I am calling from Jordan. I came to perform the 'Umrah, and by the grace of Allah, I performed it. I entered the state of ihram from Abqaiq, and I want to perform a second 'Umrah on behalf of my deceased mother.

The questioner : The questioner says: I am a citizen of Jordan. I came to perform the 'Umrah, and by the grace of Allah, I performed it. I entered the state of ihram from Abqaiq, and I want to perform a second 'Umrah on behalf of my deceased mother. Is that permissible, and is it permissible for me to enter the state of ihram from al-Tan'īm?

The Shaykh : Regarding this ihram for a second 'Umrah, I say: if a person performs the 'Umrah during a journey, he should not repeat it a second time in that same journey. That is, if you came and performed the 'Umrah when you arrived in Makkah for yourself, and you want to perform a second 'Umrah for yourself or for one of your relatives, we say that this is not prescribed (mashru') and it is not the practice of the Salaf. You should not do it. And I say, and I say, and I say, and I repeat: supplication for one's parents and relatives is better than dedicating acts of worship to them. For example, if someone asked us, "Is it better to give charity on behalf of my father or to supplicate for him?" We would say: supplicate for him, and keep the righteous deed for yourself, because a day will come when you will need the deed. What indicates that supplication for them is better is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), as narrated by Muslim from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah: He did not say, "or a righteous son who gives charity on his behalf, or prays on his behalf, or performs 'Umrah on his behalf." He said, "who supplicates for him," even though the context of the hadith is about deeds. If the deed had been desirable, it would have said, "or a righteous son who performs deeds for him." So the discussion here is about deeds. Therefore, I say that the best thing for one who wants to be dutiful to his parents is to supplicate for them in his prostration, in his tashahhud, in the prayer, and in the times between the adhan and the iqamah, in all the places of answered supplication. This is better than worshipping Allah with a worship and then making its reward for them. However, if he does so and worships Allah with a worship for his parents, then that is permissible, any kind of worship.