If an Umrah is to be performed for someone, can a single Umrah be performed for several people?

And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings — At one time, a single Umrah can be performed on behalf of only one person; intending, in one ihram, to act on behalf of two or more persons (both parents, or several deceased persons) is neither valid nor will it suffice on behalf of all of them.

1. Hajj and Umrah are bodily acts of worship; the original rule is to perform them oneself. The concession of acting on behalf of another, upon an excuse (death / advanced old age / illness), is, according to the text, for only one person at a time — the evidence: the hadith of Shubrumah: the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered the man who had said “Labbayk on behalf of Shubrumah” first to perform his own Hajj, and then approved acting on behalf of one single person (Shubrumah) (Sunan Abi Dawud: 1811, Ibn Majah).

2. The agreed fatwa of the Permanent Committee, Ibn Baz and Ibn 'Uthaymin, may Allah have mercy on them: a single Umrah is on behalf of only one human being; if one intends it for two or more, the intention is void and the Umrah will not count as acting on behalf of anyone; rather, it will be the performer's own.

3. The Sunnah ways of benefiting several people: (a) including everyone (parents, the deceased, all Muslims) in one's supplications during all the rites of the Umrah — the reward reaches all of them; (b) separate Umrahs: complete the first Umrah and come out of ihram, then go outside the boundary of the Haram to a miqat (Masjid 'A'ishah / Tan'im), enter ihram afresh and perform a separate Umrah for the other person.

Translated from the original Urdu fatwa.