Below is the list of mistakes that you must avoid during Umrah:
Making intention is an important part of Umrah. The reward of a deed depends on the intention. One must decide about the type of Umrah one wants to perform. You are allowed to change the intention about the type of Umrah you want to perform before assuming Ihram. If one wants to change his/her intention afterwards, he/she can change from Mufradah to Tamattu but not vice versa.
Changing the Ihram clothes will not disturb the state of Ihram. Some people wrongly think that if they change the white sheets of Ihram, it will renounce their Ihram. One is allowed to change the Ihram whenever one finds it necessary. The pilgrims come out of Ihram which they intended only after completing all the essential rites of Umrah and shaving or clipping of hair.
One of the most common misconceptions and mistakes during Umrah is to think that touching or wiping over any part of Kaabah and Maqam-e-Ibrahim would bring Barakah and Khair. This has no basis in Hadith or Sunnah. The Prophet (pbuh) did not touch any part of Kaaba except the Black stone and Yemeni corner. Innovation in Islam is one of the things forbidden in Umrah rituals or generally in Islam and therefore, it must be avoided.
Some people make the mistake of performing multiple Umrahs and go to Masjid Ta’neem or other Meeqat to assume Ihram again and again. It is not from Sunnah and one should avoid making this mistake. To gain greater rewards, one should try to perform as many Tawaf as possible instead of performing multiple Umrahs.
Kissing the black stone is a beautiful Sunnah but most of the pilgrims are not able to reach Hajr-e-Aswad because of the crowd. That is why many
people try to kiss it from the distance. While performing Tawaf, they stop in the middle to face the black stone and put their hands up to kiss the
black stone in air.
One must understand that distance kissing is not from Sunnah. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) would kiss the black stone if he could easily do so or
touch it with his hand and then kiss his hand. But, if it was too crowded, he would only point towards it with his hands and say “Allahu Akbar”.
Ibn Abbas said, “The Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) performed Tawaf on his camel, and every time he came to the corner (where the Black Stone is) he would point to it and say Allāhu Akbar.” [Al-Bukhari]
Most of the people wrongly think that the first time they witness the Kaabah, any dua they make will be answered. It is not true and has no evidence in Shariah. We could not find any genuine Hadith in this matter.
While performing Tawaf, some pilgrims shout dua in unison. They follow a leader or an imam who speaks out different dua’s loudly and the people repeat after him in unison. This disturbs other pilgrims and creates a lot of confusion which is wrong.
Before going for Tawaf, the right thing to do is to make a list of Du’a that you want to make or the verses from Qur’an that you want to recite. This way you won’t have to follow anybody and you will be making Du’a from your own heart in your own language. Remember to make your dua with humility and Khushoo’.
The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Each one of you is conversing with his Lord, so do not disturb one another or raise your voices over one another when reading (or he said) when praying.” [Abu Dawood, Sahih by Al-Albani]
Some pilgrims designate specific Du’as for each round of Tawaf and there are even published books with specific Du’as written for every round. One must understand that this has no basis in Sunnah. Neither the Prophet (pbuh) nor the Sahabas recited any specific Du’a in any of the rounds of Tawaf. The only supplication that the Prophet (pbuh) specified during Tawaf was upon reaching between the Yemeni Corner and Hajre Aswad when he would say,
“Rabbana atina’ fid-dunya hasana wa fil-akhirati hasana wa qina adhaban-nar”
[“Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter and save us from the punishment of the Fire.’’]
Most people commit this mistake. After completing their Tawaf they perform an extra round for a friend, relative or a deceased person. It is wrong and has no basis in Sunnah. Tawaf individually cannot be done on someone’s behalf. Only Hajj and Umrah can be performed on someone’s behalf. (Wallahu Aalam)
Most people think that praying 40 Raka’t Naf’l salah is compulsory in Masjid-e-Nabawi. Neither the Naf’l prayers at Masjid-e-Nabawi nor visiting Madinah is a part of Hajj or Umrah. It is good to spend maximum time in praying inside the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah but it is not correct to think that praying 40 nafl is necessary. Having such a notion is one of the misconceptions and common mistakes to avoid during Umrah.
One of the most common mistakes Women Make during Umrah is to think that removing their Ihram cap will break their Ihram which is simply not true. They don’t even take off their cap to make Wudhu. You must think that if you do not make Wudhu correctly would your prayers be valid? Another prohibition (Haraam act) during Umrah that you must avoid is crowding with men and not observe Hijab properly.
Note: It is recommended to consult and seek an opinion from scholars on doubtful Islamic matters.