Bringing Children on Umrah

Children often remember Umrah all their lives. With some care, the trip can be safe for them and peaceful for you. This guide is about the family side of the journey. The rite itself is in the step-by-step Umrah guide on this site.

Their Umrah and their ihram

A child’s Umrah is valid and rewarded, and the parents share in that reward. Scholars agree it does not replace the Umrah or Hajj that becomes due on them as adults.

How a young child enters ihram, who makes the intention for a baby, and what happens if a child cannot finish, are details where the schools differ. Ask the scholar with your group before you begin, and keep it simple for the child.

Some practical points:

• Boys can wear the two ihram sheets. Small boys often manage better with a safety pin or a belt their parents check often.
• Girls wear their normal modest clothing.
• Pack a spare set. Children spill, sweat, and sit on dusty floors.

Safety in crowds

A lost child is every parent’s fear in the Haram. Prepare for it before it happens.

• Put an ID band or card on every child, with their name, your phone number, and where you are staying. Put it where they cannot easily remove it.
• Dress children in a bright, easy-to-spot colour, and take a photo of them each morning in what they are wearing.
• Teach them one rule: if you get lost, stay where you are and go to the nearest mosque staff member or security officer.
• Hold hands in the crowd, always. Carry small children rather than letting them walk in the busiest flow.
• During tawaf and sa’i, keep children on the outer, calmer side, and away from the push near the Kaaba.

If a child is missing, do not run through the crowd. Tell the nearest mosque staff or security officer at once, and give them the photo you took that morning.

Strollers and carriers

Rules on strollers and where they may go in the mosques can change. Follow what staff tell you on the day. A soft baby carrier is often easier than a stroller in a crowd.

Heat, water, and rest

Children feel heat quickly and do not always say so.

• Offer water often, and carry small snacks.
• Keep outdoor walks short in the middle of the day.
• Watch for unusual tiredness, crankiness, flushed skin, or vomiting. Move them somewhere cool, give water, and get medical help if it does not pass.
• Plan naps. A rested child is calmer in the mosque.

Toilets and wudu

Plan a toilet stop before every long walk or prayer, because lines can be long and the walk back out is far. Older children can learn wudu before the trip so they can do it confidently in a busy washroom.

Noise and patience

Children are children. A little noise is understood, but keep play out of the prayer rows. If a child is upset, step out of the row and calm them away from people praying. Other pilgrims are usually kind to families. Return that kindness.

Make it theirs

Before you travel, tell them the story of Ibrahim, Hajar, and Ismail (peace be upon them), and of Zamzam. Teach them a short dua of their own. Let them choose one thing they want to ask Allah for at the Kaaba. A child who understands the trip will carry it with them for life.

Source: Practical arrangements change. Check the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Nusuk, and the official Saudi visa site for current entry rules, including any rules for children.