- Ihram: at the Miqat, wear Ihram clothing and make the intention for Umrah.
- Talbiyah: recite it often until you reach the Kaaba.
- Tawaf: seven anticlockwise rounds of the Kaaba, starting and ending at the Black Stone.
- Two rakats: behind Maqam Ibrahim if there is space, then drink Zamzam.
- Sa'i: seven trips between Safa and Marwah, starting at Safa.
- Halq or taqsir: men shave or trim the head, women trim a fingertip's length. Your Umrah is complete.
The steps of Umrah at a glance
Umrah is short. Once you are in Makkah it takes most people three or four hours, and it has only four main acts. What makes it feel complicated is the detail inside each one, and the fact that most of us perform it for the first time in a crowd, after a long flight, in a language we do not speak. This illustrated Umrah guide takes each step in turn.
- 1الإحرامIhramEnter the sacred state at the Miqat.
- 2التلبيةNiyyah & talbiyahIntend Umrah and begin the talbiyah.
- 3الطوافTawafSeven rounds with the Kaaba on your left.
- 4مقام إبراهيمTwo rakatsPray behind Maqam Ibrahim, drink Zamzam.
- 5السعيSa'iSeven trips from Safa to Marwah.
- 6الحلقHalq or taqsirShave or trim, and your Umrah is complete.
| Step | Where | What you say | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ihram and intention | At or before the Miqat | Labbayka Allahumma ‘umrah, then the talbiyah | Pillar |
| Tawaf, 7 rounds | Around the Kaaba | Takbir at the Black Stone line; Quran 2:201 before it | Pillar |
| Two rakats | Behind Maqam Ibrahim, or anywhere in the mosque | Al-Kafirun and Al-Ikhlas | Sunnah or obligation, by school |
| Sa'i, 7 trips | Safa to Marwah | Quran 2:158 at the first approach to Safa; dhikr on each hill | Pillar (obligation for Hanafis) |
| Halq or taqsir | After Sa'i, at Marwah or your hotel | No set words | Obligation (pillar for Shafi'is) |
Before you travel: a first-time Umrah checklist
A calm Umrah starts at home. These are the things our teachers most often wish their students had sorted out before they flew.
- Know where your Miqat is. If you fly straight to Jeddah, you cross it in the air before landing. If you go to Madinah first, your Miqat is Dhul Hulayfah, now called Abyar Ali, on the road out of Madinah.
- Pack Ihram in your hand luggage, not the hold. Men need two plain white sheets, a belt or safety pins for the lower sheet, and open sandals. Women wear their ordinary loose, modest clothes.
- Bring unscented soap, shampoo and deodorant. Perfume is forbidden in Ihram, and many hotel toiletries are scented.
- Learn the talbiyah by heart and read through the duas below until they feel familiar. You will not have time to read a booklet in the crowd.
- Check the current entry and permit rules with your travel agent or on the official Nusuk platform, because they change from season to season.
- Plan your first Tawaf for a quieter time. If you land late, rest, keep your Ihram on, and go after Fajr rather than straight after Isha.
Step 1: Ihram for Umrah
Ihram is the sacred state you enter for Umrah. It has two parts that people often confuse: the clothing, which you can put on hours in advance, and the intention, which is what actually begins your Ihram. Until you make the intention, none of the Ihram rules apply.
The Miqat
The Prophet, peace be upon him, fixed the boundaries from which pilgrims must be in Ihram: Dhul Hulayfah for those coming from Madinah, al-Juhfah for those from Syria and beyond, Qarn al-Manazil for those from Najd and Yalamlam for those from Yemen (Sahih al-Bukhari 1524). Dhat Irq, for those coming from Iraq, was set in the time of Umar (Sahih al-Bukhari 1531). Pilgrims flying in cross one of these in the air, and the crew usually announce it.
Ihram for men and for women
Before Ihram, trim your nails and remove unwanted hair, then take a ghusl. Men may put perfume on the body before making the intention, as Aisha described doing for the Prophet, peace be upon him (Sahih al-Bukhari 1539), but never on the Ihram cloth itself.
- Men wear two unstitched white sheets: one wrapped around the waist, one over the shoulders. The head stays uncovered, and the feet are left uncovered at the top, so open sandals are worn.
- Women wear any loose, modest clothing that covers the body, in any colour. The face and hands are not covered with a niqab or gloves (Sahih al-Bukhari 1838); a woman may lower part of her headscarf over her face when men pass close by.
Ihram rules: what becomes forbidden
Once you have made the intention, these are not allowed until you complete your Umrah:
- Perfume on the body or clothes, including scented soap.
- Cutting or removing hair or nails.
- Marital relations, and making or proposing a marriage contract.
- Hunting land animals.
- For men: fitted, stitched clothing such as shirts, trousers, underwear and socks, and covering the head.
- For women: the niqab and gloves.
A watch, glasses, a ring, a money belt, an umbrella and unscented toiletries are all fine. Breaking one of these rules can require a fidyah: fasting three days, feeding six poor people or sacrificing a sheep (Quran 2:196). Whether anything is due when it happens out of forgetfulness or ignorance depends on the rule and on your school, so ask a scholar of the school you follow.
Step 2: Niyyah for Umrah and the talbiyah
At the Miqat, or when the crew announce it on your flight, make the intention in your heart and say these words aloud:
لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ عُمْرَةً
Labbayka Allahumma ‘umrah.
Here I am, O Allah, for Umrah.
The wording of the SunnahIf you fear that illness or a travel problem could stop you completing Umrah, you may add a condition: “Allahumma mahilli haythu habastani”, “O Allah, my place of release is wherever You stop me”, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, taught Duba'ah bint al-Zubayr (Sahih al-Bukhari 5089, Sahih Muslim 1207).
Then begin the talbiyah, and repeat it often on the way to Makkah. Men say it aloud; women say it so that only those beside them hear. You stop when you begin Tawaf.
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 1184Step 3: How to do Tawaf
Entering Masjid al-Haram
Make sure you have wudu: most scholars make it a condition for Tawaf. Enter with your right foot and say the dua for entering a mosque. Note the number of the gate you came in by; it will save you a long search later.
اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ
Allahummaf-tah li abwaba rahmatik.
O Allah, open for me the doors of Your mercy.
Sahih Muslim 713Starting at the Black Stone
Men uncover the right shoulder by passing the upper sheet under the right arm and over the left shoulder. This is called idtiba and lasts for this Tawaf only. Walk to the line of the Black Stone, which is marked by a green light on the wall of the mosque opposite it. Face the Black Stone, raise your right hand towards it and say Allahu akbar, then begin walking with the Kaaba on your left. The Prophet, peace be upon him, pointed to the corner and said the takbir each time he passed it (Sahih al-Bukhari 1613).
Touching or kissing the Black Stone is a Sunnah, but pushing to reach it is not. In a crowd, the gesture from a distance carries the reward without harming anyone.
Seven rounds
- Each round runs from the Black Stone line back to the Black Stone line. Seven rounds complete the Tawaf.
- Walk around the Hijr, the low semicircular wall on the north side of the Kaaba, never through it. The Hijr is part of the Kaaba, and a round walked inside it does not count.
- Men walk briskly with short steps, raml, in the first three rounds if the crowd allows, and normally in the last four (Sahih Muslim 1262). Women walk normally throughout.
- At the Yemeni Corner, the corner before the Black Stone, touch it with your right hand if you can reach it easily (Sahih al-Bukhari 1609). If you cannot, walk on without gesturing.
Dua for Tawaf
There is no set dua for each round. Talk to Allah in your own language, ask for what you need, recite any Quran you know. The one fixed recitation is between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone, where the Prophet, peace be upon him, recited:
وَمِنْهُم 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, recited here in the Sunnah (Abu Dawud 1892)If you lose count or lose wudu
If you are unsure how many rounds you have completed, build on the lower number you are certain of. If you lose your wudu, leave Tawaf and renew it; scholars differ on whether you then continue from where you stopped or start the Tawaf again, so follow your school. If the call to prayer is given, pray with the congregation where you are and then continue your round.
Step 4: Two rakats behind Maqam Ibrahim, then Zamzam
Men cover the right shoulder again. Walk towards Maqam Ibrahim, the gold and glass enclosure facing the Kaaba door, reciting:
وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا ٱلْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةًۭ لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًۭا وَٱتَّخِذُوا۟ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَٰهِۦمَ مُصَلًّۭى ۖ وَعَهِدْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِۦمَ وَإِسْمَٰعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِىَ لِلطَّآئِفِينَ وَٱلْعَٰكِفِينَ وَٱلرُّكَّعِ ٱلسُّجُودِ
wa-idh jaʿalnā l-bayta mathābatan lilnnāsi wa-amnan wa-ittakhidhū min maqāmi ib'rāhīma muṣallan waʿahid'nā ilā ib'rāhīma wa-is'māʿīla an ṭahhirā baytiya lilṭṭāifīna wal-ʿākifīna wal-rukaʿi l-sujūdi
And [mention] when We made the House a place of return for the people and [a place of] security. And take, [O believers], from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer. And We charged Abraham and Ishmael, [saying], "Purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who are staying [there] for worship and those who bow and prostrate [in prayer]."
Quran 2:125Pray two rakats with the Maqam between you and the Kaaba if there is space. In the first rakat recite Al-Kafirun after Al-Fatihah, and in the second Al-Ikhlas (Sahih Muslim 1218). If it is crowded, pray further back or anywhere in the mosque; your prayer is just as valid, and you are not blocking pilgrims still in Tawaf. Then drink Zamzam, from the coolers throughout the mosque, and make dua.
Step 5: Sa'i between Safa and Marwah
Sa'i remembers Hajar running between the two hills in search of water for Ismail. Follow the signs to Safa. As you approach it for the first time, and only then, recite this verse and say “Abda'u bima bada'a Allahu bih”, “I begin with what Allah began with” (Sahih Muslim 1218):
۞ إِنَّ ٱلصَّفَا وَٱلْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَآئِرِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَمَنْ حَجَّ ٱلْبَيْتَ أَوِ ٱعْتَمَرَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَن يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا ۚ وَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًۭا فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَاكِرٌ عَلِيمٌ
inna l-ṣafā wal-marwata min shaʿāiri l-lahi faman ḥajja l-bayta awi iʿ'tamara falā junāḥa ʿalayhi an yaṭṭawwafa bihimā waman taṭawwaʿa khayran fa-inna l-laha shākirun ʿalīmun
Indeed, as-Safa and al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever makes Hajj to the House or performs 'umrah - there is no blame upon him for walking between them. And whoever volunteers good - then indeed, Allah is appreciative and Knowing.
Quran 2:158Climb a little until you can see the Kaaba, face it, raise your hands, say Allahu akbar and then this dhikr. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said it three times, making dua for himself between each one:
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
La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir. La ilaha illallahu wahdah, anjaza wa‘dah, wa nasara ‘abdah, wa hazamal-ahzaba wahdah.
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. None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone. He fulfilled His promise, gave victory to His servant and defeated the confederates alone.
Sahih Muslim 1218- Walk from Safa to Marwah: that is one trip. Marwah back to Safa is the second. The seventh ends at Marwah.
- Between the two green lights, men move at a light run; women walk.
- On Marwah, face the Kaaba and repeat what you did on Safa, except the verse.
- The whole Sa'i is about three kilometres. The upper floors and the wheelchair lanes follow the same route and count in the same way.
Step 6: Halq or taqsir
Your Umrah ends with the hair. Men either shave the whole head, halq, or trim hair from all over the head, taqsir. Shaving is better: the Prophet, peace be upon him, prayed three times for those who shaved and once for those who trimmed (Sahih al-Bukhari 1727, Sahih Muslim 1301). Barbers line the streets around Marwah. Women do not shave; they gather the hair and cut about a fingertip's length from the ends (Abu Dawud 1985), in private, at the hotel if they prefer.
How much hair counts as enough differs between the schools, from a few hairs to the whole head, so follow the school you practise. Once the hair is cut, every restriction of Ihram is lifted. Your Umrah is complete. May Allah accept it.
How to perform Umrah for women
A woman's Umrah follows the same steps as a man's, with a few differences that are worth knowing in advance.
- Clothing: ordinary loose, modest clothes in any colour. No niqab or gloves while in Ihram.
- No idtiba and no raml: the shoulder stays covered and the pace stays normal throughout Tawaf.
- No running in Sa'i: women walk normally between the green lights.
- Talbiyah: recited so that only those nearby hear.
- Trimming: a fingertip's length from the ends of the hair, never shaving.
- Periods: a woman may enter Ihram and make the intention while menstruating, but waits until she is pure and has taken a ghusl before Tawaf (Sahih al-Bukhari 1650). If her flight cannot wait, ask a scholar about your situation before you travel.
- Travel: the rules on travelling with a mahram or with a trusted group differ between the schools, and visa rules have also changed in recent years. Settle this with a scholar of your school before you book.
Umrah duas with Arabic and transliteration
All the fixed words of Umrah in one place. Outside these, make dua in any language you like; Allah understands every one.
لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ عُمْرَةً
Labbayka Allahumma ‘umrah.
Here I am, O Allah, for Umrah.
The wording of the Sunnahلَبَّيْكَ 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 1184اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Allahu akbar.
Allah is the Greatest.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1613وَمِنْهُم 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)وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا ٱلْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةًۭ لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًۭا وَٱتَّخِذُوا۟ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَٰهِۦمَ مُصَلًّۭى ۖ وَعَهِدْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِۦمَ وَإِسْمَٰعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِىَ لِلطَّآئِفِينَ وَٱلْعَٰكِفِينَ وَٱلرُّكَّعِ ٱلسُّجُودِ
wa-idh jaʿalnā l-bayta mathābatan lilnnāsi wa-amnan wa-ittakhidhū min maqāmi ib'rāhīma muṣallan waʿahid'nā ilā ib'rāhīma wa-is'māʿīla an ṭahhirā baytiya lilṭṭāifīna wal-ʿākifīna wal-rukaʿi l-sujūdi
And [mention] when We made the House a place of return for the people and [a place of] security. And take, [O believers], from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer. And We charged Abraham and Ishmael, [saying], "Purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who are staying [there] for worship and those who bow and prostrate [in prayer]."
Quran 2:125۞ إِنَّ ٱلصَّفَا وَٱلْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَآئِرِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَمَنْ حَجَّ ٱلْبَيْتَ أَوِ ٱعْتَمَرَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَن يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا ۚ وَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًۭا فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَاكِرٌ عَلِيمٌ
inna l-ṣafā wal-marwata min shaʿāiri l-lahi faman ḥajja l-bayta awi iʿ'tamara falā junāḥa ʿalayhi an yaṭṭawwafa bihimā waman taṭawwaʿa khayran fa-inna l-laha shākirun ʿalīmun
Indeed, as-Safa and al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever makes Hajj to the House or performs 'umrah - there is no blame upon him for walking between them. And whoever volunteers good - then indeed, Allah is appreciative and Knowing.
Quran 2:158Mistakes first-time pilgrims make
- Making the intention too late. Changing clothes is not entering Ihram; the intention must be made before the Miqat is passed.
- Starting Tawaf away from the Black Stone line. A round that does not start at the line is incomplete. Use the green light as your marker.
- Walking through the Hijr. The semicircle beside the Kaaba is part of it. Walk around it.
- Keeping the shoulder bare for prayer. Idtiba is for Tawaf only. Cover the shoulder before the two rakats.
- Reading a dua booklet for each round. It is not from the Sunnah, and it often stops pilgrims from making their own sincere dua.
- Starting Sa'i at Marwah. Sa'i begins at Safa. A first trip from Marwah does not count.
- Cutting a few hairs from one side only. Men trim from the whole head according to most scholars. Check your school.
- Pushing to touch the Black Stone. Harming others is sinful; touching the stone is only a Sunnah.
Umrah step-by-step guide: printable checklist (PDF)
- Ghusl, nails, hair; men may perfume the body (not the cloth).
- Ihram clothing on; unscented toiletries only.
- At the Miqat: Labbayka Allahumma ‘umrah. Begin the talbiyah.
- Wudu. Enter Masjid al-Haram, right foot first.
- Men: idtiba. Black Stone line, raise the right hand, Allahu akbar.
- Seven rounds, Kaaba on the left, around the Hijr. Men: raml in rounds 1 to 3.
- Yemeni Corner to Black Stone: Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanah…
- Cover the shoulder. Two rakats: Al-Kafirun, then Al-Ikhlas. Drink Zamzam.
- Safa: recite 2:158 once, face the Kaaba, takbir and dhikr three times with dua.
- Seven trips, ending at Marwah. Men run between the green lights.
- Men shave or trim the whole head; women trim a fingertip's length.
- Umrah complete. Ihram restrictions lifted.
Umrah questions, answered
Usually three to four hours from entering Masjid al-Haram to the final trim. Tawaf takes between 45 minutes and an hour and a half depending on the crowd and which floor you use, Sa'i around an hour, and the two rakats, Zamzam and the haircut fill the rest. After Fajr and late at night are usually calmer than the hours after Isha.
Ihram with the intention at the Miqat, the talbiyah on the way to Makkah, seven rounds of Tawaf starting at the Black Stone, two rakats behind Maqam Ibrahim, drinking Zamzam, seven trips of Sa'i starting at Safa and ending at Marwah, and finally shaving or trimming the hair. Done in that order, your Umrah is complete.
Most scholars count three pillars: Ihram, Tawaf and Sa'i. Shaving or trimming is an obligation in most schools and a pillar in the Shafi'i school, while the Hanafi school counts Sa'i as an obligation rather than a pillar. A missed pillar cannot be replaced; a missed obligation is usually made up with a sacrifice (dam).
No. Booklets that print a different dua for each round are not from the Sunnah. The only fixed words are the takbir at the Black Stone line and, as a Sunnah, Quran 2:201 between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone. For the rest, make dua in any language, recite Quran or remember Allah in your own words.
She can enter Ihram and make the intention at the Miqat, but she does not perform Tawaf until her period has ended and she has taken a ghusl. The Prophet, peace be upon him, told Aisha to do everything a pilgrim does except Tawaf until she was pure (Sahih al-Bukhari 1650). She then completes Tawaf, Sa'i and the trim as normal.
Wudu is recommended for Sa'i but most scholars do not require it, so if you lose your wudu between Safa and Marwah you continue. Tawaf is different: most scholars make wudu a condition for it, so if you lose wudu during Tawaf you leave, renew it and return.
Build on the number you are certain of. If you are unsure whether you have walked four or five rounds, count it as four and continue. Many pilgrims use a tally counter or a ring counter. Counting this way means your Tawaf or Sa'i is never left short.
Go back to the Miqat and enter Ihram there if you can, and nothing further is due. If you enter Ihram after passing it and do not go back, most scholars require a sacrifice (dam) in Makkah. On a flight, change into Ihram before boarding so you are ready when the crew announce the Miqat.
Yes. A watch, glasses, a money belt, a ring and sandals are all allowed. Men avoid fitted, stitched garments such as shirts, trousers, underwear and socks, and do not cover the head. Use unscented soap and toiletries, because perfume is forbidden once you are in Ihram.
Yes. A child's Umrah is valid and the parent is rewarded for it, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, told a woman who lifted up her child (Sahih Muslim 1336). A parent can make the intention for a very young child and carry them through Tawaf and Sa'i. It does not replace the Umrah the child may perform as an adult.
Yes, for someone who has died or who is too ill to travel, provided you have already performed your own Umrah. When you make the intention at the Miqat you say it is for that person, for example: Labbayka 'umratan 'an (their name). The Prophet, peace be upon him, told a man to perform his own pilgrimage first (Abu Dawud 1811).
Any time of year is valid. Umrah in Ramadan carries a special reward: the Prophet, peace be upon him, said that it equals Hajj in reward (Sahih al-Bukhari 1782, Sahih Muslim 1256), though it does not replace the obligation of Hajj. For a calmer first Umrah, the months outside Ramadan and the school holidays are less crowded.
Shower and change into Ihram clothing at home, at the airport or in the airport prayer room before you board. Do not make the intention yet. When the crew announce that the plane is approaching the Miqat, make the intention for Umrah in your seat and begin the talbiyah. From that moment the rules of Ihram apply.
Halq is shaving the whole head and taqsir is trimming the hair. Men may do either, and shaving is better: the Prophet, peace be upon him, prayed three times for those who shaved and once for those who trimmed (Sahih al-Bukhari 1727). Women only trim, cutting about a fingertip's length from the ends.
Yes. The 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 in your bag.
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: 2:125, 2:158, 2:196, 2:201.
- Sahih al-Bukhari: 1524, 1531, 1539, 1549, 1609, 1613, 1650, 1727, 1782, 1838, 5089.
- Sahih Muslim: 713, 1184, 1207, 1218 (the hadith of Jabir describing the Prophet's pilgrimage), 1256, 1262, 1301, 1336.
- Sunan Abu Dawud: 1811, 1892, 1985.
Last reviewed: 3 November 2026.
