Endnotes
1. The Qur'an, 2:196.
2. According to al-Mughni, Ahmad ibn Hanbal did not consider the ‘Umrah as being obligatory for Meccans, for the reason that the most important act of the ‘Umrah is tawaf(circumambulation of the Ka'bah) which they do and it suffices them.
3. In the book al-Fiqh 'ala al-madhahib al-'arba’ah, it is the author's wont to give the text followed by a commentary and notes. In the text, he states the points of consensus of all the four Sunni schools, the different position of each is given in the commentary. What we have quoted here is taken from the text, not from the commentary.
4. According to al-Din wa al-Hajj 'ala al-madhahib al-'arba'ah, by Karrarah, one of the things which distinguishes the ‘Umrah from the Hajj is that its ihram is not assumed from any of the mawaqit specified for the Hajj. From the Imamiyyah viewpoint, there is no difference between the miqat for one performing ‘Umrah and the miqat for one on Hajj with regard to ihram.
5. The Imamiyyah author of al-Madarik says: "The better known and sounder of opinions is that the obligation of ‘Umrah is independent of the obligation of Hajj." The author of al-Jawahir states, "The statements of fuqaha' are not free of confusion... the one which appears sounder is that those who live far away from Mecca are relieved of the obligation of ‘Umrah mufradah, and that which is obligatory upon them is 'Umrat al-tamattu; whose wujub is related to that of Hajj.