How to Perform Umrah: A Step-by-Step Guide to Ihram, Tawaf and Sa'i

Umrah is the lesser pilgrimage: a visit to the Sacred Mosque in Makkah in a state of ihram, made up of tawaf around the Ka'bah, sa'i between Safa and Marwah, and shaving or shortening the hair. Unlike Hajj, it has no set days; Nusuk describes it as available all year, with arrangements adjusted in the Hajj season.

The Qur'an commands completing both Hajj and Umrah for Allah, and Sahih al-Bukhari 1773 describes one Umrah to the next as an expiation for the sins between them. Hajj is a duty for those able to make the journey under Qur'an 3:97, and Sahih Muslim 1218a describes its further rites, such as Arafah, Muzdalifah and Mina.

Scholars differ over Umrah's own status. Egypt's Dar al-Ifta explains that the Shafi'i and Hanbali schools regard it as obligatory once in a lifetime, while others hold that it is Sunnah; Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah states that it is obligatory once. Follow your school without treating the other recognised view as blameworthy.

Sources: [1] [3] [4] [23] [22] [24] [28] [27]

Book your Umrah permit through Nusuk, the official platform supervised by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. The Ministry's FAQ says a permit is required to perform Umrah and to pray in Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifah in Madinah, and its e-service page lists the permit as free, issued through the Nusuk app or website once you choose a date and time slot.

Visa categories, age rules, health requirements and seasonal arrangements change, so treat any checklist, including this one, as a starting point. Nusuk describes visas issued through the platform or Saudi embassies, and its homepage reminds travellers about meningitis and other vaccinations. Confirm what applies to your passport and dates before paying for travel.

Prepare your body and your knowledge. Nusuk suggests walking for at least half an hour a day beforehand, because tawaf and sa'i involve a lot of walking. Learn the sequence, the ihram restrictions and your school's rulings before you leave, and note questions for a scholar or experienced guide.

• Check that your passport, visa and Nusuk permit dates match your travel plan.
• Find out where your route crosses the miqat and pack ihram clothing in your hand luggage.
• Build up walking stamina and arrange any mobility support in advance.
• Save local prayer times so you can plan the rites around congregational prayers.

Sources: [27] [28] [25] [26]

Enter ihram with the intention for Umrah before crossing the miqat on your route. Sahih al-Bukhari 1524 names Dhul-Hulayfah for Madinah, Al-Juhfah for Sham, Qarn al-Manazil for Najd and Yalamlam for Yemen, for anyone passing them intending Hajj or Umrah. The Ministry states that Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport is not a miqat, and Nusuk adds that someone who passes the miqat without ihram must return to it or offer a sacrifice.

Men wear two unstitched cloths, one around the waist and one over the upper body; Sahih al-Bukhari 1542 lists shirts, turbans, trousers, hooded cloaks and perfumed garments among what a pilgrim does not wear. Women wear ordinary modest clothing with the exceptions described below. Many pilgrims bathe and trim their nails and hair beforehand, since these become restricted in ihram.

The intention is made in the heart and followed by the talbiyah. Sahih al-Bukhari 1549 preserves its wording, commonly transliterated as Labbayk Allahumma labbayk, labbayka la sharika laka labbayk, innal-hamda wan-ni'mata laka wal-mulk, la sharika lak: answering Allah's call, affirming that He has no partner and that praise, blessing and sovereignty are His. Dar al-Ifta notes that Hanafi scholars require such a remembrance with the intention. Repeat it often; a Tirmidhi report on stopping at the Black Stone is graded weak on sunnah.com, so ask your teacher when to stop.

Sources: [5] [24] [28] [6] [8] [22] [9]

Tawaf is seven circuits around the Ka'bah, starting and finishing in line with the Black Stone and moving anticlockwise, with the Ka'bah on your left. Dar al-Ifta lists its general conditions: intention, passing outside the semicircular Hijr (al-Hatim), the anticlockwise direction, ritual purity and covering the body. Hanafi scholars treat purity as required rather than a condition of validity, with an expiation if omitted, so make wudu first whatever your school.

Touching or kissing the Black Stone is not worth pushing anyone for: Sahih al-Bukhari 1613 describes the Prophet pointing towards the corner and saying takbir as he passed. For men, uncovering the right shoulder (idtiba) and walking briskly (ramal) in the first three circuits are reported in Sunan Abi Dawud 1884 and Sahih Muslim 1261a. Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone, Sunan Abi Dawud 1892, graded hasan by al-Albani, records a supplication for good in both worlds and protection from the Fire.

Then pray two rak'ahs. Qur'an 2:125 speaks of the Station of Ibrahim as a place of prayer, Sahih al-Bukhari 1624 describes two rak'ahs behind it before sa'i, and Sahih Muslim 1218a mentions Surah Al-Kafirun and Surah Al-Ikhlas in them. In crowds, follow the officials' directions. Drink Zamzam with a supplication; Sunan Ibn Majah 3062, graded hasan on sunnah.com, reports that it is for whatever it is drunk for.

Sources: [22] [28] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [4] [16]

Sa'i is seven laps between Safa and Marwah, starting at Safa and finishing at Marwah, so each one-way walk is one lap. Qur'an 2:158 names both hills among the symbols of Allah. In Sahih Muslim 1218a, the Prophet recited this verse near Safa, said he would begin with what Allah began with, climbed until he could see the House, faced the qibla, declared Allah's oneness and greatness, and supplicated.

Men hurry in the stretch marked by green lights, the valley floor where Sahih Muslim 1261a describes the Prophet running, and walk normally elsewhere. Women walk at their usual pace throughout; IslamWeb cites Ibn al-Mundhir's report of consensus that women are not required to hasten. At Marwah, repeat the remembrance and supplication made at Safa.

Dar al-Ifta records that the majority require all seven laps, while Hanafi scholars hold that four are the obligatory number; in practice, complete seven. Keep count carefully, and if you are unsure, ask how your school resolves the doubt rather than guessing.

Sources: [2] [4] [13] [29] [22]

Men may shave the head or shorten the hair, and shaving is more virtuous: Sahih al-Bukhari 1727 reports the Prophet praying repeatedly for those who shave before including those who shorten. Women only shorten. Sunan Abi Dawud 1985, graded sahih by al-Albani, states that shaving is not for women, and Dar al-Ifta describes it as disliked for them.

Cutting the hair releases you from ihram once sa'i is complete; until then every restriction applies, and Jabir's answer in Sahih al-Bukhari 1624 tells pilgrims not to approach their spouses before finishing sa'i. The minimum amount differs by school, as Dar al-Ifta summarises below.

Sources: [17] [18] [22] [15]

The restrictions begin with the intention of ihram, not with putting on the white cloths, and last until the hair is cut. Some apply to everyone; the clothing rules differ for men and women. The table lists restrictions found in the cited texts, and the schools add detail, so check doubtful items such as scented toiletries with your guide.

If a restriction is broken, the consequence depends on the act, whether it was deliberate, forgetful or out of need, and on your school. Qur'an 2:196 gives the example of a pilgrim who must shave because of illness or a head ailment, who compensates by fasting, charity or a sacrifice. Do not guess the penalty; describe exactly what happened to a qualified scholar.

Sources: [6] [7] [1] [10] [15]

A woman enters ihram in her ordinary modest clothing; the texts cited here prescribe no special garment. Sahih al-Bukhari 1838 states that she does not wear a face veil (niqab) or gloves in ihram, and she avoids perfume like every pilgrim. She is not required to uncover a shoulder or hasten, according to the consensus reported by IslamWeb, and she shortens a little hair rather than shaving.

Menstruation does not prevent entering ihram, but tawaf waits until she is pure. In Sahih al-Bukhari 1650, Aisha reports arriving in Makkah while menstruating and being told to do what other pilgrims did except tawaf until she was clean. Because travel dates are often fixed, discuss timing, medication and what to do if bleeding begins with a scholar and, where relevant, a doctor before booking.

Saudi regulations and religious rulings are separate questions. The Ministry's FAQ states that women may perform Umrah without a mahram, but scholars discuss the religious question of travelling without one differently, so ask a trusted scholar about your circumstances rather than treating a visa rule as a fatwa.

Sources: [7] [29] [18] [19] [25]

Most mistakes come from rushing, crowd pressure or copying other pilgrims without knowing the ruling. The list below collects errors that the sources in this guide address directly. If one happens, note what you did and when, then ask a qualified scholar: some mistakes need correcting, some need an expiation, and some need nothing further.

• Flying past the miqat without ihram on the assumption that Jeddah airport is the boundary.
• Wearing the white cloths but forgetting to make the intention, or making it after crossing the miqat.
• Starting tawaf away from the Black Stone, or cutting through the Hijr instead of passing outside it.
• Pushing or hurting others to touch the Black Stone when pointing towards it is enough.
• Starting sa'i at Marwah, or counting a round trip between the hills as a single lap.
• Leaving ihram before cutting the hair, or cutting less than your school requires.

Sources: [24] [28] [22] [11] [4]

Questions readers often ask

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