5 Best Islamic Apps For Hajj

Appearance in the Kaabah is really an unusual experience. Traveling to Makkah makes the most of Umrah experience. There are some useful smartphone apps which can help get through Umrah and feel intensely connection with God in this spiritual journey of a lifetime. 

Hajj & Umrah by Darussalam 

First of all, we should strive to prepare ourselves with the knowledge to perform Ibadah. So, before going, pilgrims should learn about what they need to do for October umrah packages and its meaning. 

Hajj & Umrah is an unusual app that offers pilgrims a quick indication of the basics. Strikingly showed and easy to follow, this is not only great learning support to help pilgrims prepare before they go, but it also acts as a suitable checklist and revision resource when they are there. 

Dua in Quran by Badr Interactive 

This is a great blessing to be in the most spiritual place on earth, so this is when pilgrims want to make lots and lots of dua! Numerous pilgrims advise to write down duas so pilgrims don't forget them. Moreover, they should also take advantage of the chance to maximize reciting the beautiful duas. 

Quran Companion by Quran Academy 

Pilgrims have the opportunity to put their hands on the Ka'aba or the Black Stone and perform supplication. Yet, they fumble with their book or phone to find the duas they want to recite. Before knowing it, they have lost the golden opportunity! 

A few instants are just too superior for a piece of paper or phone to read duas. Prepare pilgrims by learning particular duas most meaningful. These can also increase rizq, getting a partner or be blessed with a child, because the Holy Quran has powerful duas for every life circumstances. 

Check out Quran Companion, a powerful Quran memorization app with multi-sensory learning techniques to help memories Quranic dua. Furthermore, it can help memorize new surahs which can diversify the recitations during salah! 

Uber by Uber Technologies 

Since one of the best ways to travel from Jeddah to Makkah is the new Uber option, so if pilgrims are not a fan of coaches and don't want to break the bank either, Uber is the way to get to Makkah from Jeddah being the best part. Thus, pilgrims can receive a free ride as a new user. 

Pilgrims can even check out with Uber the route and estimated rate via their collaborating map helping them budget better for Umrah trip. 

MyTravel Health App 

Taking care of health is pretty important during the sacred journey. MyTravel Health App has all the health material which are mandatory to perform Umrah, from vaccinations to common health alarms during Umrah and how to treat them. Pilgrims can also use this app to store all their critical information such as contact information, hotel, and emergency contacts. 

MyTravel Health App is now only available for iOS regardless. For Android users, the Travel Health Guide is highly recommended. It is an all-inclusive analysis and treatment information app written by an experienced travel medicine doctor to help pilgrim's work out what to do if they get sick.

Special Guidance for DIY Umrah to do

No doubt, Do-it-Yourself Umrah is becoming very common and there are so many ways to perform the Umrah on your own. 

For four years we are helping numbers of readers to go for Umrah doing a DIY Umrah regarding the Umrah visa fees, the visa procedures, the organizing and also how to find the best deals to make it so much more cost-efficient Umrah package. 

Let's first discuss one of the biggest issues of DIY Umrah. When it comes to planning your own Umrah, so there is the wrong concept from tricky agents that people cannot book DIY Umrah and only one reason which they fulfill is through agents buying Umrah package. So, it is the wrong concept, off-course people can perform DIY Umrah, yet there are some troubles for those who have not well-familiar of KSA rules and regulation. 

Several agents in the United States can arrange DIY Umrah visa in what time you desire, however, the booking of flights and accommodation in Makkah or Madinah and transportation hiring will your responsibility as this is thoroughly DO IT YOURSELF Umrah. So, which is why to avoid troubles and hassle people consult to registered traveling agency which takes responsibility to book a flight, managing the accommodation 4 or 5 stars hotels and transportation. People feel safe with them and do not face troubles while traveling. Moreover, several people have the desire to visit the Islamic historical places to get to know the Islamic as well as pre-Islamic history. When it comes to DIY Umrah then it is very difficult to explore the secret places which are only well-familiar by regular agents. Thus, those who perform through an agent enjoy visiting other spots as well. 

Saudi Government has announced that 30million pilgrims are predicted in 2030 to perform Hajj and thousands of pilgrims for Umrah and Ziarah at daily based. To facilitate the pilgrims KSA takes agreements with online travel giants from all over the Muslim countries to provide best packages for Umrah at cheap rates and to create more DIY Umrah packages for Muslims and bring the cost of Umrah down. 

Saudi Government will also be issuing tourist visas which can be used in combination with Umrah visas and then pilgrims can also visit other parts of Saudi Arabia. This tourist visa for Saudi is not currently open but soon it will give the good news to pilgrims. However, until the tourist visa issue, the pilgrims just visit three most popular cities such as Makkah, Madinah, and Jeddah. Though the airport of Riyadh is available for pilgrims, yet they are not allowed to stay in Riyadh to explore. 

This DIY Umrah guide will motivate you to get DIY Visa to perform Umrah at your own risk and it will also alert you to avoid a hassle in the new country if you are unexperienced visiting the first time. In both situations, Islamic traveling is dedicated to shuttling the pilgrims. If you are interested either Do It Yourself Umrah or through an authentic agent then you must consult authentic traveling agency which further guides you comprehensively.

UK pilgrims lose almost £1 million to Hajj fraud

Nearly 25thousand Muslim pilgrims perform Hajj from the UK every year. ABTA finds each year several cases where pilgrims pay for travel engagements which are shown sub-standard or in the poor conditions, fraud leaving victims out of pocket by huge expanse. 

Some pilgrims have the lodgings they booked do not exist while others realize their whole a rip-off set up by illegal travel operators who are disappeared with thousands of pounds of their money. 

According to previous year's reporting figures, Hajj related fraud made to Action Fraud, marking a 143% increase and offending were London, the West Midlands, and Manchester. 

UK Muslims have lost almost £1 million (Dh4.97m) to bogus travel agents who target families booking first time trips to perform the Hajj. 

Between 2013 and 2017, victims lost £988,743 in the UK at a different platform. Per person met loss between £1,000 (Dh4,974) to £33,000 (Dh164,000). The City of London Police operation said that several Hajj fraud victims will have protected for years to be able to afford to travel to KSA and they will realize how they have been tricked by fraudsters. 

Since Hajj frauds are destroying the dreams of UK Muslims performing the fifth pillar of Islam once in a lifetime to Mecca, so that is why we are raising awareness of this crime to make sure the major pilgrimage (Hajj) safe and sound. However, Pilgrims should receive an ATOL Certificate as soon as they have paid any money to travel Agency. All UK traveling agencies have ATOL License to sell day off packages including Hajj and Umrah cheap package. So, pilgrims must check its validity on the CAA website. 

To overcome such shameful acts, the City of London Police will be working with Birmingham Trading Standards to comply with visits and checks on relevant travel agents. More work will be done to help educate officers on how to help victims of Hajj fraud and to ensure correct reporting. 

Pilgrims who are planning to travel to Hajj through online should avoid paying travel companies by direct bank transfer in which most legitimate companies have facilities with a bank to accept credit or debit cards. If pilgrims pay by bank transfer and the company moves to be fraudulent then it will be practically impossible to get money back. 

Some scams claim accommodation in Saudi Arabia but, they do not have while others illegitimate travel operators are disappeared with thousands of pounds. 

Action Fraud got 17 Hajj-related complaints in 2017, and most of those incidents were involving London, the West Midlands, and Manchester. 

Action Fraud said the 17 reports are just the "tip of the iceberg and average age of the fraud victims is 42. At taking action against Fraudsters, Babur Husain was found in Hajj scam from Greater Manchester. He was jailed 14 months for fraud in 2017 after claiming that he was organizing ATOL-protected Hajj tours. 

Consequently, to protect pilgrims against fraud is to ensure the company as a member of a recognized trade association such as ABTA. The basic purpose of ABTA is to minimize the chance of fraudulent companies joining. It also suggests verifying a company's ABTA membership through its website.

How to get Transit Visa for Umrah performing?

If pilgrims have a stay over in the Saudi Kingdom for more than twelve hours or want to travel to another country through Saudi Arabia, so pilgrims are eligible to apply for Transit Visa. Several people book their tickets via Saudi Airlines and arrange a 72-hour transit visa from said airlines in order to perform Umrah. They get out of Jeddah Airport and go to Makkah to perform Umrah on the base of 72-hours transit visa from Saudi Airlines. That’s why it is called Jeddah transit visa. Since there is 1-hour distance from Jeddah to Makkah, so pilgrims can easily perform Umrah. 

Let’s see the important steps of getting a transit visa. 

Step 1: Payment of fee 

Firstly, pilgrims have to submit an application form and pay the transit Visa fee online. After submitting the application form, pilgrims have to agree on the terms and conditions containing on two pages by opening the screenshot below. Thus, pilgrims have to enter their details along with a recent picture of 200 x 200 size. Select “Transit Visa” and click the “save” button. Now it is time to pay the visa fee $ 10.5 which is pretty simple. Step 

2: Transit Visa requirements 

The requirements are given below: 

• Passport must be valid at least 6th month 
• Residence permits to applying country 
• One recent passport-sized photograph 
• A Saudi Visa questionnaire signed 
• Declaration of Saudi laws signed 
• Booking of the tickets confirming stay over in Kingdom 
• Print of the Visa application form submitted through the website Enjaz 

Step 3: Mail the particulars to the Saudi Embassy 

Pilgrims have to mail all documents to the Saud Embassy from their country. However, it is advisable to personally submit the documents but not mail so that they can be accountable for that. Usually, it can take a week to be processed. The Manager of receiving the form will ask the reason to visit Saudi Arabia and the candidate will have to tell the reason. 

Step 4: Question asked by the Saudi Embassy 

It is might be possible that Saudi Consulate to whom the form is submitted for the Saudi Transit Visa ask a few questions for deciding to grant or refuse the visa. However, the reply of the candidate should be valid and does not give the clue of Umrah performing. 

• Why are you going to the Saudi Kingdom? 

So, in the reply of the question, the candidate should avid to tell them the actual reason such as going for Umrah performing. If a candidate tells the real cause, so meanwhile the application will be rejected as they will consider you to the candidate for Umrah applying. 

• Why haven’t booked a ticket from Saudi Airlines? 

If a candidate has booked a ticket another airline instead of Saudi Airlines, so he must prepare to answer for such a question. And the logical answer is that the ticket of umrah packages 2020 price from concerning airlines was cheap and reasonable. 

• How long going to stay in Saudi Arabia? 

Even though the candidate has planned to stay full times which is 72-hours, but the answer should be 1 or 2 days only. 

Step 5: Get Passport 

Though Manager will say the receiving days in 7 days candidate should get the visa just in 3 or 4 days from submitting date to avoid any problems.