Leaving Mecca after ‘Umra and Determining Its Area

The present study examines the ruling on leaving Mecca after performing ‘Umra under the development of the city in the present era. The findings of this library-and-software-based study by the analysis of evidence indicate that the ruling of leaving the currently developed Mecca is subject to the verdict of the jurist in the original verdict of leaving the city which means that if the jurist believes that the prohibition of leaving Mecca is because of observance or protection of the time of performing the Hajj, then leaving the city with no need or being sure of enough time for performing the Hajj will be permissible. But if the jurist believes that protecting the time of performing the Hajj means the prohibition of leaving the city, then it will be permissible to leave the last residential point of the city at present and not at the time of the issuance of the narrations because the customary opinion in applying the concept of Mecca to its instance is not valid. It is necessary to refer to jurists’ opinions in this regard. In this case, the jurists may consider the area of Mecca to be such that the residential houses of the city have been developed according to the narrations on the subject of performing prayers during the journey. In judging these views, based on the narrations, it seems that the guiding opinion on prohibition and permission to leave Mecca is absolutely closer to the spiritual merit (Thawāb).