Q.1. The Prophet (peace be upon him) offered the Umrah twice only, but he performed the tawaf many more times. Hence my question: is it better to perform the tawaf frequently or to do the Umrah?
Q.2. Could you explain whether a woman may perform the ablution without having her head and body covered, as when she is taking a shower?
A.1. The Prophet offered the Umrah four times, all of which were in the month of Dul-Qaada, but in different years. The first was in year 6, when he and the Muslims accompanying him were prevented from entering Makkah, while the second was the compensatory Umrah done a year later. The third he offered at the time when Makkah fell to Islam in year 8. His final Umrah was the one he offered with his pilgrimage in year 10.
The Umrah may be offered any number of times, as one wishes. However, scholars say that one Umrah a year is enough. If one goes to the Haram more often, one may perform the tawaf only, if one so wishes. The point here is that the Prophet has described tawaf as a form of prayer, with the only difference being that it is permissible for a person doing the tawaf to talk while doing it — something that is not permissible in prayers.
As such, tawaf can be offered voluntarily at any time. The sa’ie, which is the other major component of the Umrah is not offered voluntarily.
Some people who come for Umrah go out of Makkah frequently to do another Umrah. They do this every day during their stay.
This is not appropriate. It is better for such people to do the Umrah once and do as many tawafs as they please. But if one travels to some distant place or to Jeddah and then wants to go back to Makkah, one may take the opportunity to do another Umrah.
A.2. Ablution is an act of worship intended as a form of purification. A woman who wishes to do the ablution must uncover those parts of her body which must be washed, such as her arms, face, head and feet.
She may also have other parts of her body exposed, if someone in front of whom she must cover herself does not see her. But if she is in the privacy of her home, in a closed bathroom, she may perform the ablution without having to cover her body, as she indeed does when she takes a bath to purify herself after she has finished her period. Both types of ablution are acts of worship.
There is nothing wrong with the human body. We need to cover certain parts to help each other to observe the Islamic moral code.
