“When the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) returned from his ḥajj, he asked Umm Sinān al-Ansāriyyah: ‘What prevented you from performing ḥajj’
She replied: ‘The father of so-and-so—referring to her husband—had two camels used for irrigation; he performed ḥajj on one of them, while the other is being used to irrigate our land.’
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) then said: ‘Indeed, an ‘Umrah performed in the month of Ramaḍān is equivalent (in reward) to a ḥajj, or (equivalent to) a ḥajj performed with me.’”
Narrated by al-Bukhārī (No. 1863) and Muslim (No. 1256), from the ḥadīth of Ibn ‘Abbās, may Allah be pleased with them both.
In Muslim’s wording: “It is equivalent to a ḥajj.”
Brief Explanation of the Hadith
The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was most attentive to his companions; he cared for them, checked on their affairs, and observed their conditions, particularly regarding their acts of worship. He inquired into the reasons for their shortcomings or absence, encouraging them toward obedience and stimulating them to seize the seasons of virtue.
Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbās, may Allah be pleased with them both: When the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, returned from his Hajj—meaning the Farewell Hajj—he said to Umm Sinān al-Ansāriyya: “What prevented you from performing Hajj?” That is, what kept you from being with us? He had called the people to Hajj with a general call, encompassing both men and women.
She replied, excusing herself: “My husband has two camels for drawing water; he performed Hajj on one of them, and the other remains to irrigate land for us. I found nothing to ride.”
He, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, said, to console her heart and encourage her toward good: “‘Umrah in Ramaḍān suffices for a Hajj.” In another narration: “A Hajj with me.” That is, it is equivalent to a Hajj in reward and merit, not that it substitutes for the obligation of Hajj in Islam. Rather, it is a matter of magnifying the reward and urging the seizing of virtue.
The merit of ‘Umrah in Ramaḍān is magnified due to the sanctity of the time, for acts of obedience performed in a virtuous period are rewarded more abundantly.
The ḥadīth illustrates the virtue of ‘Umrah in Ramaḍān, and shows the vast generosity of Allah, may He be exalted, toward this Ummah, for He multiplies the rewards for simple deeds and opens for them the doors of blessed seasons to seize, so that through their obedience they may ascend in rank and attain His great bounty.
It also demonstrates the Prophet’s, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, diligence in attending to his companions and caring for them through inquiry and guidance.