How to Perform Umrah Step by Step: Duas and Rules (Hanafi)

This article explains how to perform Umrah step by step, from preparing for ihram to cutting the hair at the end, with the Talbiyah and the duas commonly recited at each stage. The rulings (masa’il) in this article follow the Hanafi school. They are taken from fatwas published by Dar-ul-Ifta Ahlesunnat (Dawat-e-Islami), which are listed with links at the end of this article. This article is a general guide and is not itself a fatwa. If you have a question about your own situation, please ask a qualified scholar.

Umrah is a Sunnah Mu’akkadah (an emphasised Sunnah) for a person who is able to perform it.

Before You Begin: Preparing for Ihram

Ghusl or Wudu

It is Sunnah to enter ihram in a state of purity. Taking a ghusl (full ritual bath) is better, but wudu is also sufficient. Neither is a condition for ihram: if someone makes the intention and recites the Talbiyah without ghusl or wudu, their ihram still begins. However, wudu is required when performing the Tawaf of Umrah (see Step 2).

Perfume Before Ihram

Applying perfume to the body before making the intention of ihram is Sunnah, as the Prophet ﷺ did, and it is permissible even if its fragrance remains afterwards. Once you are in ihram, applying perfume is not allowed and requires a penalty.

Clothing for Men

Men in ihram wear the ihram sheets and must not wear stitched clothing, for example underwear; wearing stitched clothing in ihram requires a penalty. Footwear must leave uncovered the raised bone on the top of the foot and everything above it. Covering the area of the foot below that bone is allowed.

Clothing for Women

There is no requirement for women to wear white. Women make the intention of ihram in their usual stitched clothes. They may wear gloves and socks and must cover the head, but they must not cover the face with anything that touches it (see “Rules for Women” below).

Two Rak’ahs of Ihram

If it is not a makruh (disliked) time for prayer, pray two rak’ahs of nafl with the intention of ihram. Men also cover the head while praying these two rak’ahs. It is better to recite Surah Al-Kafirun in the first rak’ah and Surah Al-Ikhlas in the second. If you will make the intention of ihram on the plane, you can pray these two rak’ahs at home or at the airport after putting on the ihram sheets, or on the plane if space and time allow.

The Miqat

A person who intends to go to Makkah must not pass the miqat without ihram. Passing it without ihram with that intention makes a penalty (dam) necessary. A person who is going to Jeddah, and not to Makkah first, does not need ihram, and may later travel from Jeddah to Makkah without ihram.

For pilgrims flying to Saudi Arabia, the miqat is usually crossed during the flight. For example, the miqat for pilgrims flying from Pakistan is in line with Yalamlam. They may put on the ihram sheets at the airport without making the intention, and then make the intention and recite the Talbiyah on the plane some time after take-off. If you are flying from the UK, USA, Canada or elsewhere, ask a scholar where the miqat falls on your route.

If you are already in Makkah and wish to perform another Umrah, you may enter ihram at Tan’eem, where Masjid Aisha stands. This is permitted for anyone in the Haram of Makkah, men and women, whether they live there or are visiting.

Making the Intention and Reciting the Talbiyah

The intention (niyyah) is the firm resolve of the heart. No particular words are required: saying in your own language “I intend to perform Umrah” is enough. The following wording is also recorded:

اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنِّیْۤ اُرِيْدُ الْعُمْرَةَ فَيَسِّرْهَا لِیْ وَتَقَبَّلْهَا مِنِّیْ وَاَعِنِّیْ عَلَيْهَا وَبَارِكْ لِیْ فِيْهَا نَوَيْتُ الْعُمْرَةَ وَاَحْرَمْتُ بِهَا لِلّٰهِ تَعَالٰی
“O Allah, I intend to perform Umrah. Make it easy for me, accept it from me, help me to perform it and bless it for me. I have made the intention of Umrah and entered its ihram for the sake of Allah Almighty.”

Ihram only begins when the intention is accompanied by the Talbiyah (“Labbayk Allāhumma labbayk…”) or another remembrance of Allah said with the intention of ihram. Reciting the Talbiyah once is a condition, reciting it three times is better, and it should be recited often while in ihram. The specific words “Labbayk Allāhumma labbayk” are Sunnah.

The full Talbiyah is:

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 wan-niʿmata laka wal-mulk, lā sharīka lak

“Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Truly all praise, blessings and sovereignty belong to You. You have no partner.”

A pilgrim performing Umrah stops reciting the Talbiyah when making the first istilam of the Black Stone at the start of Tawaf.

Restrictions of Ihram

Once you have made the intention and recited the Talbiyah, the restrictions of ihram apply until your Umrah is complete. They include the following. This list is not complete, and penalties vary with the case, so ask a scholar if any of these happens:

  • applying perfume to the body or clothing
  • cutting the nails
  • for men, wearing stitched clothing
  • for men, covering the head: covering the whole head or a quarter of it for twelve hours or more requires a dam, and for less than that, a sadaqah
  • for women, covering the face with anything that touches it

How to Perform Umrah Step by Step

Step 1: Enter Ihram

Prepare for ihram, pray the two rak’ahs if it is not a makruh time, and make the intention with the Talbiyah at or before the miqat, as explained above.

Step 2: Perform Tawaf

When you arrive at Masjid al-Haram, enter with your right foot and recite the dua for entering the mosque:

اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ

Allāhumma iftaḥ lī abwāba raḥmatik

“O Allah, open for me the doors of Your mercy.”

Tawaf begins at the Black Stone. Walk around the Kaaba with the Kaaba on your left. Each time you pass the Black Stone, one round is complete, and Tawaf is seven rounds.

Be in a state of wudu for Tawaf. If the Tawaf of Umrah, or even some of its rounds, is performed without wudu, repeating it is recommended. If it is not repeated, a dam becomes necessary.

Making istilam of the Black Stone (al-Hajar al-Aswad) is Sunnah at the start of Tawaf and at the end of each round, when the Black Stone is in line with you. At the start of Tawaf, it is Sunnah to face the Black Stone.

For men, idtiba (keeping the right shoulder uncovered) is Sunnah in all seven rounds of a Tawaf that is followed by Sa’i, such as the Tawaf of Umrah. Leaving it without an excuse is against the Sunnah and disliked, but no penalty or charity is required. If you forget it in the first rounds, start it as soon as you remember, before the seventh round is complete.

In the first three rounds, men also walk briskly with short steps (ramal) where the crowds allow, and walk at a normal pace in the remaining rounds.

Between the Yemeni Corner (Rukn al-Yamani) and the Black Stone, pilgrims commonly recite:

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

Rabbanā ātinā fid-dunyā ḥasanatan wa fil-ākhirati ḥasanatan wa qinā ʿadhāban-nār

“Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.” (Al-Baqarah 2:201)

During Tawaf you may make any dua, dhikr or recitation, and you may make dua in your own language.

Step 3: Pray Two Rak’ahs After Tawaf

Two rak’ahs after Tawaf are wajib (necessary). If it is not a makruh time, it is Sunnah to pray them straight after Tawaf, and delaying them is disliked. If they are delayed and prayed later at a time that is not makruh, they are still valid and no dam is due.

If you can, pray these two rak’ahs behind Maqam Ibrahim, or anywhere else in the mosque if it is crowded. Many pilgrims recite Surah Al-Kafirun in the first rak’ah and Surah Al-Ikhlas in the second. Then drink Zamzam water and make dua.

Step 4: Perform Sa’i Between Safa and Marwah

Go to the hill of Safa. As you approach it to begin, pilgrims recite:

إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ

Inna aṣ-Ṣafā wal-Marwata min shaʿāʾirillāh

“Indeed, Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah.” (Al-Baqarah 2:158)

On Safa, face the Kaaba, raise your hands, say “Allāhu Akbar” three times, praise Allah and make dua. A dhikr commonly recited on Safa and Marwah is:

لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Lā ilāha illallāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-ḥamd, wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr

“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.”

Then walk to Marwah. That is one round, and walking back to Safa is the second round. Sa’i is seven rounds, ending at Marwah. Men walk briskly between the two green-lit markers, while women walk at their normal pace.

Starting Sa’i at Safa is wajib. If someone starts at Marwah, that first round is not counted and must be repeated. Wudu is not a condition for Sa’i, so no dam is due for Sa’i without wudu, but it is recommended to perform Sa’i with wudu.

Step 5: Shave or Shorten the Hair

Men: shaving the whole head (halq) is Sunnah and better, but shortening the hair (taqsir) is also allowed. For taqsir, at least a quarter of the head must be shortened, with each hair cut by the length of one finger joint (about one inch). Shortening the whole head is Sunnah. To be safe, cut from a little more than a quarter of the head and a little more than one finger joint, because hairs are of different lengths.

Women: women must not shave the head. Cutting just a few hairs is not enough. At least a quarter of the hair of the head must be cut, with each hair cut by the length of one finger joint (about one inch). To be safe, cut a little more than one finger joint. The Sunnah is to shorten the hair of the whole head.

Rules for Women

Differences for Women

Women perform Umrah in the same way as men, with some differences. Women wear their usual clothes rather than ihram sheets, and must cover the head. They recite the Talbiyah quietly, not aloud. They do not perform ramal or idtiba in Tawaf, and they walk at a normal pace in Sa’i rather than walking briskly. To come out of ihram, women only shorten the hair (taqsir), as explained above.

Covering the Face in Ihram

In ihram, it is haram (forbidden) for a woman to cover her face in a way that the cloth touches the face. To keep her face from unrelated men, she may hold something in front of her face that does not touch it, such as a hand fan or a piece of card. If at least a quarter of the face is covered for less than twelve hours, a sadaqah is due, and if it stays covered for twelve hours or more, a dam is due. These rules apply because of ihram; when she is not in ihram, she covers her face as normal.

Umrah During Menstruation

A woman may enter ihram for Umrah while menstruating, and if her period starts after she has entered ihram, the restrictions of ihram remain. In either case, she must not enter Masjid al-Haram or any other mosque, and must not perform Tawaf. She waits until her period ends, takes a ghusl and then performs the rites of Umrah. She does not need to enter ihram again.

If her period starts before she has entered ihram (that is, before making the intention and reciting the Talbiyah), she does not enter ihram. There is no penalty, and she can enter ihram for Umrah after she becomes pure.

Umrah on Behalf of Someone Else

Performing Umrah on behalf of someone else is, in reality, conveying its reward to them. This can be done for a person who has passed away and also for a person who is alive. You may make the intention in their name, for example, “O Allah, I am performing this Umrah on behalf of [name], accept it,” or perform Umrah for yourself and then convey its reward to them. Performing Umrah on someone’s behalf does not make Umrah compulsory on you.

What to Say to Someone Going for or Returning from Umrah

Sending a kind message is a lovely way to support a friend or relative going for Umrah. Common messages include:

  • “May Allah accept your Umrah.”
  • “May your journey be easy and blessed. Please remember me in your duas.”
  • “May Allah accept your worship and bring you home safely.”

When someone returns from Umrah, many people say “May Allah accept your Umrah” and ask them to make dua for them.

How Far Do You Walk During Umrah?

The distance between Safa and Marwah is roughly 450 metres, so the seven rounds of Sa’i come to about 3 kilometres (just under 2 miles). The distance of Tawaf depends on how close to the Kaaba you walk and how busy it is.

Sources

The rulings (masa’il) above are taken from the following fatwas of Dar-ul-Ifta Ahlesunnat (Dawat-e-Islami), published on FatwaQA. English fatwas are listed first; the others are in Urdu.

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