Hajj or Umrah with a Baby

Hajj or Umrah with a Baby.

Hajj or Umrah with a baby was a pleasant experience for me. In this article, I will give you some tips to help you do your great pilgrimage with your family. This advice will allow you (by the will of Allah) to live unforgettable moments in the Holy Land with your family.

At the end of the article, you will have a complete checklist of everything you should not forget to put in your baby's suitcase for the great journey to the holy places of the city of Makkah.

Formulate your intentions and adapt your goals.

As you probably know, the sincere intention is the mother of all action. It is a condition of acceptance by our Lord. If you've ever done hajj or an Umrah, you know how exceptional and unforgettable this trip is. Besides, it is surely for these reasons that you want to make an Umrah or a Hajj with your children or your baby;) Let me tell you that you are FULLY right. Doing Hajj or Umrah as a family is a unique experience to live at least once in your life. However, be aware that an Umrah or Hajj with a baby is not quite the same as when you go without children. Alone or as a couple, you have much more time to devote to acts of worship. You have a certain freedom that you will not have by taking your baby or your young children there. This is why you will have to adapt your goals in terms of moments of worship. You will have to juggle between the times when you will take care of your baby and the times when you will enjoy the Haram (sacred house) for example. Do not have too high goals at the risk of being disappointed and having the impression of not having taken full advantage of your Umrah or Hajj

Rest assured, taking care of your children is also a form of ‘ibada (worship) for which Allah will reward you. If you can't read as much Quran or say as many prayers at the mosque as you would like, don't be disappointed.

Prepare your Hajj and Umrah with your children in a fun way.

Prepare your Hajj and Umrah with your children in a fun way. Explain to them the rites, the reasons why they are performed, the invocations to formulate, etc. Make your children feel the importance of this trip even when they are very young. In addition, there are many books and resources to explain Umrah and Hajj to children. It is never too early to pass the precepts of Islam to your children. When you are in Mecca and Medina, take the time to explain to your children the history of the places you will visit. To fully experience this hajj or this Umrah with family, I advise you to start reading stories to them today before sleeping, for example, which retrace the history of the Kaaba, the history of Ibrahim ﷺ, etc.

Make Sure all of Your baby's Vaccines are up to date.

Needless to remind you that a baby is fragile ... During Hajj and Umrah, you will be in contact with thousands or even millions of pilgrims from all over the world. Suffice to say that the spread of viruses, like COVID-19 (may Allah preserve you), is happening at lightning speed. Take your precautions and check several months before departure, that your baby and your children are up to date with their vaccines. Do not forget to take their vaccination card with you. Also, remember to take what is necessary for your travel first aid kit.

Respect Your baby's Timetable.

This advice applies especially to Umrah: don't be in a hurry to perform Umrah with your baby. You have plenty of time to do it. Choose a time when you feel your baby is rested and you are also resting to perform the rites of the Umrah. Also, favor schedules where there are few people (even if there will always be many people). At certain times (before the fajr prayer or after the ‘ishaa), there are slightly fewer pilgrims who perform the tawaf and the temperatures are a little cooler. 

In addition, it is easier to do tawaf (circumambulation) upstairs. Even if the tours are a bit longer, I strongly recommend that you do your tawaf with your family upstairs. You will feel less stifled by the crowd.

Regarding hajj with a baby, you will not have the choice to perform certain rites. All pilgrims meet at the same time in Arafat or Muzdalifa for example. Therefore this leaves you with little leeway. That said when you can avoid the crowd, do it. During the days of the stoning of the stelae, you can leave a little later or a little earlier. It's up to you to judge your state of fatigue and that of your child.

Avoid Staying in Al Aziziyah.

Many travel agencies for Hajj and Umrah offer this residential area when you want to make the pilgrimage. Know that the Al Aziziyah district is far from the sacred mosque (of Haram). With a baby or children, it will be necessary to take this inconvenience into account if you wish to stay there. You will also have to take into account the cost of the taxi for a return trip to the Kaa’ba. This is why I do not recommend that you stay in Al Aziziyah during your hajj or Umrah with a baby even if the prices are attractive ...

If your budget allows, choose a hotel near the Kaa’ba. This will allow you to perform all your family prayers in the sacred mosque

The Prophet ﷺ said:

A prayer in my mosque here (the Medina mosque) is better than a thousand prayers in the other mosques except for the Al-Haram mosque. A prayer in the Al-Haram mosque is a hundred times better than a prayer in my mosque.

Change your baby's diapers before you go to the mosque.

The toilets are quite out of the way of the mosque. It is for this reason that I advise you to change your little one at the hotel before going to pray. Hence the interest in having a hotel near the Haram. The problem does not arise in Medina, because the hotels are numerous and very well located in relation to the Prophet's mosque ﷺ. You, therefore, do not risk finding yourself tens of kilometers away.

Take Turns with Your Spouse.

To live an Umrah or a Hajj with your baby and that everyone can make the most of these moments, you will have to alternate the guards. Everyone must take care of the child to let the other indulge in his worship (prayers, reading the Quran, douas). Do not be too far away: do not pray at the other end of the mosque leaving your wife or husband opposite. NO! Don't get too far from each other. In case of need or emergency, you can quickly help each other

I hope these modest tips will be of great help to you in preparing your Umrah or Hajj as a family. Do not hesitate to share this article with a brother or sister who intends to make his pilgrimage. May Allah be pleased with your Umrah or Hajj. Amin