MAKKAH, 3 January 2008 — Substitute Umrah, or performing Umrah on behalf of other people, is becoming a booming business in Makkah these days. Many Saudis and non-Saudis alike are known to walk around the Grand Mosque offering to perform Umrah on behalf of pilgrims’ loved ones in return for money.
Islam permits people to perform Umrah and Haj on behalf of the sick, who are unable to perform it, or the dead.
However, many local people feel that the habit of taking money to perform pilgrimages is wrong. They believe that religious practices should not become profit-making ventures. People who are performing Umrah or Haj on behalf of other people should do it only seeking reward from God.
Many foreign pilgrims say that a number of relatives back home who cannot make it to Makkah have made special requests to them to perform Umrah on their behalf. But now the pilgrims are extremely tired, especially after Haj, and are unable to fulfill the requests by their loved ones. And knowing that they have little time left in Makkah, some pilgrims tend to pay other people to perform Umrah on behalf of their relatives. At this time of the year, proxy pilgrims charge anything between SR500 and SR1,000 per Umrah. During Ramadan they charge between SR150 and SR500.
Although 50 percent of foreign pilgrims have left Makkah and headed back home, the area around the Grand Mosque is still full of pilgrims wearing ihram. This causes the Grand Mosque to be crowded around the clock.
Many preachers have advised local people not to perform Umrah during this season to avoid overcrowding.
But most pilgrims from abroad seek to perform as many Umrahs as possible before leaving Makkah simply because they are not sure whether they would be able to return.
One proxy pilgrim, who did not want to be named, said that he makes around SR2,000 to SR3,000 a day at this time of the year performing Umrah for other people.
“Most of those who pay for this kind of Umrah are pilgrims coming from the Gulf area especially Kuwait and the UAE. Some of them would even pay up to SR1,000 for one Umrah and SR3,000 for one Haj,” he said, adding that some of those who do the same business could make up to SR20,000 and even more during the Haj season.
Muhammad Sulaiman Al-Humaidi, a Saudi citizen, urged officials at the Grand Mosque to keep an eye out for people indulging in such activity.
“Those who are practicing this trade lack the religious awareness and just want to make some money,” said Al-Humaidi, adding that most proxy pilgrims are expatriates.
Abdulilah Al-Humairi, a Makkah resident, urged the authorities to put an end to the practice, which he said only causes overcrowding in and around the Grand Mosque.
“We see some of these people performing Umrah up to three and four times a day,” he said.
“This is a phenomenon that has been happening every Haj season for a couple of years now. Hundreds of expatriates come and ask pilgrims if they need someone to make Umrah on their behalf,” said Fardan Al-Qahtani, a citizen.
