or by the Successors and their imams—as a preferred practice. All of this leaves the case for performing Umrah from Mecca exceedingly weak.

Section

As for the third question, we say:

The Sunnah and the agreement of the early generations of this community, as we have explained, establish that performing Umrah repeatedly in close succession is not recommended but is, rather, disliked for someone who enters ihrām at the prescribed boundary. Clearly, then, doing so from Mecca, whether in Ramadan or otherwise, is even more deserving of being considered disliked, since it combines two objectionable practices.

The first is performing Umrah from Mecca. They have agreed that choosing this instead of circumambulating the Kaaba is disliked.

The second is performing Umrah repeatedly in close succession. They have agreed that this is not recommended. Indeed, to my knowledge, it should be considered disliked without qualification even for someone who does not substitute circumambulation for it; this is more consistent with legal analogy. How much more so, then, for someone who can substitute circumambulation for it!

Frequent circumambulation, by contrast, is recommended and enjoined, especially for those visiting Mecca. The majority of scholars hold that their circumambulation of the House is better for them than prayer in the Sacred Mosque, despite the great merit of prayer in the Sacred Mosque.