Can one perform umra on Eid AlAdha? I am not doing Hajj.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

There is no objection to perform ‘Umrah on the Day of ‘Eed Al-Adh-ha or any other days of the year according to the opinion of the majority of scholars. However, some scholars, like the Hanafis, held that it is disliked to perform ‘Umrah on certain days such as the Day of ‘Eed and the Days of Tashreeq (11th, 12th, and 13th of Thul-Hijjah).

Al-Mawsoo‘ah Al-Fiqhiyyah (The Kuwaiti Fiqh Encyclopedia) reads: “Muslim scholars maintained that the time for performing ‘Umrah is all year long for the person who is not performing Hajj. It is permissible for the Muslim to perform ‘Umrah at any time of the year. The best time, though, is during the month of Ramadan… The Hanafis, according to the most valid opinion (in the Hanafi school), held that it is strongly disliked to perform ‘Umrah on the Day of ‘Arafah and four days after it. They relied on the words of ‘Aa’ishah : ‘It is permissible to perform ‘Umrah all year long except on four days: the Day of ‘Arafah, the Nahr Day (the Day of Sacrifice, i.e. the 10th day of Thul-Hijjah), and two days after it…’”  [End of quote]

It should be noted that the report of ‘Aa’ishah is not valid evidence to support their argument. Al-Bayhaqi reported it and then he commented on the report saying, “This is a Mawqoof report (i.e. a Hadeeth narrated by a Companion in which the chain of narration does not reach the Prophet ); and in our opinion, it applies to when someone is performing Hajj that year. In this case, he should not engage in performing ‘Umrah until he performs Hajj. ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab commanded Abu Ayyoob Al-Ansaari and Habbar ibn Al-Aswad (on the Day of Nahr), as they missed the Day of ‘Arafah and consequently missed Hajj, to end their state of Ihraam by performing ‘Umrah (and perform Hajj the following year).” [As-Sunan Al-Kubra]

The Hanbali scholar Ibn Muflih wrote: “It is not disliked to assume the state of Ihraam to perform ‘Umrah on the Day of ‘Arafah, the Day of Al-Nahr or the Tashreeq Days … The basic principle is that it is not disliked and there is no evidence proving otherwise.” [Al-Furoo‘]

Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah wrote: “As for ‘Umrah, one can perform it at any time of the year; there is no specific time for performing ‘Umrah because its rites are not bound to a particular time. Therefore, it should not be restricted to a specific time of the year. The Hanbalis maintained that it is not disliked to perform ‘Umrah at any time of the year; one may even assume the state of Ihraam to perform ‘Umrah in the days of Hajj.”

For further information, please refer to Fatwa 86397.

Allaah Knows best.