How to Perform Umrah Step by Step

Learn the steps before you travel, and know which miqat is on your route. The Prophet ﷺ set Dhul Hulayfah, al-Juhfah, Qarn al-Manazil and Yalamlam as the miqats for those who come from the different directions. Many people who travel by plane put on ihram clothes before boarding, then make the intention when the plane reaches the miqat. The crew usually announces it.

Ihram is the state of dress and intention that you enter for Umrah. You must enter it at or before the miqat, which is the boundary point set for your route. Take a bath, clean yourself and wear your ihram clothes.

Men wear two pieces of unsewn cloth. Women wear modest clothes and avoid the face veil (niqab) and gloves while in ihram. Most scholars allow a woman to let her head cover hang over her face when unrelated men are near, as long as it does not rest on her face.

Then make the intention for Umrah in your heart and say the talbiyah: Labbayk Allahumma labbayk, labbayka la sharika laka labbayk, innal-hamda wan-ni'mata laka wal-mulk, la sharika lak. It means: Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Truly all praise, favour and sovereignty belong to You. You have no partner. Men say it aloud, and women say it quietly. Keep repeating it until you begin tawaf.

On arrival, enter the Sacred Mosque and go to the Kaaba. Stop the talbiyah when you begin tawaf. Begin at the line of the Black Stone and keep the Kaaba on your left side. In the first tawaf, men walk briskly in the first three circuits and uncover the right shoulder, as the Prophet ﷺ did. Women do not do either.

Walk around the Kaaba seven times. Each time you pass the Black Stone, you complete one circuit. The Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools say that wudu (ablution) is required for tawaf, and the Hanafi school says that it is wajib, so tawaf without it needs compensation. Ask a scholar if you break your wudu during tawaf.

There is no fixed prayer that you must say during tawaf. Use dhikr (remembrance of Allah) or dua in your own words, and keep your voice low. Between the Yamani corner and the Black Stone, the Prophet ﷺ used to recite Quran 2:201.

After the seventh circuit, pray two rak'ahs (units of prayer) behind Maqam Ibrahim, as Quran 2:125 says, or anywhere in the mosque if it is crowded. The Prophet ﷺ recited Surah al-Kafirun and Surah al-Ikhlas in them. Then drink Zamzam water.

If you can, touch or point to the Black Stone once more, then go to Mount Safa and begin sa'i. Quran 2:158 mentions these two hills as signs of Allah. Walk from Safa to Marwa, which is one trip. Then walk from Marwa back to Safa, which is the second trip. On Safa, face the Kaaba, praise Allah and make dua.

Complete seven trips, ending at Marwa. Men walk faster between the green markers, but women do not. You may make dua (supplication) on the way.

After sa'i, men shave the whole head or trim the hair evenly. Shaving is better, and the Prophet ﷺ prayed for mercy for those who shave first. Women trim a small amount from the ends of their hair. Women do not shave their heads.

Your Umrah is now complete, and you leave the state of ihram.

While you are in ihram, avoid these acts:

• Cutting hair or nails
• Using perfume on the body or clothes
• Men covering the head or wearing sewn clothes
• Hunting land animals
• Marital relations, and starting a marriage contract (the Hanafi school allows the contract itself)
• Arguing and bad speech

Some mistakes are common and easy to avoid.

• Passing the miqat without entering ihram
• Starting tawaf away from the line of the Black Stone
• Losing count of circuits or trips
• Pushing others to touch the Black Stone, when a gesture from far away is enough
• Trimming the hair before sa'i is finished
• Touching or wiping parts of the Kaaba that the Prophet ﷺ did not touch

The order of the steps must be kept. If you think you made a mistake, ask a qualified scholar. Some mistakes need a compensation, and a scholar can explain what to do.