ihyaus sunnah

Tawaf

What are raml and idtiba in tawaf?

Idtiba is uncovering the right shoulder, and raml is walking briskly with short steps and the shoulders moving. Both are for brothers in the tawaf that is followed by Sa'i, as the tawaf of Umrah is. Sisters do neither.

The Kaaba and the Masjid al-Haram in Makkah
Pilgrims at tawaf around the Kaaba

Idtiba

Brothers uncover the right shoulder by passing the upper sheet under the right arm and over the left shoulder. It is kept for the whole of a tawaf that is followed by Sa'i. After the tawaf, cover your right shoulder again before praying the two rak'ahs.

Raml

In the first three circuits brothers walk with raml, short brisk steps with the shoulders moving, where the crowd allows it. The last four are walked at an ordinary pace. Sisters walk normally throughout.

In Sa'i

In Sa'i brothers keep both shoulders covered. See how to perform Sa'i and how to perform tawaf.

More questions

Do sisters do raml?

No. Sisters do not uncover the shoulder and do not walk with raml.

What if the crowd is too thick for raml?

Raml is done where the crowd allows it. Do not push others to do it.

When do I cover my shoulder again?

After the seventh circuit, before praying the two rak'ahs of tawaf.

Perform your Umrah with confidence

Follow every rite in order, with counters and duas in Arabic, in our step by step Umrah guide. To study the Hanafi rulings behind it with qualified teachers, see our courses, or explore our apps. Ihya us Sunnah is sustained by its community, so please consider supporting our work.

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.