How to perform Umrah: Step by step Guide

Starting the spiritual journey of Umrah is a dream of every Muslim in the world. Umrah can be performed at any time of the year as compared to Hajj, which can be done in Dhul Hijjah only. This act of worship offers a spiritual cleansing and transparency of hearts of the Muslims. The detailed guide will enable you to perform Umrah without any confusion or hesitation. We will tell you every step of Umrah in details.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) defined its value saying:

“The performers of Umrah are representatives of Allah. If they call him, he will answer them; if they ask for his forgiveness, He’ll forgive them”. (Sunan Ibn e Majah 2892).

So, let’s start the steps of the spiritual and heart cleansing worship (Umrah):

Preparation

The whole preparation is the beginning of a successful Umrah journey. This starts with obtaining correct knowledge of logistics, travel documents, and how to arrange your Umrah travel options with an Umrah agency or without it (DIY), according to your particular needs. This guide is also included in your preparation as you must have the knowledge of every step of this worship. You should remember the Duas of the steps of Umrah. Picking the right time for travelling will have a positive impact on your journey, so, keep the conditions like weather and crowd density in Masjid Al Haram and Masjid Al Nabawi. Pack necessary items like Ihram clothes and personal hygiene things like soap, toothpaste, shampoo, comb etc.

Your “Niyyah” (intention) for the Umrah journey is one of the most important steps. So, you should do this worship purely for the sake of Allah, not for the show-off. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Actions are due to intentions, and everyone will get what he was intending”. (Sahih Ul Bukhari 1).

Step by Step Umrah Rituals

There are four basic rituals of Umrah:

1. Ihram

2. Tawaf

3. Sa’i

4. Halq/Taqseer

Every ritual has a specific sequence and the secondary step of these rituals are spiritually meaningful. You will be able to perform every step correctly and carefully after taking this guide. So let’s start these steps carefully:

1. Ihram

Ihram is the formal apparel state during Hajj or Umrah. For men, it includes wearing two seamless white clothes while for women, it includes simple Islamic dress that covers the whole body. Before crossing the “Miqat” boundary, you should perform Ghusl, trim your nails and remove unwanted body hair. It is then Sunnah to offer 2 rakaat of Salah and make the niyyah of Umrah. While in Ihram, it is strictly prohibits fighting each other, hunting and applying perfume. The state of Ihram expresses the equality among everyone. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught his companions the talbiyah upon crossing the Miqat. Talbiyah is to say “Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik, Labbaika La Shareeka Laka Labbaik, Innal Hamda wanniamata, laka wal Mulk La shareeka Lak” loudly.

Boundary of Miqat

Miqat is a designated boundary where pilgrims enter their state of ihram. There are five starting points of miqat boundary:

Zul Hulaifah: For those who come from Madina ans surrounding areas.

Zat e Irq: for those who come from Iraq, Iran and northeastern regions.

Al Juhfah: For those who come from Syria, Egypt and North Africa.

Qarn Al Manazil: for those who come from Najd (Central Saudi Arabia).

Yalamlam: For those who come from Yemen and the South.

2. Tawaf

Tawaf is walking or running around the Holy Kaaba after arriving at Masij Al Haram, complete each cycle seven times. Make sure to perform Talbiyah during Tawaf. Start the Tawaf by Kissing Hajr Ul Aswad. Each cycle starts from (Hajr ul Aswad) The Black Stone and ends at it. The Holy Kaaba should be at your left side throughout the Tawaf. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “By Allah, Allah will bring it (Hajr E Aswad) to life on the day of resurrection, with two eyes with which it will see and with a tongue with which it will speak, it will testify whoever touched it with sincerity.” (Sunan Ibn e Majah). Completing the seventh cycle, Move to the Maqam e Ibrahim to offer two Rakaat of Prayer and your Tawaf has been completed.

3. Sa’i between Safa and Marwah

The next important step of Umrah is Sa’i. Sa’I is walking or running between the hills of Safa and Marwa. Start your Sa’I from the hill of Safa, facing Kaaba and making Dua. Then descend and go to Marwa. After reaching Marwa, face the Kaaba and dua again. You will have to complete seven one way trips ending at Marwah.

Whenever the Prophet (Peace be upon him) reached Mount Safa, he would recite:

﴿إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَآئِرِ اللَّهِ أَبْدَأُ بِمَا بَدَأَ اللَّهُ بِهِ﴾

He began (his Sa’i) at Mount Safa climbing it, until he could see the House. He then faced the Qiblah repeating the words:

لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، اللهُ أَكْبَرُ

Then he said:

لَآ إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهٗ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهٗ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ، لَآ إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهٗ أَنْجَزَ وَعْدَهٗ، وَنَصَرَ عَبْدَهٗ وَهَزَمَ الْأَحْزَابَ وَحْدَهٗ

4. Halq/Taqseer

Halq means to shave your head completely while Taqseer means partially trimming your hair. Halq is highly recommend for men while Taqseer is also permissible. Women should only trim their hair a little bit equal to a fingertip. After Halq or Taqseer, your Umrah will be completed and all the restrictions of Ihram will be lifted.

The Peophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) prayed for those who shaved their heads saying: “O Allah, Forgive those who shave their heads and those who cut their hair”.

You’re now free to change your clothes from Ihram to regular ones.

Things to avoid

During Umrah, remember what’s really not allowed or it may spoil your worship or its chances of acceptance. Here’s what you should avoid during the journey:

1. Do not apply any form of scents or perfumes.

2. Do not shave, trim or pluck your hair before all rituals are performed.

3. Do not cut your nails in ihram.

4. Do not engage in any sexual or sex provoking activity.

5. Do not hunt any kind of animals.

6. Don’t be disrespectful to anyone in anyway.

7. Don’t propose or marry anyone during ihram.

8. Men should avoid stitched cloths.

9. Don’t cover your ankles or foot tops.

10. Women should avoid Niqab, jewelry and make up.

11. Women should avoid Tawaf while menstruating or in postpartum bleeding.

12. Do not perform Tawaf inside Hijr e Ismail as its part of the Kaaba.

13. Do not left half laps and cycles during Tawaf and Sa’i.

14. Do throw any piece of trash in Haram area.

15. Don’t overload your bags, just keep necessary items in them.

Conclusion

Umrah is not just a physical ritual. It is a religious worship so if you don’t

perform Umrah in its actual way or you just show off by doing this beautiful worship. Your worship (pilgrimage) will not be accepted by Allah and you’ll not be rewarded for it. So, make sure you are mentally and physically prepared for this worship before you start the whole procedure.

FAQs

1. What is Umrah?

Answer: Umrah is an Islamic worship that is performed in Makkah, Saudi Arabia at Masjid Al Haram. There are four basic rituals of Umrah:

1. Ihram

2. Tawaf

3. Sa’i

4. Halq/Taqseer

2. How to wear Ihram?

Answer: There’s not a particular Ihram dress for women so here’s what’s important for men:

Izar

Wrap a white cloth around your waist covering all lower body area upto ankles. Don’t leave it loose and tie it with an Ihram belt.

Rida

Put the second white cloth like a shawl on your upper body and shoulders. Remember to expose your right shoulder during Tawaf and cover it after the Tawaf.