Is عمرہ واجب in Islam?

The obligation of عمرہ is one of the well-known points of scholarly difference among the four schools of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence, and both positions are supported by legitimate evidence. The Shafi'i and Hanbali schools hold that عمرہ is واجب (fard or wajib) once in a lifetime for every Muslim who meets the conditions of ability, similar to حج. Their primary evidence is قرآن مجیدic verse: 'And complete the حج and عمرہ for Allah' (2:196), which they interpret as a command to perform both حج and عمرہ. They also cite the hadith in which نبی کریم was asked about عمرہ: 'Is it واجب?' and he replied, 'No, but if you perform عمرہ it is better for you,' though the Shafi'i scholars note some chains of this narration are weak, and they rely on stronger evidence for the obligation.

The Hanafi and Maliki schools hold that عمرہ is a strongly مستحب Sunnah (sunnah mu'akkadah) but not واجب. Imam Abu Hanifah and Imam Malik both interpreted قرآن مجیدic verse 'Complete the حج and عمرہ for Allah' as referring to completing the rites once you have begun them (i.e., if you start حج or عمرہ, you must finish them), rather than as a command to initiate both. They also cite the hadith of Jabir in which نبی کریم was asked whether عمرہ is واجب and he said it is not (reported by al-Tirmidhi), along with the fact that نبی کریم only performed عمرہ when it coincided with his travels for حج or other purposes, never making a journey solely for عمرہ as a standalone obligation.

In practical terms, this scholarly difference has limited real-world impact because all four schools agree that performing عمرہ is highly meritorious and strongly encouraged. نبی کریم (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) said, 'عمرہ to عمرہ is an expiation for the sins between them.' Even the Hanafi and Maliki scholars who classify it as Sunnah consider it one of the most highly مستحب acts of worship in Islam. Whether one follows the view that it is واجب or the view that it is Sunnah, the recommendation is the same: if you have the means and ability, you should perform عمرہ at least once in your lifetime, and repeating it is a source of great reward.