All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May Allah's peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions.
When a Muslim resolves to perform Umrah, the most important thing after making the intention sincere is to learn the order of its rites and their established manner. This enables the pilgrim to worship calmly and with clear knowledge, without unnecessary difficulty or imitating customs that have no basis.
Umrah is worship of Allah alone. Supplication, seeking supernatural rescue, sacrifice, and every other act of worship must be directed to Him alone. Allah, Exalted is He, says:
Honoring the Ka'bah, the Black Stone, and the sacred rites means honoring what Allah has honored and following His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. It does not mean believing that any of them independently brings benefit or causes harm.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “One Umrah to the next is an expiation for what is between them.” Agreed upon. The following is the Umrah sequence, from preparing for ihram through shaving or shortening the hair.
Umrah is completed, and the pilgrim exits ihram, after shaving or shortening the hair.
It is recommended for a person intending ihram to perform ghusl, clean himself, and attend to any nails, mustache, underarm hair, or pubic hair that needs grooming before entering ihram, so that he will not need to remove any of it afterward. This grooming is not a separate Sunnah required for every ihram; it is done when needed before removal becomes prohibited.
It is recommended for a man to apply fragrance to his body before making the intention for ihram, but he should not apply it to his ihram garments. Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said:
Agreed upon.
A man removes clothing tailored to fit the body or a limb in the customary manner, such as a shirt, trousers, and a turban. He wears a permissible izar and rida. They do not have to be new, but they should be clean and provide proper covering.
The prohibition is not every item that contains stitching. It concerns customary fitted clothing made for the body or a part of it. A belt, watch, glasses, and bag are therefore permissible. The Sunnah is to wear sandals. If he cannot find sandals, he may wear khuffs, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whoever cannot find sandals may wear khuffs.” Agreed upon.
A woman enters ihram in her ordinary Islamically appropriate clothing, and no particular color is required. Her clothing should be covering, free of display, and unperfumed. While in ihram, she does not wear a fitted face veil or gloves, because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
When unrelated men pass by, she may lower her khimar or jilbab over her face without wearing a fitted niqab.
Ihram is the intention to enter the rite; it is not merely putting on the izar and rida. A man who wears the ihram garments without intending to begin Umrah is not yet in ihram. Once he intends to enter the rite, he is in ihram and its rulings apply.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, designated miqats that a person intending Hajj or Umrah may not pass without entering ihram. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, reported:
Agreed upon.
A person whose home is within the miqat boundaries enters ihram from where he is. Someone already inside the Haram boundary in Makkah who wishes to begin a new Umrah goes outside the Haram to the Hill area, such as al-Tan'im, and enters ihram there. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, instructed Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr to take Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, to al-Tan'im so she could perform Umrah. Agreed upon.
A traveler flying to Jeddah who already intends Umrah should prepare and put on the ihram garments before reaching the line of the miqat. He then makes the intention and begins the talbiyah when the aircraft reaches the miqat line, or shortly before it as a precaution. He should not delay ihram until the plane lands in Jeddah, because Jeddah is not the miqat for someone who passes the miqat line while intending Umrah.
He intends in his heart to begin Umrah and then says:
There is no need to pronounce invented phrases explaining what is in the heart. Intention belongs in the heart, while saying “Labbayka Umrah” is the prescribed declaration of the rite.
If a person reasonably fears that illness or a genuine obstacle may prevent completion of Umrah, he may make a condition when entering ihram by saying:
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, told Duba'ah bint al-Zubayr, may Allah be pleased with her, when she was ill: “Perform Hajj and make a condition, saying: O Allah, my place of exiting ihram is wherever You prevent me.” Agreed upon.
According to the stronger view, there is no separate prayer prescribed specifically for entering ihram because no specific evidence establishes one. If the time of an obligatory prayer coincides with ihram, or a person prays a Sunnah prayer for an established reason, such as the prayer after wudu, and then enters ihram, there is no harm.
After entering ihram, the pilgrim frequently recites the established talbiyah:
Agreed upon.
A man raises his voice with the talbiyah without harming or disturbing others. A woman recites it at a level she and nearby women can hear, but she does not raise her voice in the presence of unrelated men.
The pilgrim continues the talbiyah until beginning the Umrah tawaf. Once tawaf begins, the talbiyah stops and the pilgrim occupies himself with takbir, remembrance, and supplication.
From the moment the pilgrim intends to enter the rite, the restrictions of ihram must be observed. Among the most important are:
A person in ihram may bathe, change ihram garments, use a belt, watch, glasses, or umbrella, and treat a wound. Someone who commits a restriction forgetfully, unknowingly, or because of a need should not issue his own ruling. The consequences differ according to the restriction and the excuse, so he should ask a reliable scholar and explain exactly what occurred.
The pilgrim enters al-Masjid al-Haram with the right foot and says the supplication prescribed when entering any mosque:
Narrated by Muslim.
No specific authentic supplication is established for the first sight of the Ka'bah. A Muslim may ask Allah for any good without attributing an unestablished formula to the Sunnah.
A person entering to perform Umrah begins with tawaf. Tawaf serves as the greeting of the Sacred House in this case, so no separate two-rak'ah greeting of the mosque is needed before it.
The cautious and safer practice is to perform tawaf with wudu, as purification from ritual impurity is a condition for tawaf according to the majority of scholars. The awrah must also be covered. The Ka'bah remains on the pilgrim's left, and the pilgrim walks outside al-Hijr, the area enclosed by the curved wall beside the Ka'bah, because part of it belongs to the House. A person who cuts through its interior has not circled the entire Ka'bah. The common name “Hijr Isma'il” is not established by evidence; the more precise name is al-Hijr.
The pilgrim approaches the Black Stone. If he can touch and kiss it without crowding or harming others, he does so. If he cannot kiss it but can touch it with his hand, he touches it and kisses his hand. If neither is possible, he points toward it once, says “Allahu Akbar,” and continues with the flow of pilgrims.
This is done whenever he aligns with the Black Stone at the beginning of each circuit: he touches it if possible; otherwise, he points toward it and says takbir without stopping or crowding. If he only points from a distance, he does not kiss his hand.
He should not stand for a long time when aligned with the Stone or force a path through the crowd. Protecting the dignity and safety of Muslims takes precedence over pursuing a Sunnah that cannot be reached without causing harm.
Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said at the Black Stone:
Agreed upon.
This affirms tawheed: the Stone does not independently benefit or harm. A Muslim touches it only in obedience to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
Tawaf consists of seven circuits. Each circuit begins at the Black Stone and ends upon returning to it. Reaching the Stone at the outset begins the first circuit, and returning to it completes that circuit. The pilgrim continues in this manner until seven are complete.
If uncertain about the number, he proceeds on what is certain, which is the lower number. If unsure whether he has completed five or six circuits, he counts five and completes the remainder.
During the Umrah tawaf, it is Sunnah for a man to perform idtiba by placing the middle of his upper garment beneath his right armpit and both ends over his left shoulder, leaving the right shoulder uncovered. Idtiba is only for tawaf. Once tawaf ends, he covers both shoulders before praying.
It is also Sunnah for a man to perform ramal in the first three circuits: walking briskly with short steps. He walks normally in the remaining four. If the area is crowded or he fears harming someone, he walks normally and does not push.
A woman walks normally and does not perform idtiba or ramal.
The pilgrim remembers Allah, recites Quran, and asks for the good of this world and the Hereafter. There is no established supplication assigned to each circuit, and one should not bind himself to booklets that prescribe a separate formula for every circuit.
Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone, it is recommended to say:
This was reported from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in Sunan Abi Dawud and Musnad Ahmad, and a number of hadith scholars graded it hasan.
The pilgrim touches the Yemeni Corner with his hand if possible without crowding. He does not kiss it or say takbir there. If he cannot reach it, he continues without pointing. It is not prescribed to touch the other corners of the Ka'bah, wipe its walls, or touch Maqam Ibrahim seeking blessing.
If the obligatory prayer is called, the pilgrim prays with the congregation and then resumes tawaf from the place where he stopped. If he needs a short rest or a drink of water, he may pause and then continue, preserving the order of the circuits and avoiding an unnecessarily long interruption.
After completing tawaf, a man covers his shoulder and prays two rak'ahs behind Maqam Ibrahim if this is possible without crowding. Allah, Exalted is He, says:
If the area is crowded, he prays the two rak'ahs anywhere in al-Masjid al-Haram. He must not harm those performing tawaf or insist on praying directly behind the Maqam.
After al-Fatihah, it is recommended to recite Surah al-Kafirun in the first rak'ah and Surah al-Ikhlas in the second, based on Jabir's report, may Allah be pleased with him, describing the rites of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, narrated by Muslim.
He then drinks Zamzam water if possible, praises Allah, and asks Him for whatever good he wishes. Drinking Zamzam is not a condition for the validity of Umrah.
After tawaf, the pilgrim proceeds to Safa to begin sa'i. According to the majority of scholars, sa'i is a pillar of Umrah and Umrah is not complete without it.
When approaching Safa at the beginning of sa'i, the pilgrim recites the preceding verse and then says:
The verse and this statement are said only when beginning sa'i, not at every lap.
The pilgrim ascends Safa as much as is practical, faces the qiblah, raises his hands in supplication, praises Allah, says takbir three times, and says:
He then asks Allah for whatever he wishes and repeats this remembrance and supplication three times. This manner is established in the lengthy hadith of Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, in Sahih Muslim.
Walking from Safa to Marwah is the first lap. Returning from Marwah to Safa is the second. The pilgrim continues in this manner until the seventh lap ends at Marwah.
A man walks normally until reaching the first green marker, then moves quickly until the second green marker if he can do so without harm. A woman continues walking normally and does not run in this area.
At Marwah, the pilgrim faces the qiblah and performs the same remembrance and supplication as at Safa, without repeating the verse or the statement “I begin with what Allah began with.” This is recommended whenever he reaches Safa or Marwah, including his final arrival at Marwah if practical. No closing supplication is required, and there is no separate established remembrance for ending sa'i.
Wudu is not a condition for the validity of sa'i, though performing it in a state of purification is better. The pilgrim may supplicate, remember Allah, and recite Quran while walking. There are no established supplications assigned to each lap.
After completing sa'i, a man shaves all the hair on his head or shortens hair from the entire head. Shaving is better because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, repeatedly prayed for forgiveness and mercy for those who shaved, and then mentioned those who shortened. Agreed upon.
Cutting only a few hairs from one side is not sufficient. Shortening must include the entire head so that valid shortening is achieved.
A woman does not shave her head. She gathers her hair and trims approximately a fingertip's length from its ends. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Narrated by Abu Dawud and graded hasan by a number of scholars.
With shaving or shortening, Umrah ends and the pilgrim exits ihram. Things prohibited because of ihram become permissible again.
A person who completes sa'i but has not yet shaved or shortened remains in ihram. A man should not put on his regular fitted clothing or apply fragrance until he shaves or shortens.
A person who omits a pillar has not completed Umrah until that pillar is fulfilled. The ruling for omitting an obligation or committing a restriction has details. Anyone whose rite may contain a significant defect should not rely on guessing or on a general answer that may not fit the facts of the case.
These answers address general situations. A person who has omitted a pillar or obligation, committed an ihram restriction, or encountered an emergency during the rite may have a ruling that depends on specific details. When possible, it is best to ask qualified scholars in the Haram before leaving Makkah.
If the person passed it while intending Umrah, he should return to the miqat and enter ihram there if possible. If he entered ihram after passing it and did not return, many scholars require a sacrificial compensation. Ignorance, forgetfulness, and inability involve details that vary with the circumstances.
If a person passed the miqat without intending Hajj or Umrah and formed the intention only after reaching Jeddah, he enters ihram from Jeddah. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said concerning those inside the miqat boundaries: “Whoever is within those boundaries begins from where he forms the intention.” Agreed upon. A person who intended Umrah before crossing the miqat may not delay ihram until Jeddah.
A woman should not travel for Umrah without her husband or a mahram, based on the statement of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: “A woman must not travel except with a mahram.” A man then said that his wife had gone for Hajj while he had enrolled in a military expedition. The Prophet told him: “Go and perform Hajj with your wife.” Agreed upon. A woman facing a genuine necessity should ask about her particular situation before traveling.
Yes. Tawaf is valid on the levels designated for it as long as it circles the Ka'bah and remains within the mosque. A wheelchair may be used by someone who needs it. Pilgrims should follow the designated routes and crowd-management instructions and avoid putting themselves or others at risk.
According to the majority of scholars, purification is a condition for tawaf, so the person leaves and performs wudu. Scholars differ on whether tawaf must be restarted or may be resumed from the completed circuits, depending on the interruption and circumstances. The more cautious course is to restart tawaf after performing wudu.
She remains in ihram, recites the talbiyah, and remembers Allah, but she does not perform tawaf until she becomes pure and performs ghusl. She then completes tawaf, sa'i, and shortens her hair. If she has travel arrangements that cannot be delayed, she should ask qualified scholars about her exact circumstances before acting, because necessity rulings differ with the situation.
If she completed tawaf and menstruation began before sa'i, she may perform sa'i while menstruating because purification is not a condition for the validity of sa'i. She then trims her hair and completes her Umrah.
The established Sunnah is to begin with tawaf and then perform sa'i. This was the practice of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: “Learn your rites from me.” Narrated by Muslim. A pilgrim should not deliberately reverse this order. A number of scholars, however, have held that sa'i performed first out of ignorance or forgetfulness is sufficient.
As soon as he remembers, he removes the prohibited fitted clothing and then shaves or shortens, thereby exiting ihram. Acts committed forgetfully have their own rulings. If he committed another restriction or a long time passed, he should ask qualified scholars and explain precisely what happened.
According to many scholars, farewell tawaf is not obligatory for a person performing Umrah. Once Umrah is complete, the pilgrim may leave Makkah. If he performs a voluntary tawaf before traveling, there is no harm, provided he does not believe it is obligatory.
The basic practice is to complete one's Umrah and then occupy oneself with prayer, voluntary tawaf, Quran, and remembrance. Repeatedly leaving the Haram to perform multiple Umrahs during one trip was not the regular practice of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, or his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. Some circumstances are subject to scholarly detail and disagreement, so it should not become a habit or cause crowding.
A Muslim may perform Umrah on behalf of someone who has died, or a living person who is permanently incapable and is not expected to regain the ability. Abu Razin, may Allah be pleased with him, told the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that his father was an elderly man unable to perform Hajj or Umrah. The Prophet said: “Perform Hajj and Umrah on behalf of your father.” Narrated by Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, and al-Nasa'i, and authenticated by hadith scholars. Umrah is not performed on behalf of a living person who can perform it himself. A Muslim should complete his own Umrah before performing one for another person, specify one person when entering ihram, and not assign one Umrah to several people.
A child's Umrah is valid with the assistance of a guardian. The child has a valid rite, and the guardian is rewarded for teaching and assisting. It does not replace the child's obligatory Hajj after puberty, nor the obligatory Umrah according to scholars who hold Umrah obligatory. The guardian should prevent ihram violations as much as possible and help the child perform tawaf and sa'i correctly without harming others or placing the child at risk.
In its essential form, Umrah is straightforward: ihram from the miqat, talbiyah, tawaf, sa'i, then shaving or shortening the hair. Its excellence is not found in unnecessary complication, but in sincere worship of Allah, following the Sunnah, presence of heart, and avoiding harm to Muslims.
