PILGRIMAGE GUIDE

Umrah, step by step

The four rites in order, from the boundary where ihram begins to the shortening of the hair that ends it. The model shows where each one is performed.

11 steps4 ritesSourced to the Qur’an and the two Sahih collections

Map viewWestern Saudi Arabia1 / 11

Preparing the model…

Drag to turn the view. Scroll to zoom.

The Kaaba is modelled from its published wall lengths and height. The rest is proportioned to be read clearly, not surveyed.

01On the way

Before you travel

Umrah may be performed at any time of year. It has four rites, performed in order.

Rites: Four, in fixed order
Season: Any time of year
Entry: Visa or permit via Nusuk

The four rites are ihram at the boundary, seven circuits of the Kaaba, seven courses between Safa and Marwah, and shaving or shortening the hair.

Visas, Grand Mosque permits and Rawdah bookings are issued through the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. The rules are revised, so check the official platform rather than a guide.

Trim nails and remove unwanted hair before entering ihram, since both then become prohibited. Unscented soap and toiletries avoid a common violation.

SourcesQur'an 2:196 Nusuk, Ministry of Hajj and Umrah

02On the way

The miqatالْمِيقَات

Five fixed stations mark where ihram must be assumed. Which one applies depends on the direction of approach.

Stations: Five
Nearest: Qarn al-Manazil, 65 km
Furthest: Dhul-Hulayfah, 334 km

Anyone intending Umrah must be in ihram on passing the station on their route. The Prophet named Dhul-Hulayfah for Madinah, Al-Juhfah for Ash-Sham, Qarn al-Manazil for Najd and Yalamlam for Yemen, for the people of those places and for anyone passing through them. Dhat Irq, for Iraq, was fixed by Umar ibn al-Khattab.

Stations follow the direction of approach, not nationality. A pilgrim routed through Madinah uses Dhul-Hulayfah whatever country they started from.

Someone living inside the ring enters ihram where they are. Someone in Makkah goes out to the edge of the sacred precinct, usually At-Tan'im.

Crossing without ihram: The usual instruction is to return to the station, enter ihram, and continue. A pilgrim who does not return is generally required to offer a sacrifice.
Passing without intending Umrah: The stations bind those intending Hajj or Umrah. Someone travelling for work, or in transit, is not bound by them.

SourcesSahih al-Bukhari 1524

03On the way

Arriving by air

The stations apply at altitude. Most flights into Jeddah cross one before landing.

Jeddah to the Kaaba: 75 km
Al-Juhfah to the Kaaba: 159 km
Madinah: Beyond the ring

A station's boundary extends upward, so an aircraft passing over it has passed it. Ihram is assumed before that point, not on landing.

Change into the ihram garments at home or in the departure airport, then make the intention and begin the talbiyah at or before the station. Most airlines flying Umrah routes announce it and show the point on the moving map.

Arriving through Madinah removes the question. Madinah lies beyond Dhul-Hulayfah, so you land in ordinary clothes and enter ihram on the road to Makkah.

Changing on board: Cabin toilets are small and the queue before a station is long. Travelling in ihram from the departure gate avoids both.
Jeddah as a station: Whether Jeddah can serve as a station is discussed among scholars, and the answers turn on whether the route crosses a designated one. Because nearly every approach does, the common instruction is to enter ihram before the crossing.

Flight paths differ by carrier and by day. Confirm the station on your own route before departure.

SourcesSahih al-Bukhari 1524

04On the way

Entering ihramالْإِحْرَام

Ihram begins with the intention, made at or before the station.

Men: Two unstitched sheets, head uncovered
Women: Ordinary modest dress, any colour
Not worn: Fitted face veil, gloves

Wash beforehand if you can. Perfume applied to the body before the intention may remain on you afterwards.

Men wear the izar at the waist and the rida' over the shoulders, both unstitched. Women wear ordinary modest clothing, without a fitted face veil or gloves.

Many pilgrims pray two rak'ahs before setting out. Then make the intention for Umrah and begin the talbiyah. The restrictions apply from that point.

لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ، إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ، لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ

Labbayka Allāhumma labbayk, labbayka lā sharīka laka labbayk, inna l-ḥamda wa n-niʿmata laka wa l-mulk, lā sharīka lak.

Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am; You have no partner; here I am. Indeed all praise and blessing are Yours, and the dominion. You have no partner.

The talbiyah, Sahih al-Bukhari 1549. The intention for Umrah is stated as Labbayka Allāhumma ʿUmrah.

Raising the voice: Men raise the voice with the talbiyah. Women say it audibly to themselves. It is repeated from here until the tawaf begins.
If you fear being prevented: A pilgrim worried about illness or being turned back may stipulate on entering ihram that they leave the state wherever they are stopped. Reported from Dubaa'ah bint az-Zubayr in both Sahih collections.

SourcesSahih al-Bukhari 1549 Sahih al-Bukhari 1838

05On the way

What ihram restricts

Eight restrictions, in force from the intention until the hair is cut.

Count: Eight
In force from: The intention
Lifted at: Shaving or shortening

Shade, air conditioning, washing, changing the sheets and using an umbrella are permitted.

Breaking a restriction unintentionally or in ignorance does not carry the same consequence as doing so deliberately. Where compensation is due, whether a fast, feeding or a sacrifice, the details differ between the schools of law.

Removing hair or cutting nailsShaving, plucking and trimming. Hair that falls without being pulled out is not a violation.
Applying perfumeIncludes scented soap, lotion and wipes. Perfume applied to the body before ihram may remain.
Hunting land gameSea fish, and animals slaughtered by others outside the sacred precinct, are unaffected.
Sexual relations and their preliminariesIntercourse before the rites are complete invalidates the Umrah. No other violation does.
Contracting a marriageFor yourself or on behalf of another, and proposing.
Covering the head (men)Covering it with something attached to it. An umbrella, a tent or a vehicle roof is not covering.
Fitted clothing (men)Shirts, trousers, underwear, and anything tailored to a limb. The two unstitched sheets replace them.
Niqab and gloves (women)A fitted face veil and gloves. Other modest clothing is unrestricted in colour and cut.

Intercourse before the rites are complete invalidates the Umrah. No other violation does.

SourcesSahih al-Bukhari 1838 Qur'an 2:196

06In the Grand Mosque

Entering the Grand Mosque

Tawaf requires wudu. The talbiyah stops on reaching the Black Stone.

Wudu: Required for tawaf
Sa'i: Wudu not required
Idtiba': Men, this tawaf only

Enter with the right foot and the supplication for entering a mosque. The Mataf, the marble floor around the Kaaba, is reached from any gate.

If wudu breaks during the circuits, leave, repeat it, and resume.

Men pass the rida' under the right arm and over the left shoulder, leaving the right shoulder uncovered. This is idtiba', and it applies during the circuits only.

SourcesSahih Muslim 1218a

07In the Grand Mosque

Tawafالطَّوَاف

Seven circuits of the Kaaba, anticlockwise, each beginning and ending at the Black Stone.

Circuits: Seven
Direction: Anticlockwise, Kaaba on the left
Brisk pace: First three, men only

Stand at the line marked on the floor, facing the Black Stone corner. Kiss the stone if you can reach it without pushing, touch it and kiss your hand if you cannot, or raise your right hand toward it and say Allāhu akbar. Most pilgrims do the last of these.

Move off to your right so the Kaaba is on your left, and keep it there for the whole circuit.

The semicircular wall on the north-west side encloses the Hijr, which is part of the House. The path must pass outside that wall. A circuit cutting through the Hijr does not count.

Touch the Yemeni corner with the right hand if you can do so easily. It is not kissed, no takbir is said at it, and it is not pointed at from a distance. There is no set supplication for each circuit.

رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةًۭ وَفِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ حَسَنَةًۭ وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ

Rabbanā ātinā fi d-dunyā ḥasanatan wa fi l-ākhirati ḥasanatan wa qinā ʿadhāba n-nār.

Our Lord, give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.

Qur'an 2:201, recited between the Yemeni corner and the Black Stone.

Counting: If you cannot remember whether you are on five or six, take the lower number.
Wheelchairs and carts: Tawaf may be performed seated, pushed, or on the upper levels. A circuit upstairs is longer; the count is the same.

SourcesSahih al-Bukhari 1602 Sahih Muslim 1218a Qur'an 2:201

08In the Grand Mosque

Two rak'ahs, then Zamzamمَقَامُ إِبْرَاهِيم

Two rak'ahs positioned with the Maqam Ibrahim between you and the Kaaba, then Zamzam.

Rak'ahs: Two
Recited: Al-Kafirun, then Al-Ikhlas
If crowded: Pray anywhere in the mosque

Cover the right shoulder again when the seventh circuit ends. Pray two rak'ahs positioned so the Maqam Ibrahim stands between you and the Kaaba. Jabir's account records Surah Al-Kafirun in the first rak'ah and Al-Ikhlas in the second.

The space directly behind the Maqam stays congested. If you cannot reach it, pray anywhere in the mosque.

Then drink Zamzam, available from dispensers around the Mataf. Jabir's account then describes returning to the Black Stone and touching it before going out to Safa.

SourcesQur'an 2:125 Sahih Muslim 1218a

09In the Grand Mosque

Sa'iالسَّعْي

Seven courses between Safa and Marwah, beginning at Safa and ending at Marwah.

Courses: Seven
One course: About 450 m
Mas'a: Four floors, up to 40 m wide

Go to Safa from the Mataf. On approaching it the verse naming Safa and Marwah is recited, and Jabir's account records the Prophet saying “I begin with what Allah began with”.

Climb far enough up Safa to see the Kaaba, face it, raise your hands, and say the remembrance the account records three times, supplicating in between. Then set out for Marwah.

Men move at a jog between the two green markers set in the walls. Women walk. Outside that stretch everyone walks. At Marwah, face the Kaaba and repeat the same remembrance.

Safa to Marwah is one course, and the walk back is two. Seven courses in total, so the sa'i finishes at Marwah.

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

Lā ilāha illā llāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu l-mulku wa lahu l-ḥamdu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr. Lā ilāha illā llāhu waḥdah, anjaza waʿdah, wa naṣara ʿabdah, wa hazama l-aḥzāba waḥdah.

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, gave victory to His servant, and defeated the confederates alone.

Said on Safa and on Marwah, from Jabir's account in Sahih Muslim 1218a.

Distance: Seven courses come to roughly 3 km. Wheelchair and cart lanes run the length of the gallery.
Purity: Sa'i does not require wudu as tawaf does. A woman whose period begins after her tawaf may complete the sa'i.

SourcesQur'an 2:158 Sahih Muslim 1218a Saudipedia, Safa and Marwa

10In the Grand Mosque

Shaving or shorteningالْحَلْق أَوِ التَّقْصِير

Men shave the head or shorten all of it. Women cut about a fingertip's length.

Men: Shave, or shorten from all of the head
Women: About a fingertip's length
Greater merit: Shaving

Men may shave the head completely, or shorten it by taking from all of the head rather than one lock. The Prophet asked for mercy on those who shave, and added those who shorten only when asked a third time.

Women gather the hair and cut about a fingertip's length from the end. Women do not shave.

Barbers are stationed around the mosque and the surrounding area. Use one who changes blades between customers.

A pilgrim performing Hajj on the same trip as Tamattu' commonly shortens here rather than shaves, leaving hair to shave at the end of the Hajj.

SourcesSahih al-Bukhari 1727

11In the Grand Mosque

The Umrah is complete

The restrictions end with the hair. No farewell tawaf is required for Umrah.

Restrictions: All lifted
Farewell tawaf: Not required
Voluntary tawaf: Any time, ordinary clothes

Once the hair is cut the state of ihram ends, and every restriction with it. Ordinary clothing, perfume and marital relations return.

There is no obligatory farewell tawaf for Umrah, unlike Hajj. Many pilgrims perform a voluntary tawaf before leaving Makkah, which may be done at any time and in ordinary clothing.

If you are staying on for Hajj, this Umrah is the first part of Tamattu'. You remain out of ihram until the eighth of Dhul-Hijjah.

SourcesQur'an 2:196

Step 1 of 11

REFERENCE

The five stations

Distance and direction are computed from these coordinates on a spherical Earth, the same method as the Qibla tool. They are straight lines; a road or flight path is longer. Qibla tool.

The mawaqit, with coordinates, straight-line distance from the Kaaba, and direction
Station	Also called	Designated for	Coordinates	From the Kaaba
Dhul-Hulayfahذُو الْحُلَيْفَة	Abyar Ali, Masjid ash-Shajarah	the people of Madinah	24.4137° N 39.5424° E	334 kmnorth, 355°
Al-Juhfahالْجُحْفَة	Rabigh is used in its place	the people of Ash-Sham	22.7100° N 39.1450° E	159 kmnorth-west, 334°
Qarn al-Manazilقَرْنُ الْمَنَازِل	As-Sayl al-Kabir	the people of Najd	21.6264° N 40.4153° E	65 kmeast, 69°
Yalamlamيَلَمْلَم	As-Sa'diyah	the people of Yemen	20.5179° N 39.8702° E	101 kmsouth, 177°
Dhat Irqذَاتُ عِرْق	Adh-Dharibah	the people of IraqFixed by Umar ibn al-Khattab	21.9300° N 40.4255° E	84 kmnorth-east, 48°

Dhul-Hulayfah Pilgrims reaching Makkah after Madinah, including all arrivals at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport. The furthest station from Makkah, and about 9 km in a straight line from the Prophet's Mosque. The mosque there has washing facilities for changing into ihram.
Al-Juhfah Arrivals from the north-west: the Levant, Egypt, North Africa, and most sea and coast-road routes from Europe and the Americas. The original settlement was lost and is not in use. Pilgrims enter ihram at Rabigh, 174 km from the Kaaba, which is outside the boundary.
Qarn al-Manazil Arrivals from the east: Riyadh, Taif, and the land route from the Gulf states. About 40 km from Taif on the Makkah road. A large mosque and ihram facilities stand at the site.
Yalamlam Arrivals from the south, and the flight paths used by much of South and South-East Asia. North of Al-Lith on the southern coastal route. Many aircraft cross this line rather than landing before it.
Dhat Irq The overland route from Iraq and Iran. Little used now, as most pilgrims from these countries arrive by air. Bukhari reports that Umar ibn al-Khattab fixed this station. A narration attributing it to the Prophet is also reported, with discussion of its chain.

REFERENCE

Where you enter ihram, by point of arrival

Flight paths vary by carrier and by day. Confirm the station on your own route before travelling.

Madinah first

Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport

Madinah lies beyond Dhul-Hulayfah, so you land inside the boundary in ordinary clothes. Enter ihram at Dhul-Hulayfah when you set out for Makkah. Ihram is not needed on the flight.

Station: Dhul-Hulayfah

Jeddah

King Abdulaziz International Airport

Jeddah sits inside the ring of stations. Nearly every approach crosses a station in the air first, so ihram is assumed before that crossing. Cabin crew normally announce it.

Station: Al-Juhfah

Taif

Taif International Airport

Taif is outside the boundary, east of Qarn al-Manazil. Enter ihram in the city, or at the station on the road down to Makkah.

Station: Qarn al-Manazil

Already in Makkah

Al-Hill, commonly the mosque at At-Tan'im

Someone already in Makkah leaves the sacred precinct to enter ihram. The Prophet sent Aisha out to At-Tan'im with her brother for this, and the mosque there is named after her.

REFERENCE

The words you will hear

Ihramإحرام: The consecrated state entered at the boundary, and the two unstitched sheets that mark it.
Miqatميقات: A fixed station on the approach to Makkah at which ihram must be assumed. Plural: mawaqit.
Talbiyahتلبية: The response recited from entering ihram until the tawaf begins.
Tawafطواف: Seven circuits of the Kaaba, performed anticlockwise.
Matafمطاف: The marble floor around the Kaaba where tawaf is performed.
Hijrحِجْر: The area inside the low semicircular wall on the north-west side. Part of the Kaaba, so tawaf passes outside it.
Maqam Ibrahimمقام إبراهيم: The stone associated with Ibrahim, held in a glass and gilt enclosure near the Kaaba's door side.
Sa'iسعي: Seven courses between Safa and Marwah, beginning at Safa and ending at Marwah.
Mas'aمسعى: The gallery between Safa and Marwah in which the sa'i is performed.
Idtiba'اضطباع: A man's uncovering of the right shoulder during the tawaf of Umrah.
Ramalرمل: Brisk, short-stepped walking by men in the first three circuits of this tawaf.
Halq / Taqsirحلق / تقصير: Shaving the head, or shortening the hair. The rite that ends the Umrah.

SOURCES

Where this comes from

Every ruling on this page is tied to a text. The model’s measurements are listed here too.

Sahih al-Bukhari 1524Ibn Abbas: the Prophet fixed Dhul-Hulayfah, Al-Juhfah, Qarn al-Manazil and Yalamlam, for those living there and for anyone passing through intending Hajj or Umrah.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1549Abdullah ibn Umar: the wording of the talbiyah as the Prophet recited it.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1602Ibn Abbas: the Prophet instructed his companions to move briskly in the first three circuits and to walk the rest.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1727Ibn Umar: the Prophet asked for mercy on those who shave their heads, and after being asked repeatedly added those who shorten their hair.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1838Ibn Umar: a woman in ihram does not wear a niqab or gloves.
Sahih Muslim 1218aJabir ibn Abdullah's account of the Prophet's pilgrimage: the circuits, the two rak'ahs at the Maqam, Zamzam, and the sa'i beginning at Safa.
Qur'an 2:158Safa and Marwah named among the symbols of Allah, and the walk between them.
Qur'an 2:125The instruction to take the standing place of Ibrahim as a place of prayer.
Qur'an 2:196The command to complete the Hajj and the Umrah, and the ruling for one who is prevented.
Qur'an 2:201The supplication recited between the Yemeni corner and the Black Stone.
Saudipedia, dimensions of the KaabaWall lengths used to shape the model: 11.68 m, 9.90 m, 12.04 m and 10.18 m.
Saudipedia, Safa and MarwaThe mas'a: four floors, up to 40 m wide, covering more than 87,000 m².
Nusuk, Ministry of Hajj and UmrahThe official platform for Umrah permits, visas and Rawdah bookings.
Natural Earth 10mThe coastline, the 200 m and 1000 m bathymetric contours, the trunk roads, the built-up areas and the towns on the regional map. Public domain.

This page records the rites and where each description comes from. It does not issue religious rulings and does not settle questions on which the schools of law differ. For a decision about your own case, ask a qualified scholar. Entry requirements and permits are set by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and change; check the official platform. See also sources and methods.