- Ihram: enter Ihram at the Miqat with the intention for your type of Hajj.
- 8th Dhul Hijjah: go to Mina and pray the five prayers there.
- 9th: stand at Arafah from midday until sunset, in dua.
- Night of the 10th: sleep at Muzdalifah and collect pebbles.
- 10th: stone Jamrat al-Aqabah, offer the sacrifice, shave or trim, then Tawaf al-Ifadah and Sa'i.
- 11th to 13th: stay in Mina and stone all three Jamarat after midday each day.
- Before leaving Makkah: Tawaf al-Wida.
The steps of Hajj at a glance
Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, a duty on every Muslim who is able to make the journey (Quran 3:97). Unlike Umrah, its rituals are tied to fixed days and fixed places: a tent city, a plain, an open valley and three stone walls, all within a few kilometres of Makkah. Once you understand which day belongs to which place, Hajj stops feeling like a maze.
- BeforeالإحرامIhram & arrivalUmrah or Tawaf al-Qudum
- 8thمنىMinaDay of Tarwiyah
- 9thعرفةArafahStanding until sunset
- NightمزدلفةMuzdalifahUnder the open sky
- 10thيوم النحرDay of EidRami, sacrifice, halq, Ifadah
- 11th–13thالتشريقTashriqThree Jamarat each day
- LastالوداعTawaf al-WidaThe farewell
| Day | Where | Rituals of Hajj | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before the 8th | Miqat, Makkah | Ihram; Umrah (Tamattu') or Tawaf al-Qudum (Qiran, Ifrad) | Ihram is a pillar |
| 8th | Mina | Ihram for Hajj (Tamattu'); the five prayers, shortened | Sunnah |
| 9th | Arafah | Dhuhr and Asr combined; standing in dua until sunset | Pillar |
| Night of the 10th | Muzdalifah | Maghrib and Isha combined; the night; Fajr and dhikr | Obligation |
| 10th | Mina, Makkah | Jamrat al-Aqabah; sacrifice; halq or taqsir; Tawaf al-Ifadah and Sa'i | Tawaf and Sa'i are pillars; the rest obligations |
| 11th, 12th (13th) | Mina | Nights in Mina; three Jamarat after midday | Obligations (nights Sunnah for Hanafis) |
| Departure | Makkah | Tawaf al-Wida | Obligation (Sunnah for Malikis) |
Types of Hajj: Tamattu', Ifrad and Qiran
There are three ways to perform Hajj, and the difference lies in how Hajj is joined with Umrah. All three are valid. Before you make the intention, know which one you are doing, because it changes your Ihram, your sacrifice and when you perform Sa'i.
| Tamattu' | Qiran | Ifrad | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Umrah first, then Hajj, in the same season | Umrah and Hajj together in one Ihram | Hajj alone |
| Intention at the Miqat | Labbayka ‘umrah | Labbayka ‘umratan wa hajjan | Labbayka hajjan |
| Ihram | Leave Ihram after Umrah; enter again on the 8th | Stay in Ihram until the 10th | Stay in Ihram until the 10th |
| Sacrifice (hady) | Required | Required | Not required |
| Sa'i | Twice: for Umrah and for Hajj | Once, after Tawaf al-Qudum or Tawaf al-Ifadah | Once, after Tawaf al-Qudum or Tawaf al-Ifadah |
The Prophet, peace be upon him, performed Qiran, having brought his sacrificial animals with him, and told the companions who had not brought animals to make their Ihram an Umrah, which is Tamattu' (Sahih Muslim 1218). The Hanbali school prefers Tamattu', the Hanafi school Qiran, and the Shafi'i and Maliki schools Ifrad. A pilgrim who cannot find or afford the sacrifice for Tamattu' or Qiran fasts ten days instead: three during Hajj and seven at home (Quran 2:196).
Before you travel: a Hajj guide for first-time pilgrims
- Go with a permit. Hajj is only possible through an authorised package and permit, arranged through licensed operators and the official Nusuk platform. Pilgrims without a permit are turned away.
- Check the health requirements with your operator, including any vaccinations, and see your doctor about long walks in heat if you have a medical condition.
- Break in your sandals weeks before you fly. The days of Hajj involve walking ten kilometres or more, and blisters spoil more pilgrimages than anything else.
- Pack for Mina: a small backpack, an umbrella for shade, a refillable water bottle, unscented soap, a pebble pouch, a tally counter and any medicine you need, clearly labelled.
- Learn the talbiyah and the dhikr of Arafah by heart, and write your personal dua list for Arafah at home, where you have time to think.
- Settle your debts and write a will, as pilgrims have always done before Hajj, and ask your family to forgive you.
Ihram and arriving in Makkah
Enter Ihram at the Miqat in the same way as for Umrah: ghusl, the Ihram clothing, then the intention for your type of Hajj and the talbiyah. Our guide to performing Umrah sets out the Ihram rules, the Miqat and the rules of Tawaf and Sa'i in full.
- Tamattu': perform your Umrah on arrival, shave or trim, and leave Ihram. You live normally in Makkah until the 8th.
- Qiran and Ifrad: perform Tawaf al-Qudum, the Tawaf of arrival, which is a Sunnah. You may also perform the Sa'i of Hajj straight after it. You stay in Ihram until the Day of Eid.
لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ، إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ، لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ
Labbayka 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, all blessing and all sovereignty belong to You. You have no partner.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1549, Sahih Muslim 11848th Dhul Hijjah: Mina, the Day of Tarwiyah
On the morning of the 8th, pilgrims performing Tamattu' take a ghusl, put on Ihram again and make the intention for Hajj from where they are staying: Labbayka Allahumma hajjan. Pilgrims performing Qiran or Ifrad are already in Ihram. Then everyone goes to Mina, reciting the talbiyah.
In Mina, pray Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha and the next morning's Fajr, each at its own time, shortening the four-rakat prayers to two but not combining them (Sahih Muslim 1218). This day is a Sunnah rather than an obligation. Use it to rest, drink plenty of water and go over your dua list, because tomorrow asks a great deal of you.
9th Dhul Hijjah: the Day of Arafah
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “Hajj is Arafah” (Abu Dawud 1949, al-Tirmidhi 889, al-Nasa'i 3016). And there is no day on which Allah frees more of His servants from the Fire than the Day of Arafah (Sahih Muslim 1348). Everything else in Hajj can be delayed, made up or replaced; the standing at Arafah cannot.
- After sunrise, leave Mina for Arafah. Most groups travel by coach or train.
- Check that you are inside the boundaries. Signs mark them, and part of the area around Masjid Namirah lies outside Arafah. Anywhere inside is valid: “I stood here, and the whole of Arafah is a place of standing” (Sahih Muslim 1218). Climbing Jabal al-Rahmah is not part of Hajj.
- After midday, pray Dhuhr and Asr together at the time of Dhuhr, two rakats each, with one adhan and two iqamahs.
- From then until sunset, give yourself to dua. Face the qiblah, raise your hands, and ask for everything you need, for yourself, your family and the whole Ummah, in your own language. Recite the Quran and repeat the best dhikr of this day:
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir.
None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, with no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things.
Jami' al-Tirmidhi 3585Do not fast on this day as a pilgrim; the Prophet, peace be upon him, drank milk at Arafah so that people would see he was not fasting (Sahih al-Bukhari 1658). Stay until the sun has fully set. Leaving earlier, without returning, requires a dam according to most scholars.
The night in Muzdalifah
After sunset, leave Arafah calmly, without praying Maghrib there. When you reach Muzdalifah, pray Maghrib and Isha together, three rakats and two, with one adhan and two iqamahs. Then sleep. Muzdalifah has no tents; most pilgrims lie on a mat under the sky, and many describe it as the most peaceful night of their lives.
Pick up your pebbles here or later in Mina: seven for tomorrow, or 49 to 70 for all the days. At dawn, pray Fajr early, then stand facing the qiblah, at al-Mash'ar al-Haram if you can reach it, remembering Allah and making dua until the sky is bright, as this verse commands:
لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَبْتَغُوا۟ فَضْلًۭا مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۚ فَإِذَآ أَفَضْتُم مِّنْ عَرَفَٰتٍۢ فَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عِندَ ٱلْمَشْعَرِ ٱلْحَرَامِ ۖ وَٱذْكُرُوهُ كَمَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَإِن كُنتُم مِّن قَبْلِهِۦ لَمِنَ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ
laysa ʿalaykum junāḥun an tabtaghū faḍlan min rabbikum fa-idhā afaḍtum min ʿarafātin fa-udh'kurū l-laha ʿinda l-mashʿari l-ḥarāmi wa-udh'kurūhu kamā hadākum wa-in kuntum min qablihi lamina l-ḍālīna
There is no blame upon you for seeking bounty from your Lord [during Hajj]. But when you depart from 'Arafat, remember Allah at al- Mash'ar al-Haram. And remember Him, as He has guided you, for indeed, you were before that among those astray.
Quran 2:198Leave for Mina before sunrise. The elderly, the weak, women and those caring for them may leave after midnight, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, allowed Sawdah and Asma to do (Sahih al-Bukhari 1679, 1681). Most scholars count the night at Muzdalifah as an obligation.
10th Dhul Hijjah: the Day of Eid
The busiest day of Hajj has four acts. The Sunnah order is:
- Stone Jamrat al-Aqabah with seven pebbles, saying Allahu akbar with each. Stop the talbiyah as you throw the first. Only this, the largest Jamrah, is stoned today.
- The sacrifice for Tamattu' and Qiran. Most pilgrims buy an official sacrifice voucher and receive confirmation when it has been done.
- Halq or taqsir. Men shave or trim the whole head; women cut a fingertip's length. You are now partly released from Ihram: you may wear ordinary clothes and perfume, but marital relations remain forbidden.
- Tawaf al-Ifadah and Sa'i. Seven rounds of the Kaaba in ordinary clothes, two rakats, and then Sa'i if you have not already done it. After this, every restriction of Ihram is lifted.
When companions asked about doing these acts out of order, the Prophet, peace be upon him, replied: “Do it, there is no harm” (Sahih al-Bukhari 83, Sahih Muslim 1306). The Hanafi school still requires the order of stoning, sacrifice and shaving for Tamattu' and Qiran pilgrims. Tawaf al-Ifadah is best on the 10th but may be delayed to the days that follow.
Rami: stoning the Jamarat
The three Jamarat mark the places where, according to the reports, Ibrahim was tempted to turn back from Allah's command, and the stoning is an act of obedience and remembrance. Today they are long walls inside a multi-level building, with basins around them and one-way routes for the crowds.
- Pebbles: small, about the size of a chickpea (Sahih Muslim 1299). A larger stone adds nothing and can hurt someone.
- One at a time: throw each pebble separately, saying Allahu akbar. Seven thrown together count as one.
- Into the basin: the pebble must land in the basin. If one misses, throw another.
- Timing: on the 10th, from the morning; on the 11th, 12th and 13th, after midday (Sahih Muslim 1299).
- Order on the days of Tashriq: the small Jamrah, then the middle, then Jamrat al-Aqabah, seven pebbles each. After the first and second, step aside, face the qiblah and make a long dua; after Aqabah, leave without stopping (Sahih al-Bukhari 1751 to 1753).
- Delegating: the ill and elderly may appoint a fellow pilgrim to throw for them.
- Safety: follow your group's allocated times. They exist to keep the crowds moving safely.
11th to 13th Dhul Hijjah: the days of Tashriq
Return to Mina and spend most of the nights of the 11th and 12th there. Each day after midday, stone all three Jamarat in order. These are days of eating, drinking and remembering Allah, with plenty of takbir.
۞ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ فِىٓ أَيَّامٍۢ مَّعْدُودَٰتٍۢ ۚ فَمَن تَعَجَّلَ فِى يَوْمَيْنِ فَلَآ إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ وَمَن تَأَخَّرَ فَلَآ إِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ ۚ لِمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰ ۗ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ
wa-udh'kurū l-laha fī ayyāmin maʿdūdātin faman taʿajjala fī yawmayni falā ith'ma ʿalayhi waman ta-akhara falā ith'ma ʿalayhi limani ittaqā wa-ittaqū l-laha wa-iʿ'lamū annakum ilayhi tuḥ'sharūna
And remember Allah during [specific] numbered days. Then whoever hastens [his departure] in two days - there is no sin upon him; and whoever delays [until the third] - there is no sin upon him - for him who fears Allah. And fear Allah and know that unto Him you will be gathered.
Quran 2:203If you are leaving early, as this verse permits, stone on the 12th after midday and leave Mina before sunset. If you stay, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, did, spend the night and stone again on the 13th.
Tawaf al-Wida: the farewell
When your Hajj is over and you are ready to leave Makkah, perform a final Tawaf: seven rounds and two rakats, without Sa'i. Make it your last act in the city, then set off for home or for Madinah. Most schools count Tawaf al-Wida as an obligation and the Maliki school as a Sunnah. A woman on her period is excused from it (Sahih al-Bukhari 1755).
The Prophet, peace be upon him, promised that whoever performs Hajj without obscenity or wrongdoing returns as free of sin as the day their mother bore them (Sahih al-Bukhari 1521), and that the reward of an accepted Hajj is nothing less than Paradise (Sahih al-Bukhari 1773, Sahih Muslim 1349).
Hajj for women
- Clothing: ordinary loose, modest clothes in any colour. No niqab or gloves in Ihram (Sahih al-Bukhari 1838).
- Talbiyah: recited so that only those nearby hear.
- Tawaf and Sa'i: no idtiba, no raml and no running between the green lights.
- Hair: a fingertip's length trimmed on the 10th, never shaving.
- Muzdalifah: women may leave after midnight with their group, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, allowed.
- Periods: every rite except Tawaf can be performed. Tawaf al-Ifadah waits until you are pure; Tawaf al-Wida is waived if your period continues when you leave. If your flight cannot wait for Tawaf al-Ifadah, speak to a scholar before you travel.
- Mahram and travel: the schools differ on travelling with a mahram or a trusted group, and the visa rules have changed in recent years. Settle this with a scholar of your school before you book.
Hajj duas with Arabic and transliteration
The fixed words of Hajj in one place. At Arafah and everywhere else, make dua in whatever language comes from your heart.
لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ حَجًّا
Labbayka Allahumma hajjan.
Here I am, O Allah, for Hajj.
The wording of the Sunnahلَبَّيْكَ عُمْرَةً وَحَجًّا
Labbayka ‘umratan wa hajjan.
Here I am, for Umrah and Hajj.
Sahih Muslim 1251لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ، إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ، لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ
Labbayka 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, all blessing and all sovereignty belong to You. You have no partner.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1549, Sahih Muslim 1184لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir.
None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, with no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things.
Jami' al-Tirmidhi 3585اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Allahu akbar.
Allah is the Greatest.
Sahih Muslim 1218وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةًۭ وَفِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ حَسَنَةًۭ وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ
wamin'hum man yaqūlu rabbanā ātinā fī l-dun'yā ḥasanatan wafī l-ākhirati ḥasanatan waqinā ʿadhāba l-nāri
But among them is he who says, "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."
Quran 2:201 (Abu Dawud 1892)فِيهِ ءَايَٰتٌۢ بَيِّنَٰتٌۭ مَّقَامُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ۖ وَمَن دَخَلَهُۥ كَانَ ءَامِنًۭا ۗ وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ حِجُّ ٱلْبَيْتِ مَنِ ٱسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًۭا ۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ عَنِ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
fīhi āyātun bayyinātun maqāmu ib'rāhīma waman dakhalahu kāna āminan walillahi ʿalā l-nāsi ḥijju l-bayti mani is'taṭāʿa ilayhi sabīlan waman kafara fa-inna l-laha ghaniyyun ʿani l-ʿālamīna
In it are clear signs [such as] the standing place of Abraham. And whoever enters it shall be safe. And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves - then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds.
Quran 3:97Mistakes first-time pilgrims make on Hajj
- Standing outside the boundaries of Arafah. A pilgrim who never enters Arafah has missed Hajj. Check the signs.
- Leaving Arafah before sunset. Stay until the sun has fully set.
- Spending Arafah on the phone. The afternoon is short. Prepare your dua list in advance and put the phone away.
- Throwing all seven pebbles at once. That counts as one throw.
- Stoning before midday on the 11th to 13th. On the days of Tashriq the time begins after midday.
- Treating halq as the end of Ihram. Marital relations stay forbidden until Tawaf al-Ifadah.
- Confusing Tawaf al-Ifadah with Tawaf al-Wida. Ifadah is a pillar; without it, Hajj is incomplete.
- Pushing at the Jamarat or the Black Stone. Harming others is a sin; the Sunnahs you are reaching for are not worth it.
Hajj guide PDF: a day-by-day checklist
- Miqat: ghusl, Ihram, intention for your type of Hajj, talbiyah.
- Arrival: Umrah and leave Ihram (Tamattu'), or Tawaf al-Qudum and stay in Ihram (Qiran, Ifrad).
- 8th: Ihram for Hajj (Tamattu'). Mina: five prayers, shortened, not combined.
- 9th: Arafah, inside the boundary. Dhuhr and Asr combined. Dua until sunset. Do not fast.
- Night: Muzdalifah. Maghrib and Isha combined. Sleep. Pebbles. Fajr and dhikr. Leave before sunrise.
- 10th: Jamrat al-Aqabah, 7 pebbles. Sacrifice. Halq or taqsir. Tawaf al-Ifadah and Sa'i.
- 11th, 12th: nights in Mina. After midday: small, middle, Aqabah, 7 each. Dua after the first two.
- 12th or 13th: leave Mina before sunset on the 12th, or stay and stone on the 13th.
- Departure: Tawaf al-Wida, two rakats, no Sa'i.
Hajj questions, answered
The rites of Hajj run over five or six days, from the 8th to the 12th or 13th of Dhul Hijjah. Most pilgrims spend two to four weeks in Saudi Arabia in total, because the package usually includes days in Makkah before Hajj and a visit to Madinah before or after it.
Ihram with the intention at the Miqat; Umrah first if you perform Tamattu'; Mina on the 8th; the standing at Arafah on the 9th; the night at Muzdalifah; on the 10th, stoning Jamrat al-Aqabah, the sacrifice, shaving or trimming and Tawaf al-Ifadah with Sa'i; the nights in Mina and the stoning of all three Jamarat on the 11th, 12th and, for those who stay, the 13th; and finally Tawaf al-Wida.
Most scholars count four: Ihram, the standing at Arafah, Tawaf al-Ifadah and Sa'i. The Hanafi school counts Sa'i as an obligation rather than a pillar. A pillar cannot be replaced by a sacrifice: without it, Hajj is not complete. Missing Arafah altogether means Hajj is missed that year.
Pilgrims travelling from abroad usually perform Tamattu', because it allows them to leave Ihram between their Umrah and Hajj. Qiran suits those who bring a sacrifice or want to stay in Ihram throughout, and Ifrad those who want Hajj alone with no sacrifice. All three are valid; the schools differ on which is best, and your group will normally tell you which one your package is built around.
Umrah can be performed at any time of year and takes a few hours: Ihram, Tawaf, Sa'i and the trim. Hajj takes place only on fixed days in Dhul Hijjah, includes the standing at Arafah, Muzdalifah, Mina and the stoning of the Jamarat, and is obligatory once in a lifetime for every Muslim who is able (Quran 3:97).
Yes. She can do every rite of Hajj, including the standing at Arafah, Muzdalifah and the stoning, except Tawaf. She performs Tawaf al-Ifadah once she is pure and has taken a ghusl, and she is excused from Tawaf al-Wida if her period continues when she leaves (Sahih al-Bukhari 1650, 1755).
It is a Sunnah, not an obligation. The Prophet, peace be upon him, prayed Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha and Fajr in Mina before going to Arafah (Sahih Muslim 1218). If your group takes you straight to Arafah, your Hajj is still valid.
The standing at Arafah is the heart of Hajj: "Hajj is Arafah" (Abu Dawud 1949, al-Tirmidhi 889, al-Nasa'i 3016). Anyone who is not in Arafah for at least a moment between midday on the 9th and dawn on the 10th has missed Hajj for that year and should ask a scholar how to leave Ihram and make it up.
Yes, if you are ill, elderly, pregnant or otherwise unable to reach the Jamarat safely. The person throwing for you must be performing Hajj themselves; they throw their own seven pebbles at each Jamrah first, then seven on your behalf.
Pebbles can be picked up at Muzdalifah or anywhere in Mina. They should be small, about the size of a chickpea, like the ones the Prophet, peace be upon him, used (Sahih Muslim 1299). You need 49 for the 10th, 11th and 12th, or 70 if you stay for the 13th. There is no need to wash them.
Yes. The Quran allows pilgrims to leave after two days of Tashriq (Quran 2:203). You must stone the three Jamarat after midday on the 12th and leave Mina before sunset. If the sun sets while you are still in Mina, you stay the night and stone again on the 13th.
Many scholars say that if you delay Tawaf al-Ifadah until just before you leave Makkah, and do nothing after it except travel, it also counts as your farewell Tawaf. Others recommend performing both. Ask a scholar of the school you follow before you plan around it.
No. Fasting on the Day of Arafah is a great Sunnah for those who are not on Hajj, but the Prophet, peace be upon him, did not fast that day at Arafah; he drank milk in front of the people (Sahih al-Bukhari 1658). Pilgrims eat and drink so they have the strength for dua.
Many breaches, such as wearing perfume or cutting hair, require a fidyah: three days of fasting, feeding six poor people or sacrificing a sheep (Quran 2:196). Missing an obligation of Hajj, such as the night at Muzdalifah without an excuse, usually requires a dam, a sheep sacrificed in the Haram. Marital relations before the first release invalidate Hajj according to most scholars.
Hajj 2027 is expected around mid-May 2027, with the Day of Arafah on or near 15 May, depending on the sighting of the moon. Packages and permits are arranged through authorised operators and the official Nusuk platform months in advance, so begin planning early.
Yes. The day-by-day checklist on this page is designed to print on one or two sheets. Press the print button and choose "Save as PDF" in your browser to keep a copy on your phone, or print it to carry with you in Mina.
Sources and how this guide was written
This guide was written by the teachers of Virtual Quran Center from the primary sources below, and checked against the positions of the four Sunni schools. Where the schools differ in a way that changes what you do, we say so. It is educational guidance, not a fatwa: for a question about your own circumstances, ask a qualified scholar of the school you follow.
- Quran: 2:196, 2:197, 2:198, 2:201, 2:203, 3:97.
- Sahih al-Bukhari: 83, 1521, 1549, 1650, 1658, 1679, 1681, 1751, 1752, 1753, 1755, 1773, 1838.
- Sahih Muslim: 1184, 1218 (the hadith of Jabir describing the Prophet's Hajj), 1251, 1299, 1306, 1348, 1349.
- Other collections: Abu Dawud 1892, 1949; Jami' al-Tirmidhi 889, 3585; Sunan al-Nasa'i 3016.
Last reviewed: 3 November 2026.
