How to Perform Umrah: A Step-by-Step Guide

The four acts of Umrah

Umrah is made of four acts, done in this order: ihram (entering the sacred state with the intention for Umrah, at the miqat), tawaf (seven circuits of the Kaaba), sa'i (seven laps between the hills of Safa and Marwah), and halq or taqsir (shaving or trimming the hair). Everything else, the duas, the etiquette, the visits, surrounds these four.

The schools of fiqh classify the acts differently. Whether sa'i and halq or taqsir count as pillars (arkan) or as obligations (wajib), for instance, is not the same in every madhhab. What they agree on is that all four must be completed and none skipped, so do not leave any out because a crowded day made it tempting.

Before you leave

Umrah is more physical than most first-timers expect: tawaf and sa'i together are several kilometres, much of it on your feet and in a crowd. A few preparations make a large difference:

• Start walking daily a few weeks ahead, and break in any new footwear before the trip
• Learn the talbiyah (below) and the basics of wudu, so you are not reading from a phone mid-circuit
• Sort your documents early. The Umrah visa guide lists them, and the packing checklist covers what to carry
• Ask your agency who your mutawwif or group leader is, where you will meet, and which hotel gate is nearest the mataf

Step 1: Ihram, the intention and the miqat

Ihram is a state you enter, not just clothes you put on. Before the intention, bathe (ghusl, or at least wudu), trim your nails if needed, and put on the ihram garments. Men wear two unstitched white cloths, one wrapped round the waist and one over the shoulders, with the head uncovered. Women wear ordinary modest clothing that covers everything except the face and hands; there is no required colour.

You must make the intention for Umrah at or before the miqat, the boundary you may not cross without being in ihram. Where that is depends on your route. Pilgrims flying from India to Jeddah cross the miqat of Yalamlam in the air, so the usual practice is to put on the ihram garments at the airport or on the plane and make the intention when the crew or your group leader announces that the aircraft is approaching the miqat. If your package lands in Madinah first, you do not enter ihram on arrival: you enter it later at Dhul Hulayfah (Abyar Ali), the miqat for travellers going from Madinah to Makkah, usually on the coach journey. Ask your agency exactly where and when, because a train or a different routing changes the plan.

The restrictions of ihram begin when you make the intention, not when you put on the garments. Say 'Labbayka Allahumma umrah', then recite the talbiyah: 'Labbayk Allahumma labbayk, labbayk la sharika laka labbayk, innal-hamda wan-ni'mata laka wal-mulk, la sharika lak.' Men recite it aloud, women quietly. Keep reciting it until you reach the Kaaba and begin tawaf. Crossing the miqat without ihram, when you intend Umrah, requires a penalty; if it happens, ask a scholar rather than guessing.

What is not allowed in ihram

Until you finish the Umrah, these are prohibited. If you break one by mistake, it is usually forgivable or has a prescribed expiation (fidya), so do not panic; ask your scholar.

• Cutting hair or nails, or pulling out hair
• Perfume and scented products, including scented soap, shampoo and deodorant
• For men: covering the head, and wearing stitched garments or socks. Sandals, a belt and a money pouch are fine
• For women: a face veil (niqab) and gloves. A loose cloth held away from the face when men pass is the common practice
• Marital relations and anything that leads to them, and marriage proposals or contracts
• Hunting or harming animals, and uprooting plants in the Haram
• Arguing and quarrelling. It is the easiest rule to break in a long queue

Step 2: Tawaf, seven circuits of the Kaaba

Enter Masjid al-Haram with your right foot and the dua for entering a mosque, and go to the mataf, the open area around the Kaaba. You should be in a state of wudu: most scholars require it for tawaf. Men uncover the right shoulder for the whole tawaf (idtiba) and, if the crowd allows, walk briskly in the first three circuits (raml). Both are sunnah for men only and are skipped when they would cause a crush.

Tawaf begins at the Black Stone corner, whose line is marked by a green light on the wall and a marker on the floor. Face it, say 'Bismillahi Allahu akbar', and gesture towards it with your right hand; do not push to reach it. Then walk counter-clockwise with the Kaaba on your left, seven times, ending at the Black Stone line. Walk around the Hijr Ismail, the low semicircular wall, not through it, because it is part of the Kaaba.

There is no fixed dua for each circuit; pray in any language, from the heart. Between the Yemeni corner and the Black Stone the sunnah is: 'Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil-akhirati hasanatan wa qina adhaban-nar.' After the seventh circuit, pray two rakats near Maqam Ibrahim if you can (anywhere in the Haram is valid when it is crowded), then drink Zamzam. The upper floors and roof are less crowded than the ground level, but the circuit is longer. A woman who is menstruating cannot perform tawaf until she is pure; she may still enter ihram, and her scholar can advise her on the rest.

Step 3: Sa'i, between Safa and Marwah

Sa'i remembers Hajar's search for water for her son Ismail. From the mataf, go to Safa. At the start, recite 'Inna as-Safa wal-Marwata min sha'a'irillah' (Qur'an 2:158), face the Kaaba, and make dua. Walk to Marwah, which is one lap; Marwah back to Safa is the second. Complete seven laps, finishing at Marwah. Count carefully: if you lose track, go by the lower number you are sure of.

Men lightly jog between the green lights in the middle; women walk. The whole route is indoors, air-conditioned and spread over several levels, with a lane for wheelchairs and electric carts for those who cannot walk it. Each lap is roughly 450 m, so seven laps are about 3 km. Zamzam is available along the way. Wudu is not strictly required for sa'i, but it is preferable.

Step 4: Halq or taqsir, leaving ihram

Once sa'i is finished at Marwah, men either shave the head completely (halq, which the Prophet ﷺ prayed for more than for trimming) or trim the hair evenly from the whole head (taqsir). Trimming a few strands is not enough. Women gather their hair and cut about a fingertip's length from the end. With this the Umrah is complete and the restrictions of ihram are lifted.

Barbers around Marwah are many and not all are licensed. Agree the price before sitting down, and ask for a fresh blade, which protects your health. Do not cut your hair before the sa'i is finished.

After Umrah, and visiting Madinah

Many pilgrims perform further Umrahs during their stay. Each needs a new ihram, made outside the Haram boundary (commonly at Masjid Aisha, Tan'im) for those already in Makkah, and scholars differ on how much repetition is recommended, so ask yours. Most packages also include Madinah. Visiting Masjid an-Nabawi is not part of Umrah but is dear to nearly every pilgrim, and a visit to the Rawdah is booked in advance through the Nusuk app. See the visa and Nusuk guide for how that works.

Practical tips for Indian pilgrims

Rest briefly after arriving, then do your Umrah when you are alert rather than dragging yourself through it on no sleep. Crowds swell around the five prayers and ease between them and in the small hours; your group leader will know the quietest times for the season.

• Photograph your hotel's name and address in Arabic, and keep the hotel card and your group leader's number on you. The Haram is vast and phone batteries die
• Wear sandals you can slip off, carry a shoe bag, and note which gate you left them at
• Elderly pilgrims can hire a wheelchair with a pusher near the mataf; agree the price first or use the Haram's official service, and be wary of touts
• Keep your family together with a visible marker, such as a coloured scarf on a bag, and agree a meeting point in case you are separated
• No fixed dua is required for tawaf or sa'i. A small pocket dua card with transliteration helps, and praying in your own language is perfectly valid
• Mobile signal is heavy in the Haram at peak times. Download maps and your documents beforehand