How Many Umrahs Did Prophet Muhammad Perform?

How Many Umrahs Did the Prophet Perform?

When Muslims ask, “How many ʿUmrahs did the Prophet ﷺ perform?”, they are really asking about the exact number, the names, the years, and how scholars counted them. The clearest answer, based on authentic ḥadīth, is that the Prophet ﷺ performed four ʿUmrahs after the Hijrah.

These four are explicitly listed in a well-known narration of Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه, reported in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and others, where he states that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed four ʿUmrahs, all of them after his migration to Madinah. Classical jurists such as Imām al-Nawawī, Ibn Ḥajar, Ibn Qudāmah, and others treat this report as the primary reference.

The four ʿUmrahs usually listed are:

• ʿUmrah al-Ḥudaybiyyah – the attempted ʿUmrah in 6 AH, concluded with the Treaty of Ḥudaybiyyah.
• ʿUmrat al-Qaḍāʾ – the compensatory ʿUmrah in 7 AH, performed the year after Ḥudaybiyyah.
• ʿUmrah from al-Jiʿrānah – after the Battle of Ḥunayn, in 8 AH.
• ʿUmrah with Ḥajjat al-Wadāʿ – the ʿUmrah that was part of the Farewell Ḥajj in 10 AH.

Some scholars, focusing on strict completion inside the Ḥaram, count three. However, because the Prophet ﷺ entered into iḥrām for ʿUmrah at Ḥudaybiyyah, and the revelation and legal rulings surrounding that ʿUmrah shaped the fiqh of ʿUmrah and Ḥajj, the majority still regard it as a validly initiated ʿUmrah and include it in the total of four.

Qur’an-Based Foundations of ʿUmrah

The Qur’an does not directly state the number of ʿUmrahs that the Prophet ﷺ performed. Instead, it lays down the foundation that both Ḥajj and ʿUmrah are acts of worship that must be completed sincerely and correctly for Allah alone. The detailed enumeration of the Prophet’s ʿUmrahs comes from the Sunnah, but their importance is rooted in Qur’anic guidance.

Primary Verse on Ḥajj and ʿUmrah

وَأَتِمُّوا الْحَجَّ وَالْعُمْرَةَ لِلَّهِ

Wa atimmū al-ḥajja wa al-ʿumrata lillāh.

“Complete the Ḥajj and the ʿUmrah for Allah.” (Sūrat al-Baqarah, 2:196)

According to Imām Ibn Kathīr, this command shows that ʿUmrah is a legislated act of devotion, and that once a servant enters iḥrām, it becomes obligatory to complete that state of worship unless prevented by a legitimate sharʿī excuse. Imām al-Ṭabarī explains that the verb “atimmū” (complete) indicates both the obligation of completing these rites and the requirement of doing so according to the prophetic method.

Imām al-Qurṭubī and Imām al-Rāzī note that the verse couples Ḥajj and ʿUmrah together, illustrating that both are part of the same broad system of pilgrimage. This is why the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ in Ḥajj and ʿUmrah is the primary practical tafsīr of this verse: his actual journeys to Makkah show us what “completion” looks like in real life.

Calling Humanity to the Sacred House

وَأَذِّنْ فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِجَالًا وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَأْتِينَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ

Wa adh-dhin fī al-nāsi bil-ḥajji yaʾtūka rijālān wa ʿalā kulli ḍāmirin yaʾtīna min kulli fajjin ʿamīq.

“And proclaim to mankind the Ḥajj; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, coming from every distant pass.” (Sūrat al-Ḥajj, 22:27)

While the verse explicitly mentions Ḥajj, classical exegetes such as Ibn ʿĀshūr highlight that the continuous movement of people to the Sacred House encompasses both Ḥajj and ʿUmrah. The Prophet’s repeated ʿUmrahs after Hijrah can be seen as a living enactment of this proclamation: journeys to the House of Allah that affirmed its centrality in the life of the Ummah.

In summary, the Qur’an frames ʿUmrah as:

• a distinct, legislated act of worship,
• to be completed solely for Allah,
• and practically explained by the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.

The exact number of his ʿUmrahs, therefore, is learned from authentic ḥadīth, while the Qur’an provides the conceptual and spiritual foundation that makes those journeys legally and spiritually meaningful.

Ṣaḥīḥ Hadith: Number of the Prophet’s Umrahs

The central textual proof about the number of ʿUmrahs the Prophet ﷺ performed is the narration of Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه in the Ṣaḥīḥ collections. This report is the backbone of the majority view.

Hadith of Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: اعْتَمَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَرْبَعَ عُمَرٍ، كُلُّهُنَّ بَعْدَ الْهِجْرَةِ...

ʿAn Anas ibn Mālikin رضي الله عنه qāl: iʿtamara Rasūlullāh ﷺ arbaʿa ʿumarin, kulluhunna baʿda al-hijrah...

“Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed four ʿUmrahs, all of them after the Hijrah…”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ḥajj (Book of Pilgrimage), a ḥadīth graded Ṣaḥīḥ. (Numbering varies slightly between editions.)

In extended versions of this narration, Anas رضي الله عنه goes on to list these four ʿUmrahs by name and occasion, which we will detail in the next section. The critical point here is that a clear, explicit, authentic text states the number “four,” and this becomes the starting point for juristic discussion.

Supportive Reports From Other Companions

Reports from companions such as ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar and ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهم confirm the repeated performance of ʿUmrah by the Prophet ﷺ, even if not every report explicitly mentions the total number. These narrations describe:

• the ʿUmrah linked to the Treaty of Ḥudaybiyyah,
• the compensatory ʿUmrah that fulfilled the terms of that treaty,
• the Prophet’s iḥrām from al-Jiʿrānah after Ḥunayn,
• and his combined Ḥajj and ʿUmrah in 10 AH.

Many of these reports are recorded in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Sunan Abī Dāwūd, and Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, generally graded Ṣaḥīḥ or Ḥasan by the muḥaddithīn.

Why the Hadith of Anas Is Central

From a uṣūl al-fiqh perspective, the hadith of Anas has several features that make it decisive:

• It is explicitly enumerative: it states the number clearly (“four ʿUmrahs”).
• It is reported in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, the most rigorously authenticated collection.
• It is supported by multiple historical reports describing the same journeys.
• It is not contradicted by any equally authentic text giving a different number.

Therefore, the majority of scholars treat this narration as the primary dalīl for determining the number of ʿUmrahs, and they interpret other narrations in its light rather than against it.

Timeline and List of the Prophet’s Umrahs

To properly understand how many ʿUmrahs the Prophet ﷺ performed, it is helpful to list them in chronological order, with their dates, locations, and key events. This also solves many common confusions people have when they hear “three” in one context and “four” in another.

1. ʿUmrah al-Ḥudaybiyyah (6 AH)

In the sixth year after Hijrah, the Prophet ﷺ set out from Madinah with his companions in the state of iḥrām for ʿUmrah, intending a peaceful visit to the Kaʿbah. They were stopped by the Quraysh at a place called al-Ḥudaybiyyah, just outside the Ḥaram boundary. The famous Treaty of Ḥudaybiyyah was concluded there.

Because the Quraysh prevented them from entering Makkah that year, the Prophet ﷺ and the companions sacrificed their animals and shaved their heads in that location. They exited iḥrām without performing ṭawāf or saʿī inside the Ḥaram. Some scholars therefore say that this ʿUmrah was “cut short” by necessity.

However, the Prophet ﷺ had already assumed iḥrām for ʿUmrah, and the Qur’an revealed rulings about what to do when one is prevented (iḥṣār). This is why Anas and other companions counted it among the Prophet’s four ʿUmrahs: it was a fully-entered, legally-recognised ʿUmrah, even though its rites were not completed in Makkah itself.

2. ʿUmrat al-Qaḍāʾ (The Compensatory ʿUmrah, 7 AH)

One of the conditions of the Treaty of Ḥudaybiyyah was that the Muslims would return the following year and be allowed to perform ʿUmrah. In the seventh year after Hijrah, the Prophet ﷺ returned to Makkah with his companions to fulfil that agreement. This journey is known as ʿUmrat al-Qaḍāʾ (the compensatory ʿUmrah) or sometimes ʿUmrat al-Qaḍāʾ wa-l-Qiṣāṣ.

During this ʿUmrah, the Prophet ﷺ stayed only three days in Makkah, as stipulated in the treaty. He performed ṭawāf and saʿī, and the companions circumambulated the Kaʿbah with him, visibly demonstrating their strength and unity. This ʿUmrah is unanimously counted among the Prophet’s ʿUmrahs by all scholars.

3. ʿUmrah from al-Jiʿrānah (8 AH)

After the conquest of Makkah in 8 AH and the subsequent Battle of Ḥunayn, the Prophet ﷺ encamped at a place called al-Jiʿrānah, a valley near the boundary of the Ḥaram. The spoils of Ḥunayn were distributed there. From this location, he entered into iḥrām for ʿUmrah and then proceeded to Makkah to perform ṭawāf and saʿī.

Many sīrah works — including those of Ibn Isḥāq, Ibn Hishām, and later historians — mention this ʿUmrah explicitly. It is also supported by ḥadīth reports in the Sunan collections, generally graded Ḥasan or Ṣaḥīḥ by the scholars of ḥadīth. Again, there is no real dispute that this is counted as one of the Prophet’s ʿUmrahs.

4. ʿUmrah with Ḥajjat al-Wadāʿ (10 AH)

In the tenth year after Hijrah, the Prophet ﷺ performed his only Ḥajj after the Hijrah, which is known as Ḥajjat al-Wadāʿ — the Farewell Ḥajj. In this journey, he combined Ḥajj and ʿUmrah. The narrations show that he performed ṭawāf and saʿī in a way that constituted both Ḥajj and ʿUmrah together, either by qirān (combining in one iḥrām) or tamattuʿ (depending on the juristic interpretation of the various reports).

Because the rites of ʿUmrah were performed along with the rites of Ḥajj, classical scholars count this as a distinct ʿUmrah. Thus, when we add:

• Ḥudaybiyyah (initiated ʿUmrah, prevented by enemies),
• the compensatory ʿUmrah in 7 AH,
• the ʿUmrah from al-Jiʿrānah,
• and the ʿUmrah within Ḥajjat al-Wadāʿ,

we arrive at the total of four ʿUmrahs, exactly as stated in the hadith of Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه.

Why Scholars Differ: Three or Four Umrahs?

The difference among scholars over whether the Prophet ﷺ performed three or four ʿUmrahs arises from methodology, not contradiction. Every accepted view is grounded in textual evidence, and the disagreement reflects the precision of early jurists when defining what counts as a “completed” ʿUmrah inside the Ḥaram versus an ʿUmrah for which iḥrām was validly assumed.

1. The Majority Position: Four Umrahs

The majority—including Imām Mālik, Imām al-Shāfiʿī, Imām Aḥmad, and the dominant Ḥanafī view— rely on the explicit hadith of Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه, which states unambiguously that the Prophet ﷺ performed four ʿUmrahs, all after the Hijrah. From an uṣūl perspective, an explicit enumeration by a trustworthy Companion, preserved in the most authentic collections, outweighs later historical interpretations.

They also emphasize that the ʿUmrah of Ḥudaybiyyah was legally initiated with iḥrām, and that the Qur’anic rulings on iḥṣār (being prevented) were revealed in direct connection to it. Thus, even if its rites were not completed in Makkah, it remains a full ʿUmrah in terms of legal status and prophetic precedent.

2. The Minority Position: Three Umrahs

A smaller group of scholars count only three ʿUmrahs, excluding Ḥudaybiyyah on the grounds that the Prophet ﷺ did not physically reach the Ḥaram that year. Their method focuses on completed rites within the sanctuary, and so they enumerate:

• ʿUmrat al-Qaḍāʾ,
• the ʿUmrah from al-Jiʿrānah,
• and the ʿUmrah associated with Ḥajjat al-Wadāʿ.

They do not deny that the Prophet ﷺ entered iḥrām at Ḥudaybiyyah; their point is simply that they classify ʿUmrah based on completion inside the sacred precinct. This view, while respected, is textually weaker due to the explicit enumeration preserved in the Ṣaḥīḥ.

3. Why the Majority View Prevails

From a balanced juristic perspective, an explicit numerical hadith cannot be overridden by interpretive arguments. The Prophet ﷺ counted Ḥudaybiyyah as a validly entered ʿUmrah, the Qur’an established the rulings for those prevented in iḥrām during that event, and the companions themselves treated it as a foundational moment in pilgrimage law.

Thus, when the scholars speak of “four ʿUmrahs,” they are not merely listing historical trips; they are summarizing four legally-recognised acts of entering iḥrām for ʿUmrah by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

Historical and Geographical Context

Understanding the Prophet’s ʿUmrahs requires situating each journey within its historical environment and the geography of the Ḥaram. Every location—Ḥudaybiyyah, Jiʿrānah, the roads from Madinah, and the vicinity of Makkah—played a specific role in shaping the fiqh of ʿUmrah and the unfolding of early Islamic history.

1. Ḥudaybiyyah: The Boundary of the Ḥaram

Ḥudaybiyyah lies at the edge of the Ḥaram, and the Prophet ﷺ camped there when Quraysh blocked his entry. Classical geographers such as al-Bakrī identify it as a strategic frontier point. The companions performed their shaving and sacrifice there when prevented from entering Makkah.

This moment established the prophetic ruling on iḥṣār, which later became a critical element in pilgrimage law. It also clarified that the sanctity of iḥrām remains until a pilgrim is lawfully released, whether or not they reach the Kaʿbah.

2. Jiʿrānah: A Valley of Re-Entry into the Ḥaram

Located between Ṭāʾif and Makkah, Jiʿrānah is one of the designated points near the Ḥaram from which pilgrims historically entered to begin iḥrām for ʿUmrah. After the Battle of Ḥunayn, the Prophet ﷺ camped there with the spoils of war. His iḥrām from Jiʿrānah became a model for assuming iḥrām from just outside the sacred boundary.

Many scholars mention that Jiʿrānah is one of the locations where the Prophet ﷺ restored sacred tranquillity after days of intense conflict—a reminder that the rites of ʿUmrah are intimately tied to spiritual reset and renewed submission.

3. The Roads Between Madinah and Makkah

The Prophet ﷺ travelled multiple routes between Madinah and Makkah depending on the season, political conditions, and strategic considerations. These paths included:

• the coastal route,
• the interior valley route,
• and the Ḥijāz ridge paths.

Each road shaped the emotional landscape of the companion narrations—moments of anticipation, supplication, and trust in Allah during travel. These journeys also illustrate the physical hardship the Prophet ﷺ endured, adding depth to the spiritual weight of every ʿUmrah performed.

4. The Changing Political Climate of Makkah

The Prophet’s ʿUmrahs mirror the larger transformation of Arabia: from persecution by Quraysh, to treaty negotiation, to eventual victory, and finally to a unified pilgrimage under Islam. His journeys to the Kaʿbah were not merely devotional acts; they were milestones in the restoration of monotheistic worship in the Sacred House.

By viewing these ʿUmrahs within that unfolding history, we see why the companions preserved their details with such precision and why early jurists treated each of them as instructive precedents.

Legal and Spiritual Lessons from the Prophet’s Umrahs

The Prophet’s four ʿUmrahs form the practical foundation of ʿUmrah jurisprudence. Each journey contributed a specific legal ruling or spiritual insight that later scholars wove into the fabric of pilgrimage law. Together, they offer a holistic understanding of intention, patience, completion, and reverence for the sacred precinct.

1. Intention and Entry into Iḥrām

Ḥudaybiyyah demonstrates that once a pilgrim enters iḥrām correctly, the worship is valid and binding even if hostile forces prevent completion. The Qur’anic rulings revealed during that event established the principle: Acts of devotion are judged by intention, not by external outcome.

2. Fulfilling Agreements and Honouring Treaties

ʿUmrat al-Qaḍāʾ highlights the moral weight of fulfilling agreements. The Muslims did not return to Makkah in triumph; they returned in humility to honour a promise made one year earlier. This ʿUmrah became a model of disciplined patience and prophetic steadfastness.

3. Renewal After Hardship

The ʿUmrah from Jiʿrānah teaches that worship can emerge immediately after moments of difficulty. Coming after the turbulence of Ḥunayn, the Prophet’s ʿUmrah there restores the spiritual centre of the community. It affirms that turning toward Allah is the natural conclusion of both victory and struggle.

4. Unifying Ḥajj and ʿUmrah

The ʿUmrah performed with Ḥajjat al-Wadāʿ became the definitive practical lesson in combining pilgrimage rites. Through it, the Prophet ﷺ taught the Ummah how ʿUmrah fits into the broader journey of Ḥajj and how both express surrender, gratitude, and remembrance.

5. Sabr, Reliance, and Humility

Across all four ʿUmrahs, a pattern emerges: the Prophet ﷺ enters iḥrām with calm resolve, meets obstacles without agitation, and completes what Allah permits with humility. This rhythm is the soul of ʿUmrah—submission to divine timing rather than one’s own expectations.

For today’s pilgrims, these lessons remain timeless: sincere intention, patience during hardships, reverence for sacred space, and trust in Allah’s unfolding plan.

Myths and Facts About the Prophet’s Umrahs

Over time, a number of simplified statements about the Prophet’s ʿUmrahs have spread among Muslims. Some are partially correct but imprecise; others overlook important textual evidence. The following table separates common myths from evidence-based facts to help restore clarity.

Contemporary Relevance: Why the Prophet’s Umrah Count Still Matters

Some may ask: why does it matter today whether the Prophet ﷺ performed three or four ʿUmrahs? For a believer, this is not merely a historical curiosity. It shapes how we understand Sunnah, how we plan our own journeys, and how we teach the next generation about pilgrimage.

First, knowing the precise number deepens our appreciation of how carefully the companions preserved the Prophet’s life. They did not leave his acts of worship vague or approximate; they counted, described, and transmitted them with care. This builds trust in the entire hadith tradition and in the reliability of our sources.

Second, the four ʿUmrahs demonstrate different contexts of worship: one under political pressure (Ḥudaybiyyah), one under the weight of a treaty (ʿUmrat al-Qaḍāʾ), one after military struggle (Jiʿrānah), and one in the serenity of a Farewell Ḥajj. Many modern pilgrims also come to ʿUmrah from diverse emotional states—some in hardship, some in gratitude, some in fear, some in hope. The Prophet’s journeys show that every state can be transformed into sincere worship.

Third, understanding this topic protects us from extremes. On one side, some people may make ʿUmrah a purely “numbers game”, chasing a high count without deep reflection. On the other, some may feel discouraged if they cannot perform ʿUmrah often. The Sunnah teaches balance: perform ʿUmrah when Allah opens the door for you, but focus on quality, humility, and sincerity more than quantity.

Finally, for students of knowledge, this issue is a practical exercise in uṣūl al-fiqh. It shows how scholars weigh explicit texts against historical reconstructions, how they resolve apparent differences, and how respectful disagreement can exist without breaking unity. Learning this trains the heart to be both principled and gentle.

Key Takeaways

• The strongest and most widely-accepted view is that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ performed four ʿUmrahs after the Hijrah to Madinah.
• These four are: ʿUmrah al-Ḥudaybiyyah (6 AH), ʿUmrat al-Qaḍāʾ (7 AH), the ʿUmrah from Jiʿrānah (8 AH), and the ʿUmrah performed with Ḥajjat al-Wadāʿ (10 AH).
• A minority of scholars count three by excluding Ḥudaybiyyah, but the explicit hadith of Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه and the practice of the majority support the number four.
• Each ʿUmrah added a specific legal and spiritual dimension to pilgrimage law, including rulings on being prevented (iḥṣār), fulfilling treaties, and combining Ḥajj and ʿUmrah.
• For today’s Muslims, the lesson is not to match the Prophet’s exact number but to imitate his sincerity, patience, humility, and trust in Allah when performing ʿUmrah.

References

1. The Noble Qur’an, Sūrat al-Baqarah (2:196): “Wa atimmū al-ḥajja wa al-ʿumrata lillāh.”
2. The Noble Qur’an, Sūrat al-Ḥajj (22:27): “Wa adh-dhin fī al-nāsi bil-ḥajj...”
3. Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ḥajj, ḥadīth of Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه on the Prophet ﷺ performing four ʿUmrahs after Hijrah.
4. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Ḥajj, narrations on Ḥudaybiyyah, ʿUmrat al-Qaḍāʾ, and Ḥajjat al-Wadāʿ.
5. Sunan Abī Dāwūd and Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, chapters on ʿUmrah, narrations about the ʿUmrah from Jiʿrānah.
6. Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm, commentary on Sūrat al-Baqarah 2:196 and Sūrat al-Ḥajj 22:27.
7. Al-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān, and al-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān, on verses related to Ḥajj and ʿUmrah.
8. Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, Fatḥ al-Bārī, commentary on the hadith of Anas regarding the Prophet’s four ʿUmrahs.
9. Classical sīrah works such as those of Ibn Isḥāq (through Ibn Hishām) and later historians on the chronology of Ḥudaybiyyah, Jiʿrānah, and Ḥajjat al-Wadāʿ.