Ihram at the miqat

Learn the steps before you travel, and know which miqat is on your route. Many people who travel by plane put on ihram clothes before boarding, then make the intention when the plane reaches the miqat. The crew usually announces it.

Ihram is the state of dress and intention that you enter for Umrah. You must enter it at or before the miqat, which is the boundary point set for your route. Take a bath, clean yourself and wear your ihram clothes.

Men wear two pieces of unsewn cloth. Women wear modest clothes and avoid the face veil and gloves while in ihram.

Then make the intention for Umrah in your heart and say the talbiyah: Labbayk Allahumma labbayk. It means: Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Men say it aloud, and women say it quietly. Keep repeating it until you reach the Kaaba.

Entering Makkah and tawaf

On arrival, enter the Sacred Mosque and go to the Kaaba. Stop the talbiyah when you begin tawaf. Begin at the line of the Black Stone and keep the Kaaba on your left side.

Walk around the Kaaba seven times. Each time you pass the Black Stone, you complete one circuit. Most scholars say you should be in a state of wudu (ablution) for tawaf.

There is no fixed prayer that you must say during tawaf. Use dhikr (remembrance of Allah) or dua in your own words, and keep your voice low.

After the seventh circuit, pray two rak'ahs (units of prayer) behind Maqam Ibrahim, or anywhere in the mosque if it is crowded. Then drink Zamzam water.

Sa'i between Safa and Marwa

Go to Mount Safa and begin sa'i, as Quran 2:158 mentions these two hills as signs of Allah. Walk from Safa to Marwa, which is one trip. Then walk from Marwa back to Safa, which is the second trip.

Complete seven trips, ending at Marwa. Men walk faster between the green markers. You may make dua (supplication) on the way.

Shaving or trimming the hair

After sa'i, men shave the whole head or trim the hair evenly. Shaving is better. Women trim a small amount from the ends of their hair.

Your Umrah is now complete, and you leave the state of ihram.

Forbidden acts in ihram

While you are in ihram, avoid these acts:

  • Cutting hair or nails
  • Using perfume on the body or clothes
  • Men covering the head or wearing sewn clothes
  • Hunting animals
  • Marital relations, and starting a marriage contract
  • Arguing and bad speech

Common mistakes

Some mistakes are common and easy to avoid.

  • Passing the miqat without entering ihram
  • Starting tawaf away from the line of the Black Stone
  • Losing count of circuits or trips
  • Pushing others to touch the Black Stone, when a gesture from far away is enough
  • Trimming the hair before sa'i is finished
  • Touching or wiping parts of the Kaaba that the Prophet ﷺ did not touch

The order of the steps must be kept. If you think you made a mistake, ask a qualified scholar. Some mistakes need a compensation, and a scholar can explain what to do.

General information for learning, not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar.

Sources

  • Quran 2:158
  • Quran 2:196
  • Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of Hajj)
  • Sahih Muslim (Book of Hajj)