Ihram and the miqat
Prepare, pray two rak'ahs, then make the intention and recite the talbiyah before the miqat.
Umrah guide on the Hanafi method
How to perform Umrah, step by step
لَبَّيْكَ اللّٰهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ
Umrah is a short journey made of four acts done in order. You enter ihram before the miqat, walk seven circuits of tawaf around the Kaaba, walk seven laps between Safa and Marwah, and then shave or shorten your hair. This guide walks with you through each one, with counters for tawaf and Sa'i, the duas in Arabic, and live salah times from Makkah and Madinah.
4Acts, done in order
7Circuits of tawaf
7Laps, Safa to Marwah
1Shave or shorten
In short
Enter ihram before you pass the miqat by making the intention for Umrah and reciting the talbiyah. In Makkah, walk seven circuits of tawaf around the Kaaba starting from the Black Stone, then pray two rak'ahs. Walk seven laps of Sa'i, starting at Safa and finishing at Marwah. Then brothers shave the head or shorten the hair, and sisters cut a fingertip's length from the ends of their hair. Your Umrah is then complete, and most people finish in two to four hours.
Watch
Performing Umrah, shown on video
Ihya us Sunnah
Performing Umrah, by Essential Islam. Use it alongside the steps and counters on this page.
The four rites of Umrah
Mark each rite as you finish it. Your progress stays on this phone, so you can close the page in the Haram and pick up where you left off. The tawaf and Sa'i counters mark their rites for you when you reach seven.
Tawaf of the Kaaba
Seven circuits from the Black Stone with the Kaaba on your left, then two rak'ahs and Zamzam.
Sa'i between Safa and Marwah
Seven laps beginning at Safa and ending at Marwah, following the steps of Sayyidah Hajar.
Halq or taqsir
Shave or shorten the hair inside the Haram, and the restrictions of ihram are lifted.
Live from the Haramain
The time in Makkah and Madinah, the next salah, today's date on the Umm al-Qura calendar, the weather and tonight's moon.
Salah times for Makkah and Madinah appear here.
What Umrah is
Umrah is the visit to the House of Allah outside the days of Hajj. It can be made at any time of year, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that one Umrah to the next is an expiation for what lies between them (Bukhari and Muslim). He also said that an Umrah in Ramadan is equal to a Hajj in reward (Bukhari).
In the Hanafi school Umrah is a confirmed sunnah according to the most evident view, although some scholars hold it to be wajib. It is made once in a lifetime by those able to make it. Its acts are few, and each has its own weight. Ihram is its condition, so without it there is no Umrah. Tawaf is its pillar, and the greater part of its seven circuits must be done for the Umrah to stand. Sa'i and the shaving or shortening of the hair are necessary, so leaving either of them without an excuse calls for a sacrifice in the Haram.
Praying as a traveller
Once you leave your city limits on a journey of about 58 miles or more, you pray as a traveller, although scholars differ a little on the exact distance. Each four rak'ah fard prayer becomes two rak'ahs. Two and three rak'ah fard prayers stay the same, and the sunnahs, witr and nafl prayers are not shortened. In Makkah and Madinah you keep shortening if you will stay less than 15 days. If you pray behind an imam who is a resident, as you will in the Haram, you pray the full four with him.
Umrah and Hajj
Hajj is tied to the days of Dhul Hijjah and includes the standing at Arafah, the nights at Muzdalifah and Mina, and the stoning. Umrah has none of these. It is the tawaf and the Sa'i made in ihram, and it can be completed in a single morning.
Prepare before you go
Umrah checklistDocuments, ihram clothing, medicines and the small things people forget, saved on your phone as you tick.
Duas for UmrahEvery dua in this guide in one place, in Arabic with transliteration, large enough to read in the crowd.
Umrah for sistersIhram for women, what changes in tawaf and Sa'i, and what to do if your period begins.
Visiting the Prophet ﷺ in MadinahThe adab of entering the Masjid, the salam at the blessed station and greeting Abu Bakr and Umar.Umrah rulingsWhat is fard and wajib, what ihram forbids, and when Umrah is disliked.Places in Makkah and MadinahThe masjids and sites of the Seerah, sorted by how far they are from where you stand.
Revive a sunnah today
- Drink Zamzam standing, facing the qiblah, in three breaths, and ask Allah for what you need before you drink, for the Prophet ﷺ said Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for (Ibn Majah).
- Enter the masjid with the right foot and leave with the left, sending blessings on the Prophet ﷺ each time.
- Make dua when you first see the Kaaba, for the scholars count that moment among the times when dua is answered.
- When you enter Masjid al-Haram intending tawaf, let the tawaf be your greeting of the masjid, for the greeting of the House is tawaf.
- Keep the tongue busy with the talbiyah while you are in ihram, brothers raising their voices, until you begin tawaf.
- Look at the Kaaba often, for the early scholars counted looking at it as worship.
- Visit Masjid Quba in Madinah in a state of wudu and pray two rak'ahs there, for its reward is like that of an Umrah (Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah).
- Guard the tongue from argument and complaint, for Allah tells the pilgrims there is to be no wrangling in the pilgrimage.
- Rise in the last part of the night for istighfar and prayer, when the Haram is at its quietest.
- Carry Zamzam home for your family, as the Prophet ﷺ carried it with him (Tirmidhi).
- Send abundant salawat on the Prophet ﷺ in Madinah, and greet him at his resting place with adab and a lowered voice.
- Give charity quietly during your stay, for good deeds in the Haram are multiplied.
Questions people ask
How long does Umrah take?
Most people complete Umrah in two to four hours. Tawaf takes around an hour in ordinary crowds and longer in Ramadan or on a Friday, and Sa'i takes about an hour. The upper floors of the masjid are longer to walk but often less crowded.
What are the obligations of Umrah in the Hanafi school?
Ihram is the condition of Umrah and tawaf is its pillar. Sa'i between Safa and Marwah and the shaving or shortening of the hair are necessary (wajib). Within tawaf, being in wudu, keeping the Hatim inside your circuit and praying two rak'ahs afterwards are also necessary.
Can I perform more than one Umrah on the same trip?
Yes. For each further Umrah you go out of the Haram boundary to the nearest point outside it, usually Masjid Aisha at Tan'im, enter ihram there and return to make tawaf and Sa'i. Many scholars encourage those staying in Makkah to spend more of their time in voluntary tawaf rather than repeating Umrah many times.
When is the best time to perform Umrah?
Umrah can be made at any time of year, except that the Hanafi school holds it to be disliked on the Day of Arafah and the four days after it, the 9th to the 13th of Dhul Hijjah. The Prophet ﷺ said that an Umrah in Ramadan is equal to a Hajj in reward. Quieter months make the rites easier, especially for the elderly.
Where do I enter ihram when flying from the UK?
Flights from the UK to Jeddah cross the miqat before landing, and Jeddah lies inside it, so you must be in ihram before the plane crosses. Most pilgrims put on the ihram clothing before boarding and make the intention when the crew announce the miqat. If you fly to Madinah first, you enter ihram later at Dhul Hulayfah on the way to Makkah.
Do I need wudu for Sa'i?
Wudu is not necessary for Sa'i, though it is recommended. In the Hanafi school wudu is necessary for tawaf, so if it breaks during tawaf, renew it and continue from where you stopped.
Can I perform Umrah for a parent who has passed away?
Yes. Enter ihram with the intention of Umrah and gift its reward to them, or intend it on their behalf. Many pilgrims make one Umrah for themselves and then further ones for their parents from Tan'im.
This guide follows the Hanafi school. Rulings can differ in other schools, and your own circumstances may change the answer, so ask a qualified scholar when you are unsure.
This guide follows the Hanafi method and is based on Shaykh Mufti Wajid Iqbal's Umrah book, Essential Islam. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar.
Arabic font: IndoPak Nastaleeq, provided by Quran Foundation.