Common questions
The questions pilgrims ask us most, answered plainly and with the source each answer rests on. Where a ruling depends on your circumstances, treat this as a starting point and ask a scholar you trust.
›Can a woman perform Umrah without a mahram in a group?
Under Saudi Arabia's updated regulations (2021 onward), women above 45 may perform Umrah without a mahram when travelling in an organised group. They must remain with the group throughout and submit a no-objection letter from their mahram. Younger women still require a mahram. These rules are administrative and change from time to time — confirm the current position with your agency before booking.
›What is the correct way to perform Sa'i?
Sa'i is walking seven times between As-Safa and Al-Marwah. Begin at As-Safa reciting “Innas-safa wal-marwata min sha'aa'irillaah”. Each one-way trip counts as one round, so the seventh ends at Al-Marwah. Men jog (raml) in the green-lit section between the two markers; women walk normally throughout.
Sahih Bukhari 1644
›How many times should I make Tawaf?
For Umrah you perform one Tawaf of seven rounds (ashwat) around the Kaaba. Each round starts and ends at the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad). If you lose count, take the lower number — unsure between three and four, count three and continue from there.
›If I forget to say Bismillah before eating, what should I do?
Say “Bismillaahi awwalahu wa aakhirah” (In the name of Allah at its beginning and its end) as soon as you remember. That is sufficient.
Abu Dawud 3767
›Is it permissible to use fragrance after completing Umrah?
Once all four rites are complete — Ihram, Tawaf, Sa'i and Halq or Taqseer — you leave the state of Ihram and its restrictions lift, fragrance included. The prohibition applies only while in Ihram.
Sahih Muslim 1189
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