As many of us have been relentlessly checking the UK travel list for our favourite holiday hotspot, for some Muslims this has meant something different.
Muslims in the UK have been eagerly awaiting news that they can return to the holy site of Makkah to perform the religious pilgrimage known as Umrah.
And since Saudi Arabia got bumped up to the amber travel list, the wait has become even more anticipated.
“I’m just dying to go back,” 28-year-old Farhana Ali from London told HuffPost UK.
She performed Umrah for the first time in 2019 and was hoping to visit Makkah again last year but the pandemic put a spanner in the works.
Farhana is excited to be able to visit again because she values the time she has to shut off from the world and focus on her relationship with Allah.
She says, “It reminds me of why I am a Muslim, what my purpose is. I’m not just by myself but I’m with the hundreds and thousands of other people that go for the same reason.”
“It solidifies my faith.”
But Farhana has hesitancies about how different the experience will be with changes that have been put in place because of the pandemic.
What is Umrah?
Umrah is not one of the five pillars of Islam but is still thought of as an extremely important trip to make, filled with huge amounts of blessings.
Every year, millions of Muslims from around the world travel to Makkah for Umrah.
“When I'm there, I have this connection to my faith that is sometimes hard to experience here in the UK.”
- Zain Luqman Miah, Pilgrim
It’s a smaller pilgrimage to the more widely-known Hajj which happens once a year, and which every Muslim who is able to go financially and is in good health should aim to do at least once in their lifetime.
Umrah can be performed throughout the year, unlike Hajj which can only take place during the Islamic month of Hajj.
Zain Luqman Miah works for education charity, Pilgrim, and helps vulnerable Muslims make the journey for Umrah.
He has been able to perform Umrah six times in the past and hopes to go again by the end of the year.
Zain says he feels like a “new person” whenever he comes back home.
“When you’re there and you see Muslims from different races and culture, it makes you feel super connected to this global population.”
What are the travel rules for Umrah?
From August 9, 2021, Saudi Arabia will be accepting travel requests by international visitors for Umrah.
Anyone wanting to make the journey will need to be vaccinated and might need to quarantine if they’re coming from a country on Saudi’s banned travel list.
When it comes to returning to the UK, Saudi Arabia is on the UK’s amber travel list.
This means that everyone must take a Covid-19 test 3 days before travelling to England, regardless of their vaccination status. Then, there are separate rules upon arriving in England.
For those who haven’t been vaccinated, they will need to:
Quarantine at home or in a hotel for 10 days after arriving
Take a Covid-19 test before day 2 and on or after day 8 after arriving
And for those who have been fully vaccinated in the UK, or under-18, they’ll:
Take a Covid-19 test on or before day 2
Won’t need to quarantine or take a test around day 8