How to Perform Umrah Step by Step (According to Hanafi Fiqh)
Umrah is a short pilgrimage you can perform at any time of year. In the Hanafi school it is Sunnah Mu'akkadah (a strongly emphasised Sunnah), not an obligation like Hajj. It takes only a few hours, but every part of it has a ruling attached, and missing the wrong part means a penalty or an invalid Umrah.
Most guides give you a list of steps. This one also tells you what each step is: fard, wajib or sunnah, and what happens if you miss it.
This guide follows the Hanafi school. Rulings in other schools can differ. For your own situation, especially illness, menstruation, or anything that has already gone wrong, ask a qualified Hanafi scholar.
The rulings in one table
| Act | Ruling (Hanafi) | If missed or broken |
|---|
| Ihram (intention + Talbiyah, entered at the Miqat) | Fard (a condition of Umrah). Entering it at the Miqat is wajib | Without Ihram there is no Umrah. Passing the Miqat without it requires returning to the Miqat or a dam |
| Tawaf (seven rounds of the Ka'bah) | Fard. Four rounds are the fard part and all seven are wajib | Umrah is not valid without at least four rounds. Fewer than seven needs a penalty |
| Two rak'ahs after Tawaf | Wajib | Make it up; if it is not made up, a dam may be due |
| Sa'i (seven trips between Safa and Marwa) | Wajib | A dam is due if it is left out |
| Halq or Taqsir (shaving or trimming the hair) | Wajib | A dam is due if it is left out; you stay in Ihram until it is done |
A dam is a compensating sacrifice of a sheep or goat in the Haram. A scholar tells you when one is due.
Before you travel
- Know your Miqat. Pilgrims flying from India usually pass the Yalamlam line. Airlines announce it. Decide in advance where you will put on Ihram, because you cannot pass the Miqat without it. If you visit Madinah first, your Miqat is Dhul Hulayfah (Abyar Ali).
- Learn the recitation (see below). Practise the Talbiyah until you can say it without looking.
- Learn what is forbidden in Ihram so you do not break it by accident.
- Practise the walking. Tawaf and Sa'i together are several kilometres.
Step 1: Ihram
Before wearing it
- Trim nails and remove unwanted hair. Do this before Ihram, because it is forbidden after.
- Take ghusl, or at least wudu.
- Men put on two plain white unstitched sheets (izar and rida). Women wear their normal modest clothing.
- Perfume on the body is permissible before Ihram. Do not apply it after.
Intention and Talbiyah
- Pray two rak'ahs of Sunnah of Ihram (if it is not a makruh prayer time), cover your head for this prayer, then uncover it.
- Make the intention in your heart for Umrah: "O Allah, I intend Umrah, make it easy for me and accept it from me."
- Say the Talbiyah. In the Hanafi school, intention together with the Talbiyah is what actually puts you in Ihram. Intention alone does not.
The Talbiyah
ููุจูููููู ุงููููููู
ูู ููุจููููููุ ููุจูููููู ููุง ุดูุฑูููู ูููู ููุจููููููุ ุฅูููู ุงููุญูู
ูุฏู ููุงููููุนูู
ูุฉู ูููู ููุงููู
ูููููุ ููุง ุดูุฑูููู ูููู
Labbayk Allahumma labbayk. Labbayk la sharika laka labbayk. Innal hamda wan-ni'mata laka wal-mulk, la sharika lak.
"Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am; You have no partner, here I am. Truly all praise, grace and sovereignty belong to You; You have no partner."
Men say it aloud. Women say it quietly. Keep repeating it until you see the Ka'bah.
What is forbidden in Ihram
- Perfume, and scented soap or lotion
- Cutting hair or nails
- For men: stitched clothing, covering the head, and covering the feet with closed shoes that cover the ankle bone
- For women: covering the face with a cloth that touches it (a niqab). A loose barrier that doesn't touch the face is allowed
- Hunting or harming animals, and uprooting plants in the Haram
- Marital relations and anything leading to them
- Arguing and swearing
Step 2: Tawaf
- Enter Masjid al-Haram with your right foot and the dua for entering a mosque.
- Stop reciting the Talbiyah when you reach the Ka'bah and prepare for Tawaf.
- Wudu is required. Tawaf without wudu is a wajib violation. Tawaf in a state needing ghusl is a bigger fault.
- Idtiba' (men): uncover your right shoulder by passing the rida under the right arm. Keep it uncovered for the Tawaf only, then cover again for the prayer.
- Stand facing the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad) with the stone on your right. Make the intention for Tawaf. Raise your hands to your ears, say Bismillahi Allahu Akbar, and then touch the stone or point at it, kiss if you can without harming others.
- Walk with the Ka'bah on your left, seven full rounds, each ending at the Black Stone.
- Raml (men): walk briskly with short steps, shoulders moving, in the first three rounds only. Walk normally in the last four. This is Sunnah.
- Walk outside Hatim (the semicircular wall). Going through it makes those rounds incomplete.
- Between the Yemeni corner and the Black Stone, many recite: Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanah wa fil-akhirati hasanah wa qina 'adhaban-nar.
- After the seventh round, cover your shoulder again and pray two rak'ahs of Tawaf (wajib), ideally behind Maqam Ibrahim, otherwise anywhere in the mosque. Do not pray them in a makruh time; wait until it passes.
- Drink Zamzam, facing the Ka'bah, and make dua.
Step 3: Sa'i between Safa and Marwa
- Return to the Black Stone and touch it or point to it if you can.
- Go to Safa. As you approach, recite: "Inna as-Safa wal-Marwata min sha'a'irillah" (Qur'an 2:158).
- Climb Safa until you see the Ka'bah, raise your hands, and make dua.
- Walk to Marwa. That is one. Marwa to Safa is two. Finish with seven, ending at Marwa.
- Between the two green markers, men jog lightly. Women walk.
- Sa'i must come after a valid Tawaf.
- Remembrance and dua are recommended, but there is no fixed recitation.
Missing Sa'i, or doing less than the full seven, requires a dam.
Step 4: Halq or Taqsir
- Men: shaving the whole head (Halq) is better. Trimming (Taqsir) is also valid, but must cover at least a quarter of the head, and the cut hair must be at least the length of a fingertip joint.
- Women: trim about a fingertip length from the end of the plait or hair. Women never shave.
- You are not out of Ihram until this is done.
When Halq or Taqsir is done, your Umrah is complete and all Ihram restrictions are lifted.
For women
- Menstruation: you can't do Tawaf or enter the mosque. If your period begins before Tawaf, wait until you are clean, then do ghusl and complete Tawaf, Sa'i and Halq. Do not leave Ihram early. If you can't wait, speak to a scholar before acting.
- Ihram clothing: no special garment. Wear plain, modest clothing. Dress in advance for the heat.
- Mahram: in the Hanafi school, a woman travelling a journey of 48 miles or more needs her husband or a mahram. This is a condition for Hajj, and a strong ruling for travel generally. If you are in this situation, ask a Hanafi scholar.
- Recitation: say the Talbiyah quietly, and the jogging in Sa'i and the raml in Tawaf do not apply to you.
Common mistakes
- Passing the Miqat without Ihram. Check with the airline and put on Ihram before the line.
- Saying the intention but not the Talbiyah. In Hanafi fiqh you are not in Ihram until you say it.
- Doing Tawaf without wudu. Keep your wudu through the whole Tawaf. If it breaks, leave and repeat the round.
- Walking through Hatim.
- Losing count. Use a counter or ring. If unsure of the count, go with the lower number.
- Pushing to kiss the Black Stone. It is a Sunnah. Hurting others is a sin. Pointing is enough.
- Leaving Ihram without Halq or Taqsir.
- Using perfumed soap or deodorant.
- Not learning the Arabic. Reading a transliteration for the first time in the crowd leads to mistakes in the Talbiyah. Practise before you go.
- Booking through unverified agents. Confirm names on the visa match your passport, and book only through registered agents.
FAQ
Is Umrah fard? In the Hanafi school it is Sunnah Mu'akkadah. Hajj is fard once, for those who are able.
Can I do Umrah in Ramadan? Yes. Umrah in Ramadan is highly rewarded, but it is also the most crowded.
How long does Umrah take? Tawaf and Sa'i usually take 3 to 5 hours, depending on the crowd.
Can I do more than one Umrah? Yes. Each one needs fresh Ihram. Usually pilgrims leave the Haram boundary (e.g. Tan'im) and put on Ihram again.
What if I forget Sa'i? Go back and complete it if you can. If you have already left Makkah, ask a scholar about a dam.
Can I wear Ihram on the plane? Yes, and most do. Wear the garments, but make the intention and say the Talbiyah only when the airline announces the Miqat, so you are in Ihram before you cross it.
Do I need to learn Arabic? The Talbiyah and the prayers have to be in Arabic. Duas can be in any language, but learning the Arabic makes the journey far more meaningful.
Noor