Umrah is a short pilgrimage to Makkah that can be performed at any time of the year. It has four parts: Ihram, Tawaf, Sa'i and Halq or Taqsir (shaving or shortening the hair). Most pilgrims complete it in three to five hours.
Before you travel
- Make sure your Umrah visa, hotel booking and return ticket are confirmed.
- Pack your Ihram and essentials using our Umrah packing list.
- Trim nails, remove unwanted hair and take a bath (ghusl) before putting on Ihram.
The steps of Umrah
-
Ihram at the Miqat
Ihram is the sacred state a pilgrim enters before crossing the Miqat (the boundary for pilgrims). Men wear two plain white unstitched sheets; women wear ordinary modest clothing that covers the body, with the face and hands uncovered.
Flying from Pakistan to Jeddah: the plane crosses the Miqat (Yalamlam or Qarn al-Manazil) before landing, so put on Ihram at home or at the airport, and make the intention (niyyah) when the crew announces the Miqat, about 30 minutes before landing. Going to Madinah first: you do not need Ihram on the flight; put it on before leaving Madinah for Makkah, at Dhul Hulayfah (Masjid Abyar Ali).
After the intention, recite the Talbiyah often until you reach the Ka'bah:
Labbayk Allahumma labbayk, labbayka la sharika laka labbayk. Innal-hamda wan-ni'mata laka wal-mulk, la sharika lak.
-
Tawaf: seven rounds of the Ka'bah
Enter Masjid al-Haram with your right foot and read the dua for entering the mosque. Men uncover the right shoulder (idtiba) for Tawaf. Start at the corner of the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad), facing it, and raise your right hand saying Bismillah, Allahu Akbar.
Walk seven rounds anti-clockwise, keeping the Ka'bah on your left. Each round starts and ends at the Black Stone line. Read any dua or dhikr you like; between the Yemeni corner and the Black Stone it is Sunnah to read: Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanah, wa fil-akhirati hasanah, wa qina 'adhaban-nar.
After Tawaf, cover the shoulder again, pray two rak'ahs behind or near Maqam Ibrahim (anywhere in the mosque if it is crowded), and drink Zamzam water.
-
Sa'i between Safa and Marwah
Go to the hill of Safa, face the Ka'bah, praise Allah and make dua. Then walk to Marwah: that is one round. Walking back to Safa is the second round. Complete seven rounds, finishing at Marwah. Men walk a little faster between the green lights. Wheelchairs and electric carts are available on the upper floors.
-
Halq or Taqsir: cutting the hair
Men shave the whole head (Halq, which is better) or shorten the hair evenly all over (Taqsir). Women cut a fingertip's length from the end of their hair. Barber shops are just outside the Marwah exit.
Your Umrah is now complete and the restrictions of Ihram end. Alhamdulillah.
Things not allowed in Ihram
- Cutting hair or nails, and using perfume or scented soap.
- For men: stitched clothes, covering the head, and shoes that cover the ankle bone and top of the foot.
- For women: face veil (niqab) and gloves.
- Marital relations, arguing and harming plants or animals in the Haram.
Practical tips
- The mosque is quieter late at night and after Fajr; Tawaf on the upper floors is longer but less crowded.
- Agree a meeting point with your group (for example, a numbered gate) in case you get separated.
- Choose a hotel within walking distance so you can pray more often in the Haram: see hotels near Masjid al-Haram.
- After Umrah, plan a day for Ziyarat in Makkah and Madinah.
Want us to take care of the visa, flights, hotels and transport? Build your Umrah package or contact our team.