The first rite
Ihram and the miqat
اللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أُرِيدُ الْعُمْرَةَ
Ihram is the sacred state you enter before the miqat. It is made of two things together, the intention for Umrah in the heart and the talbiyah on the tongue. The white sheets are its outward sign, but it is the intention joined to the talbiyah that makes you a muhrim.
Before you put on ihram
Clip your nails, remove the hair under the arms and below the navel, and trim the moustache, because once you are in ihram none of these can be cut. Then take a bath (ghusl) with the intention of ihram. It is a sunnah, and it is kept even by a sister in her period, since its purpose is cleanliness. Put perfume on your body if you wish, but not on the ihram cloth.
Brothers wear two clean unstitched sheets, the izar wrapped around the waist, covering from the navel to the knees and ideally ending between the knee and the ankle, and the rida over the shoulders like a shawl, and sandals that leave the raised bone on top of the foot uncovered. White is best. Sisters wear their ordinary modest clothing in any colour, with nothing covering the face.
Then pray two rak'ahs with the intention of the sunnah of ihram, as long as it is not one of the disliked times. Brothers keep the head covered for this prayer. It is the practice to recite Surah al-Kafirun in the first rak'ah and Surah al-Ikhlas in the second.
The intention and the talbiyah
After the two rak'ahs brothers uncover their heads. Make the intention for Umrah, and saying it aloud helps the heart to settle on it. Then recite the talbiyah at least once. From that moment you are in ihram. Brothers recite the talbiyah aloud, three times at first and then often, and sisters recite it quietly.
The intention for Umrah
اللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أُرِيدُ الْعُمْرَةَ فَيَسِّرْهَا لِي وَتَقَبَّلْهَا مِنِّي
Allāhumma innī urīdu al-ʿumrata fa yassirhā lī wa taqabbalhā minnī
O Allah, I intend Umrah, so make it easy for me and accept it from me.
The wording given in the Hanafi manuals
The talbiyah
لَبَّيْكَ اللّٰهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ، إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ، لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ
Labbayk Allāhumma labbayk, labbayka lā sharīka laka labbayk, inna al-ḥamda wa al-niʿmata laka wa al-mulk, lā sharīka lak
Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. All praise and all blessing are Yours, and all dominion. You have no partner.
Bukhari and Muslim
Where is your miqat?
Choose the journey that matches yours.
Flying from the UK to Jeddah
Every flight from the UK to Jeddah crosses the miqat before it lands, and Jeddah lies inside the miqat. So you must be in ihram before the plane crosses it. The simplest way is to bathe and put on the ihram clothing at home or at the airport, pray the two rak'ahs before you board, and make the intention and talbiyah when the crew announce that the miqat is near. If there is no announcement, make them about an hour before landing to be safe.
Going to Madinah first
If you fly into Madinah or travel there before Makkah, you do not need ihram on arrival. When you leave Madinah for Makkah, enter ihram at Dhul Hulayfah, now called Abyar Ali, a few miles from the city on the Makkah road. Most coaches stop at its masjid so you can bathe, change and pray the two rak'ahs there.
Another Umrah from Makkah
If you are staying in Makkah and want to make another Umrah, go out of the Haram boundary to the nearest point outside it. Masjid Aisha at Tan'im is the closest and the most used. Enter ihram there and return to the Haram for tawaf and Sa'i.
What ihram forbids
Not permitted in ihram
- Perfume or anything scented, on the body, the clothing or in food and drink. Touching the Kaaba or the Black Stone is fine even though they carry a scent, as long as you intend the sunnah and not the fragrance.
- Cutting or removing hair or nails.
- Marital relations and anything that leads to them.
- Hunting land animals or helping someone to hunt.
- Argument, foul speech and sin of every kind.
- For brothers, clothing stitched to the shape of the body, covering the head or the face, and shoes that cover the raised bone of the foot.
- For sisters, covering the face with anything that touches it.
Permitted in ihram
- Bathing with unscented soap and changing into fresh ihram sheets.
- A belt, money pouch, watch, ring and glasses.
- An umbrella or shade from the sun.
- Medicine, plasters and unscented creams.
- For sisters, stitched clothing, socks and shoes, and a cap with a peak that keeps the niqab away from the face.
If a rule of ihram is broken, even by mistake or through forgetfulness, the Hanafi school still sets a consequence, usually charity or a sacrifice depending on what was done and how much. Ask a scholar in Makkah, as the details depend on the case.
Questions about ihram
Can I put on the ihram clothing at home in the UK?
Yes, and many pilgrims do, at home or at the airport. The clothing alone is not ihram, so its rules do not bind you until you make the intention and recite the talbiyah. Do that before the plane crosses the miqat.
Does a belt, watch or money pouch break ihram?
No. A belt, a watch, glasses, a ring, a money pouch and an umbrella are all permitted in ihram. What brothers avoid is clothing stitched to the shape of the body, and covering the head or face.
Can I use soap and shampoo in ihram?
Unscented soap and shampoo are fine. Anything perfumed is forbidden, including scented wipes, scented creams and scented deodorant.
What if I crossed the miqat without ihram?
Go back to any miqat and enter ihram there before you begin tawaf, and no penalty is due. If you enter ihram after the miqat and do not go back, a sacrifice in the Haram becomes due.
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.