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The whole rite
Umrah in four steps
Ihram - enter the state of ihram before the miqat, with the intention for Umrah and the talbiyah.
The step in fullTawaf - seven circuits around the Kaaba, starting and ending at the Black Stone, then two rak‘ahs and Zamzam.
The step in fullSa'i - seven lengths between Safa and Marwah, starting at Safa and ending at Marwah.
The step in fullHalq or taqsir - men shave or trim their hair; women trim a fingertip's length. Your Umrah is complete.
The step in full
Scholars of the four madhhabs differ on some details. This guide follows the widely taught practice in Pakistan; where it matters, ask a scholar you trust.
Step 1 of 4
1. Ihram and intention
Before the miqat
The miqat is the boundary pilgrims may not cross without ihram. Flights from Pakistan cross it in the air, so put on your ihram at home or at the airport, and make the intention on the plane before the miqat - the crew usually announces it. If you are going to Madinah first, you will enter ihram later at Dhul Hulayfah (Bir Ali), on the road from Madinah to Makkah.
Ihram at a glance
- Put it on
- At home or the airport
- Flights from Pakistan cross the miqat in the air
- The intention
- On the plane
- Before the miqat - the crew usually announces it
- Men wear
- Two white sheets
- Plain and unstitched
- Women wear
- Modest clothing
- In any colour; no niqab or gloves in ihram
- Take a bath (ghusl), trim your nails and remove unwanted hair before ihram.
- Men wear two plain white unstitched sheets - one around the waist, one over the shoulders - and sandals that leave the top of the foot uncovered. Perfume may be applied to the body before ihram, not to the sheets.
- Women wear their normal modest clothing in any colour. In ihram a woman does not wear a niqab or gloves.
- If it isn't a disliked time for prayer, pray two rak‘ahs of nafl.
The intention and talbiyah
Intention for Umrah (at the miqat, in ihram)
لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ عُمْرَةً
Labbayk Allāhumma ‘umratan
“Here I am, O Allah, for Umrah.”
The intention itself is in the heart. Many in Pakistan also say: Allāhumma innī urīdul-‘umrata fa yassirhā lī wa taqabbalhā minnī - “O Allah, I intend Umrah; make it easy for me and accept it from me.”
Talbiyah - from ihram until you begin tawaf
لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ، إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ، لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ
Labbayk Allāhumma labbayk, labbayka lā sharīka laka labbayk, innal-ḥamda wan-ni‘mata laka wal-mulk, lā sharīka lak
“Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am - You have no partner - here I am. All praise, all blessings and all dominion are Yours. You have no partner.”
Men recite it aloud; women recite it quietly.
While in ihram, avoid
- Perfume and scented soap, cutting hair or nails.
- For men: stitched clothing and covering the head. For women: niqab and gloves.
- Marital relations, arguing, and hunting.
Step 2 of 4
2. Tawaf
Go to your hotel first if you need to rest, then enter Masjid al-Haram with your right foot and the dua for entering the mosque. You need wudu for tawaf. Stop the talbiyah when you begin.
Tawaf at a glance
- Circuits
- 7
- Ending at the Black Stone
- Direction
- Anticlockwise
- Keeping the Kaaba on your left
- Start and finish
- The Black Stone
- Level with the green light on the wall
- Wudu
- Required
- You need wudu for tawaf
Entering Masjid al-Haram (right foot first)
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ
Bismillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ‘alā Rasūlillāh. Allāhumma-ftaḥ lī abwāba raḥmatik
“In the name of Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. O Allah, open for me the doors of Your mercy.”
- Men uncover the right shoulder (idtiba‘) by passing the upper sheet under the right arm, for the whole tawaf.
- Start at the corner of the Black Stone, level with the green light on the wall. Face it, raise your right hand towards it and say Bismillāhi wallāhu akbar.
- Walk anticlockwise, keeping the Kaaba on your left. Men walk briskly with short steps (ramal) in the first three circuits if the crowd allows.
- Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone, recite the dua below. The rest of each circuit, pray freely.
- Complete seven circuits, ending at the Black Stone.
At the Black Stone, starting each circuit of tawaf
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Bismillāhi wallāhu akbar
“In the name of Allah, and Allah is the Greatest.”
Face the Black Stone, raise your right hand towards it (istilam) and say this. Don't push through the crowd to touch it.
Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Rabbanā ātinā fid-dunyā ḥasanatan wa fil-ākhirati ḥasanatan wa qinā ‘adhāban-nār
“Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”
For the rest of each circuit there is no fixed dua - pray for whatever you wish, in any language.
After tawaf
Men cover the right shoulder again. Pray two rak‘ahs behind Maqam Ibrahim if there is room, otherwise anywhere in the mosque, then drink Zamzam.
Approaching Maqam Ibrahim after tawaf
وَاتَّخِذُوا مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى
Wattakhidhū min maqāmi Ibrāhīma muṣallā
“And take the standing place of Ibrahim as a place of prayer.”
Then pray two rak‘ahs behind the Maqam if there is space, or anywhere in the mosque. It is Sunnah to recite Surah al-Kafirun in the first and al-Ikhlas in the second.
Drinking Zamzam
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَافِعًا، وَرِزْقًا وَاسِعًا، وَشِفَاءً مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ
Allāhumma innī as’aluka ‘ilman nāfi‘an, wa rizqan wāsi‘an, wa shifā’an min kulli dā’
“O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, plentiful provision, and healing from every illness.”
The Prophet ﷺ said Zamzam is “for whatever it is drunk for” (Sunan Ibn Majah 3062), so any dua may be made.
Step 3 of 4
3. Sa'i between Safa and Marwah
Follow the signs to Safa. Sa'i is seven lengths: Safa to Marwah is one, Marwah back to Safa is two, and so on, ending at Marwah. The whole route is inside the air-conditioned masa‘a, with wheelchair lanes.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Sa'i at a glance
- Lengths
- 7
- Safa to Marwah is one
- Start
- Safa
- Follow the signs to Safa
- Finish
- Marwah
- After the seventh length
- Wudu
- Recommended
- But not required
Climbing Safa at the start of sa'i
إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ ۖ أَبْدَأُ بِمَا بَدَأَ اللَّهُ بِهِ
Innaṣ-ṣafā wal-marwata min sha‘ā’irillāh. Abda’u bimā bada’allāhu bih
“Indeed Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah. I begin with what Allah began with.”
Said once, at the very start of sa'i.
On Safa and on Marwah, facing the Kaaba
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ، أَنْجَزَ وَعْدَهُ، وَنَصَرَ عَبْدَهُ، وَهَزَمَ الْأَحْزَابَ وَحْدَهُ
Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar. Lā ilāha illallāhu waḥdahū lā sharīka lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-ḥamd, wa huwa ‘alā kulli shay’in qadīr. Lā ilāha illallāhu waḥdah, anjaza wa‘dah, wa naṣara ‘abdah, wa hazamal-aḥzāba waḥdah
“Allah is the Greatest. There is no god but Allah alone, without partner; His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things. There is no god but Allah alone: He fulfilled His promise, supported His servant, and alone defeated the confederates.”
Repeat it three times, raising your hands and making your own dua in between.
Between the green lights during sa'i
رَبِّ اغْفِرْ وَارْحَمْ، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْأَعَزُّ الْأَكْرَمُ
Rabbighfir warḥam, innaka antal-a‘azzul-akram
“My Lord, forgive and have mercy. You are the Most Mighty, the Most Generous.”
Men walk briskly between the green lights; women walk normally.
Step 4 of 4
4. Halq or taqsir
After the seventh length, leave the masjid and cut your hair. Men either shave the whole head (halq, which is better) or trim hair evenly from the whole head (taqsir). Women gather their hair and cut about a fingertip's length from the ends - never in front of men who are not mahram.
Halq or taqsir at a glance
- When
- After the seventh length
- Leave the masjid, then cut your hair
- Men
- Shave or trim
- The whole head; shaving (halq) is better
- Women
- A fingertip's length
- Cut from the ends, never in front of men who are not mahram
With that, your Umrah is complete and the restrictions of ihram are lifted. May Allah accept it from you.
Before you go
Common mistakes to avoid
- Step 1 · Ihram
Crossing the miqat without ihram. On flights from Pakistan this is easy to miss - put your ihram on before boarding.
- Step 2 · Tawaf
Starting tawaf in the wrong place. Always start and finish each circuit at the Black Stone line.
- Step 2 · Tawaf
Pushing to kiss the Black Stone. Pointing towards it is Sunnah; harming others to reach it is not.
- Step 2 · Tawaf
Keeping the shoulder uncovered in prayer. Idtiba‘ is only during the tawaf.
- Step 4 · Halq
Trimming only a few hairs. Men should shave or trim from the whole head.
Planning your trip? Compare our Umrah packages from Pakistan, read the full list of Umrah duas, or check the Umrah packing list.
Questions about performing Umrah
01How long does Umrah take?
The rites themselves usually take three to five hours: about an hour or two for tawaf and the same for sa'i, depending on crowds. Late night and mid-morning are usually the least crowded times.
02Can I perform Umrah more than once on one trip?
Yes. For an additional Umrah you leave the Haram boundary - most pilgrims go to Masjid Aisha at Taneem - put on ihram and make a fresh intention, then perform tawaf, sa'i and halq or taqsir again.
03What if I lose count of my circuits?
Build on the number you are sure of. If you are unsure whether you have done four or five, count it as four and continue.
04Can women perform Umrah during menstruation?
A woman may enter ihram and do everything except tawaf, which she performs once she is pure. If her return date doesn't allow this, she should ask a scholar about her situation before travelling.
05Is wudu required for sa'i?
Wudu is required for tawaf. For sa'i it is recommended but not required, so if your wudu breaks during sa'i you may continue.
