For example, someone living near the Sacred Precinct might perform ‘umrah every day or every other day; someone living near the prescribed points of entering ritual consecration, two days’ journey from Mecca, might perform five or six ‘umrahs a month, or the like; or someone who considers ‘umrah from Mecca legitimate might perform it once or twice every day. This is disliked by consensus of the early generations of the Muslim community. None of them practised it; rather, they agreed that it was disliked. Although some jurists of the schools of al-Shāfi‘ī and Ahmad recommended it, they have no evidence whatsoever for this beyond a general analogy—that it increases acts of worship—or reliance on general texts concerning the merit of ‘umrah and the like.

Those who allowed more than one ‘umrah a year went no further than saying that a person may perform ‘umrah once his hair has grown enough to be shaved with a razor, or twice a month, or the like. This is what Imam Ahmad stated.

Ahmad said:

“When someone performs ‘umrah, he must shave his head or shorten his hair, and after ten days the head can be shaved.”

What Imam Ahmad stated accords with the practice of Anas ibn Mālik, as reported by al-Shāfi‘ī:

“When his hair began to grow back, he would go out and perform ‘umrah.”

This is because the rites are completed by shaving the head or shortening the hair, which is either obligatory or recommended as part of them. Whoever reports from Ahmad or others like him that this is merely permissible, rather than recommended, is mistaken. Thus, the time needed for the hair to grow back is the shortest interval in which the rites can be completed. This is not contradicted by ‘umrah