Guide · Umrah
How to perform Umrah, step by step
Nine steps, in order, from the miqat to the last cut of hair. Every word you say is given in Arabic, transliteration and English, with its source.
Umrah is four acts: enter ihram at the miqat with the intention and the talbiyah, tawaf seven times round the Ka'bah, sa'i seven times between Safa and Marwah, then shave or shorten the hair. Between tawaf and sa'i come two rak'ahs behind Maqam Ibrahim and a drink of Zamzam.
The steps of Umrah
Prepare before the miqat
Before you reach the miqat, clip your nails and remove unwanted hair, then take a full bath (ghusl). Men may put perfume on the body, not on the cloth: 'A'ishah perfumed the Prophet ﷺ for his ihram before he entered it (Sahih al-Bukhari 1539).
- Men wear two unstitched sheets: the izar round the waist and the rida' over the shoulders, and sandals that leave the ankles bare. The head stays uncovered.
- Women wear any loose, modest clothes in any colour. In ihram a woman does not wear a niqab or gloves (Sahih al-Bukhari 1838).
If it is the time of a prayer, pray it; otherwise many pray two rak'ahs before entering ihram. On a plane, change before boarding and make the intention when the crew announce the miqat.
Enter ihram at the miqat
Ihram is the state you enter by intending Umrah; the clothes are part of it, not the whole of it. At or before the miqat, make the intention in your heart and say:
لَبَّيْكَ عُمْرَةً
Labbayka 'umratan
Here I am, for Umrah.
The form “labbayka 'umratan” is reported in Sahih Muslim 1232
If you fear you may not be able to finish because of illness or delay, add this condition, as the Prophet ﷺ taught Duba'ah bint az-Zubayr:
اللَّهُمَّ مَحِلِّي حَيْثُ حَبَسْتَنِي
Allahumma mahilli haythu habastani
O Allah, my place of leaving ihram is wherever You stop me.
Optional, for those who fear illness or delay · Sahih al-Bukhari 5089 · Sahih Muslim 1207
The five miqat points Miqat Today also called For people coming from Dhul-Hulayfah Abyar 'Ali Madinah and the north via Madinah Al-Juhfah Rabigh Syria, Egypt, North Africa, Europe and the Americas by the western route Qarn al-Manazil As-Sayl al-Kabir Najd (Riyadh), the Gulf and the east Yalamlam As-Sa'diyyah Yemen, and South Asia by the southern sea and air route Dhat 'Irq Ad-Daribah Iraq and the north-east Sahih al-Bukhari 1524 (the first four) · Sahih Muslim 1183 (Dhat 'Irq). People who live inside the miqat enter ihram from where they are; people in Makkah go out to the nearest point outside the Haram, such as at-Tan'im, for Umrah (Sahih al-Bukhari 1556).
Say the talbiyah
From ihram until you reach the Ka'bah, repeat the talbiyah often. Men raise their voices; women say it quietly.
لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ، إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ، لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ
Labbayk Allahumma labbayk, labbayka 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. All praise and blessing are Yours, and the dominion. You have no partner.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1549 · Sahih Muslim 1184
Stop the talbiyah when you start tawaf at the Black Stone (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 919).
Enter al-Masjid al-Haram
Enter with your right foot first and say the dua for entering a mosque. There is no special dua reported for first seeing the Ka'bah; raise your hands and ask Allah for what you wish.
اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ
Allahummaf-tah li abwaba rahmatik
O Allah, open for me the doors of Your mercy.
Sahih Muslim 713
Tawaf: seven circuits round the Ka'bah
You need wudu for tawaf. Men uncover the right shoulder (idtiba') for this tawaf only, and walk briskly with short steps (raml) in the first three circuits if the crowd allows (Sahih al-Bukhari 1603, Sunan Abi Dawud 1884). Women walk normally.
- Stand in line with the Black Stone. Kiss it or touch it if you can reach it without pushing; otherwise face it and point to it with your right hand.
- Walk counter-clockwise, Ka'bah on your left, outside the curved wall of the Hijr Isma'il.
- Touch the Yemeni corner with your hand if you can, without kissing it or pointing to it if you cannot (Sahih al-Bukhari 1609).
- Arriving back at the Black Stone line completes one circuit. Do seven.
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Allahu akbar
Allah is the Greatest.
Said each time you pass the Black Stone, pointing to it with your right hand · Sahih al-Bukhari 1613
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil-akhirati hasanatan wa qina 'adhaban-nar
Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
Between the Yemeni corner and the Black Stone · Sunan Abi Dawud 1892 · Qur'an 2:201
No fixed dua for each circuit. The booklets with a set dua for circuit one, two and so on do not come from the Sunnah. Apart from the two above, make dua in your own words and language, recite Qur'an, or do dhikr.
Tawaf: seven circuits, counter-clockwise, starting and ending at the Black Stone line. The route passes outside the curved wall of the Hijr Isma'il, which is part of the Ka'bah. Schematic, not to scale. Pray two rak'ahs behind Maqam Ibrahim
Cover the right shoulder again. Walk towards Maqam Ibrahim reciting:
وَاتَّخِذُوا مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى
Wattakhidhu min maqami Ibrahima musalla
And take the standing place of Ibrahim as a place of prayer.
Qur'an 2:125, recited on the way to the Maqam · Sahih Muslim 1218
Pray two short rak'ahs with the Maqam between you and the Ka'bah if there is room; anywhere in the mosque is valid when it is crowded. The Prophet ﷺ recited al-Kafirun in the first and al-Ikhlas in the second (Sahih Muslim 1218). Then, if you can, return to touch the Black Stone.
Drink Zamzam
Drink Zamzam, found in coolers all through the mosque. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Zamzam water is for whatever it is drunk for” (Sunan Ibn Majah 3062). There is no fixed dua; say Bismillah and ask Allah for what you need.
Sa'i: seven laps between Safa and Marwah
Wudu is recommended for sa'i but not required. As you approach Safa for the first time, recite:
إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ
Innas-Safa wal-Marwata min sha'a'irillah
Indeed, Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah.
Qur'an 2:158, recited when first approaching Safa · Sahih Muslim 1218
أَبْدَأُ بِمَا بَدَأَ اللَّهُ بِهِ
Abda'u bima bada'allahu bih
I begin with what Allah began with.
Sahih Muslim 1218
Climb Safa until you can see the Ka'bah, face it, raise your hands and say:
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ. لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ، أَنْجَزَ وَعْدَهُ، وَنَصَرَ عَبْدَهُ، وَهَزَمَ الْأَحْزَابَ وَحْدَهُ
Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd, wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir. La ilaha illallahu wahdah, anjaza wa'dah, wa nasara 'abdah, wa hazamal-ahzaba wahdah.
Allah is the Greatest (three times). There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things. There is no god but Allah alone. He fulfilled His promise, helped His servant, and alone defeated the confederates.
Facing the Ka'bah on Safa, said three times with your own dua in between; the same on Marwah · Sahih Muslim 1218
Walk to Marwah; men walk briskly between the green lights. On Marwah, do what you did on Safa. Safa to Marwah is one lap; Marwah to Safa is the second. The seventh lap ends at Marwah. Between the hills, make dua and dhikr freely; no fixed words are reported.
Sa'i: seven laps. Safa to Marwah is one lap, Marwah back to Safa is the second, so you finish at Marwah. Each way is about 450 metres. Schematic, not to scale. Shave or shorten the hair
The Prophet ﷺ prayed three times for those who shave their heads, then once for those who shorten (Sahih al-Bukhari 1727, Sahih Muslim 1302).
- Men: shave the whole head, or shorten the hair from all over the head.
- Women: gather the hair and cut about a fingertip's length (2 to 3 cm) from the ends. Women do not shave (Sunan Abi Dawud 1985).
Your Umrah is now complete and everything forbidden by ihram becomes allowed again. Alhamdulillah.
What is not allowed in ihram
From the moment you enter ihram until you shave or shorten your hair:
| Not allowed | Applies to | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cutting hair or nails | Everyone | Qur'an 2:196 |
| Perfume on body or clothes, scented soap or cream | Everyone | Sahih al-Bukhari 1542 |
| Sexual relations, and words or touch leading to them | Everyone | Qur'an 2:197 |
| Arguing, quarrelling, sin | Everyone | Qur'an 2:197 |
| Hunting land animals | Everyone | Qur'an 5:95 |
| A marriage contract, or proposing one | Everyone | Sahih Muslim 1409 |
| Stitched, fitted clothes (shirts, trousers, underwear), and covering the head | Men | Sahih al-Bukhari 1542 |
| Niqab and gloves | Women | Sahih al-Bukhari 1838 |
Allowed: a belt or money pouch, a watch, glasses, an umbrella, unscented soap, changing your ihram sheets, and a shower. Anyone who must shave for illness or lice pays a ransom: fasting three days, feeding six poor people, or sacrificing a sheep (Qur'an 2:196, Sahih al-Bukhari 1814).
Pillars: Malikis, Shafi'is and Hanbalis count ihram, tawaf and sa'i as pillars of Umrah, and Shafi'is add shaving. Hanafis count ihram and most of the tawaf as pillars and sa'i and shaving as duties. A missed duty is made up with a sacrifice; a missed pillar must be done.
How this guide works, and its sources
The order of the rites follows the long hadith of Jabir describing the Prophet's ﷺ pilgrimage (Sahih Muslim 1218), with the Qur'an (2:125, 2:158, 2:196-197, 5:95) and the hadith collections named beside each step. Arabic text is fully voweled; transliteration is simplified for reading aloud. Where the four Sunni schools differ, the difference is stated in one line. This page does not issue rulings.
Before you travel, read the Umrah packing checklist, and find the prayer times in Makkah and Madinah.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Umrah take?
The rites themselves (tawaf, two rak'ahs, sa'i and shaving) usually take two to four hours. At busy times, such as Ramadan nights and Fridays, allow longer. Use an upper floor of the mataf or the sa'i gallery if the ground floor is full.
Is there a set dua for each circuit of tawaf?
No. Only two things are reported: saying Allahu akbar at the Black Stone (Sahih al-Bukhari 1613) and Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanah between the Yemeni corner and the Black Stone (Sunan Abi Dawud 1892). For the rest, make dua in your own words, recite Qur'an or remember Allah.
Can a woman perform Umrah during her period?
She can enter ihram at the miqat and do everything except tawaf until her bleeding ends and she has bathed: the Prophet said to 'A'ishah, “Do what the pilgrim does, except tawaf of the House” (Sahih al-Bukhari 305). Sa'i comes after tawaf, so she waits for both.
Do I need wudu for tawaf and sa'i?
Most scholars require wudu for tawaf, as for prayer. Hanafis count it a duty whose omission is made up with a sacrifice rather than a condition of validity. Wudu is recommended for sa'i but not required.
What is the reward of Umrah in Ramadan?
The Prophet said, “Umrah in Ramadan is equal to Hajj” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1782, Sahih Muslim 1256), in reward, though it does not replace the obligatory Hajj.
What are the essential parts of Umrah?
Ihram, tawaf and sa'i, then shaving or shortening the hair. Shafi'is count the shaving as a pillar; the other schools count it an obligation. Sa'i is a duty rather than a pillar for Hanafis.
The Hajj and Umrah guide
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Download Niyat for iPhone Get it on Google PlayThis guide explains common practice with its sources. It is not a fatwa. Follow your group leader and the scholars you trust where your situation is unusual. Saudi travel rules change; check the official Nusuk platform before you book.