, each a one-time fee with no recurring charges:

• Du’a Package: $150
• Noor Package: $250
• Barakah Package: $400
• Jariyah Premium Package: $500

For a family, choose the package that fits each person and book one Umrah for each name. Proof of completion comes as photos, videos and certificates, and our support team can help you if you are not sure which package suits a particular situation. When you are ready, you can book your Umrah in a few minutes. For a first look at the standards we follow, read our guide to Saudi fatwas, eligibility and proof.

If the duty you want to fulfill is Hajj, we also offer Hajj Badal arrangements.

A short checklist before you book

1. Decide who each Umrah is for. Write the names down.
2. For each living person, confirm the inability is permanent and that they agree.
3. For each deceased person, confirm you are acting in line with the ruling of your school.
4. Choose a package for each person.
5. Ask what proof you will receive, for each Umrah.
6. Keep every certificate and recording together with the matching name.

FAQ

Can one person perform a single Umrah for several people at once?

The cautious position, held by Ibn Baz among others, is that an Umrah is performed for one person, not a group. Some scholars permit gifting the reward of a recommended Umrah to many people. If you want a duty fulfilled for each person, book a separate Umrah for each.

Can the same representative perform Umrah for several people in one trip?

Yes, when each Umrah is complete. The proxy completes the rites for one person, exits Ihram, re-enters Ihram from At-Tan’eem with a new intention, and repeats the cycle for each person. Each person then has a full Umrah of their own.

Does the representative need to have done Umrah first?

Islamweb states that the one performing Umrah for another should already have performed Umrah for himself. The schools discuss the details differently, but a proxy who has completed his own Umrah is the safest choice.

Is Badal Umrah valid for someone who is still alive?

It is valid when the person has an incurable disability or is too old to travel, and when they give permission. Temporary illness does not meet the condition. For a deceased person, there is no such requirement of permission.

Sources

• Iftaa’ Department of Jordan: conditions for Hajj or Umrah on behalf of a sick person
• Islamweb: Umrah on behalf of a psychiatric patient
• Al-Fatawa: the ruling on performing one Umrah on behalf of several individuals
• SeekersGuidance: rulings on Hajj and Umra on behalf of another
• IslamQA: Tawaf and Umrah on behalf of multiple people
• Duaa Guides: can I perform Umrah for someone else
• Fiqh IslamOnline: performing Umrah on behalf of the deceased

Recommended

• One Intention, One Soul: Umrah for Multiple People in Saudi
• Is Umrah for Others Allowed? Key Rulings and Process
• Families: Who Gets the Badal Umrah Reward: 7 Step Checklist
• Badal Umrah or Your Own Trip? Scholar Rulings, Nusuk, and Proof