Grand Mufti: Repeating Umrah in Ramadan is not a Sunnah

JEDDAH: ARAB NEWS

Monday 23 July 2012

Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, who is also president of the Council of Senior Islamic Scholars, has said that performing Umrah many times during Ramadan is not mentioned in Sunnah.
He said this ritual should be practiced moderately.
“Performing Umrah every day in Ramadan, annoying other Muslims, is haram. It is enough to do Umrah once or twice in Ramadan,” he told Okaz daily.
Al-Alsheikh was asked about numerous issues related to practices usually attached to Ramadan.
Al-Alsheikh was asked about what imams should do when praying Taraweeh.
He said Taraweeh should not be very long for the sake of elderly and ill people.
He also asked imams to make sure that they recite Qur’an fully during Taraweeh prayers in Ramadan.
Al-Alsheikh said that Allah only accepts good deeds if they are purely done for Him, and when they are done according to Qur’an and Sunnah teachings.
“A Muslim must worship Allah as He instructs him or her and must know that reward depends on how this worship is done. Allah, the most merciful, also encouraged us to make additional prayers after main ones to make up for our derelictions,” he said.
Al-Alsheikh asked owners of TV channels to avoid airing immoral shows during Ramadan and to find for themselves a good deed by airing meaningful, useful and effective programs.
He also warned from seeking fatwa from people with less knowledge. He asked the ulema (the highest religious scholars) to fear God when giving fatwa and envisage benefits.
He stressed that anyone who has the knowledge can give fatwa for private questions, but issues that related to the Ummah in general should be given by senior ulema only.
Regarding fasting mistakes carried by youth during Ramadan, Al-Alsheikh said that religious preachers should talk to youth in a language they understand and be a brother to them when trying to show them the right path.
They should know what interests them.
When he was asked about shortening prayers when traveling between Jeddah and Makkah, Al-Alsheikh said there are different opinions on this matter. Some people think that the two cities are so close that driving between them is not considered traveling, but they are still different cities.
Al-Alsheikh warned against the Internet, except for those how have insight and enough wisdom. “Internet contains many conflicts and lies, and anyone can write what he wants. Spending long time on the Internet is a mistake,” he said.