Is ʿUmrah obligatory?
2026-09-20
T25 · Ibn Taymiyyah
Ibn Taymiyyah
شيخ الإسلام أحمد بن تيمية
Original Q&A · Selected source passage(s) — fully translated
This entry explicitly preserves the recognized scholarly disagreement and identifies Ibn Taymiyyah’s preference as his own conclusion in this passage. The English translates every displayed Arabic paragraph; this selection is not the complete surrounding work. Square brackets identify translator-supplied clarification.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
سئل شيخ الإسلام عن العمرة: هل هي واجبة؟ وإن كان فما الدليل عليه؟
الجواب
والعمرة في وجوبها قولان للعلماء، وهما قولان في مذهب الشافعي وأحمد، والمشهور عنهما وجوبها، والقول الآخر لا تجب، وهو مذهب أبي حنيفة ومالك.
وهذا القول أرجح؛ فإن الله إنما أوجب الحج بقوله: ولله على الناس حج البيت، لم يوجب العمرة.
English translation
English translation reviewed against the displayed Arabic by SalafAlSalih editorial preparation (AI-assisted); explanatory additions appear in square brackets or separate notes.
Original question
Ibn Taymiyyah was asked whether ʿUmrah is obligatory and, if so, what the evidence is.
Answer
The scholars have two views on whether ʿUmrah is obligatory. Both are positions within the schools of al-Shāfiʿī and Aḥmad; the well-known position of both is that it is obligatory. The other view is that it is not obligatory, and this is the position of Abū Ḥanīfah and Mālik.
This [latter] view is stronger, for Allah only made Hajj obligatory with His statement, “Pilgrimage to the House is a duty owed to Allah by the people”; He did not make ʿUmrah obligatory.
Source and editorial notes
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 26/5–6
مجموع الفتاوى
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā
Arabic passage checked against the cited edition and location. English reviewed against every displayed Arabic paragraph on 14 October 2026.