How to perform Hajjالحج
The greater pilgrimage, day by day
Hajj is performed once a year, over five days from the 8th to the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah, at Makkah and the nearby sites of Mina, Arafah and Muzdalifah. This walkthrough follows the days in order — preparation, then each day's rites through to departure. The coloured tags on each step show whether an act is a Pillar (the Hajj is invalid without it), an Obligatory act (a missed one is repaired with a sacrifice), or a Sunnah (recommended, no penalty if left).
The three kinds of Hajj
Hajj is performed in one of three ways. They differ mainly in how you enter ihram, whether an Umrah is joined to the Hajj, and whether a sacrifice is due. The day-by-day steps below follow Tamattu', the most common; the small differences for Qiran and Ifrad are noted where they matter.
At-Tamattu'
التمتعUmrah and Hajj as two ihrams, with a release in between. The most common route — and the one this guide follows.
- Ihram
- Ihram for Umrah first, released after the Umrah, then a fresh ihram for Hajj from Makkah on the 8th.
- Umrah
- A full, separate Umrah is performed first, within the months of Hajj, before the Hajj begins.
- Hady
- Required — a sacrifice in thanks for joining Umrah and Hajj in one journey.
- Arrival tawaf
- No separate arrival tawaf; the tawaf of your Umrah already served that purpose.
Qiran
القرانUmrah and Hajj combined in one unbroken ihram.
- Ihram
- One continuous ihram for both Umrah and Hajj, entered at the miqat and not released until the Day of Sacrifice.
- Umrah
- Umrah and Hajj are joined under a single intention and their acts combined.
- Hady
- Required — the same sacrifice of thanks as Tamattu'.
- Arrival tawaf
- Perform Tawaf al-Qudum as a greeting to the Ka'bah on reaching Makkah.
Ifrad
الإفرادHajj on its own, with no Umrah and no obligatory sacrifice.
- Ihram
- One ihram for Hajj alone, entered at the miqat.
- Umrah
- No Umrah is joined to the Hajj.
- Hady
- Not required.
- Arrival tawaf
- Perform Tawaf al-Qudum on reaching Makkah.
Which Hajj did the Prophet (ﷺ) perform?
The Prophet (ﷺ) performed Qiran on the Farewell Hajj. He had driven the sacrificial animals with him, so he stayed in one unbroken ihram and did not release until the Day of Sacrifice. The Companions (RA) who had brought no hady he ordered to turn their ihram into an Umrah, release from it, and enter ihram afresh for Hajj on the 8th — which is Tamattu'. He then said that had he known at the outset what he came to know later, he would not have driven the hady at all and would have done as they did.
The schools differ over which of the three is best — the Hanafis favour Qiran, the Malikis and Shafi'is favour Ifrad — while the Hanbalis read this hadith as the Prophet's (ﷺ) own stated preference and hold Tamattu' the best for a pilgrim who brings no hady. It is also the easier route in practice: the ihram restrictions are lifted between the Umrah and the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah, instead of being carried unbroken from the miqat all the way to the Day of Sacrifice.
- •لَوِ اسْتَقْبَلْتُ مِنْ أَمْرِي مَا اسْتَدْبَرْتُ مَا سُقْتُ الْهَدْىَ، وَلَحَلَلْتُ مَعَ النَّاسِ حِينَ حَلُّواThe Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, 'Had I known at the outset of my affair what I came to know at the end of it, I would not have driven the sacrificial animal with me, and I would have released from ihram along with the people when they released.' — the Prophet (ﷺ) saying he would have performed Tamattu' had he not been leading a hady.Reference · Sahih al-Bukhari 7229Grade · Sahih — Sahih al-Bukhari ('Aishah's (RA) narration; the same statement is in Sahih Muslim 1211v)
- •وَلَوْ أَنِّي اسْتَقْبَلْتُ مِنْ أَمْرِي مَا اسْتَدْبَرْتُ مَا سُقْتُ الْهَدْىَ مَعِي حَتَّى أَشْتَرِيَهُ ثُمَّ أَحِلُّ كَمَا حَلُّوا'And had I known at the outset of my affair what I came to know at the end of it, I would not have brought the sacrificial animal with me, but would have bought it [at Makkah], and then released from ihram as they released.' — the same statement in Muslim's wording, said when the Companions (RA) hesitated over the order to convert their Hajj into an Umrah.Reference · Sahih Muslim 1211vGrade · Sahih — Sahih Muslim ('Aishah's (RA) narration in Muslim's wording)
- •سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ يُلَبِّي بِالْحَجِّ وَالْعُمْرَةِ جَمِيعًا'I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) pronouncing the Talbiyah for Hajj and Umrah together', and in the same narration Anas (RA) reports his words as Labbayka 'umratan wa hajjan — the report that the Prophet's (ﷺ) own Hajj was a Qiran.Reference · Sahih Muslim 1232aGrade · Sahih — Sahih Muslim (Anas (RA) on the Prophet's (ﷺ) own Talbiyah)
1On arrival, within the months of HajjBefore the 8th — the Umrah of Tamattu'
A Tamattu' pilgrim begins by performing a complete Umrah, then releases from ihram and waits as an ordinary person until Hajj begins on the 8th. (A Qiran or Ifrad pilgrim does this differently — see the callout.)
Enter ihram at the Miqat and perform Umrah
Enter ihram for Umrah at your miqat — the fixed boundary for your route — and observe the etiquette of entering Makkah and the Sacred Mosque. Then perform the full Umrah: tawaf, sa'i, and shave or trim. See the 'How to perform Umrah' guide for these acts in detail.
- Dhu'l-Hulayfah (Abyar 'Ali) — Madinah & those passing through it
- al-Juhfah (near Rabigh) — Sham, Egypt & the Maghreb
- Dhat 'Irq — Iraq & the East
- Qarn al-Manazil (al-Sayl al-Kabir) — Najd & Ta'if
- Yalamlam (al-Sa'diyah) — Yemen
Placed by true bearing from Makkah on a stylised terrain backdrop; distances are approximate road distances. Those living inside the mawaqit enter ihram from their locality.
Release from ihram, then wait for the 8th
After shaving or trimming, your Umrah is complete and you leave ihram. Until the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah you are free of the ihram restrictions and wait for the Hajj to begin.
This is the Tamattu' route. A Qiran pilgrim keeps one unbroken ihram for both Umrah and Hajj; an Ifrad pilgrim enters ihram for Hajj alone. Both Qiran and Ifrad — because they arrive already in ihram — greet the Ka'bah with Tawaf al-Qudum, the arrival tawaf, which a Tamattu' pilgrim does not perform.
28th Dhul-Hijjah8th Dhul-Hijjah — Yawm at-Tarwiyah
On the 8th — the Day of Tarwiyah — you enter ihram again, this time for Hajj, and go out to Mina to spend the day and night in worship, following the practice of the Prophet ((ﷺ)).
Enter ihram for Hajj
Wash (ghusl) and apply scent to the body as before, and it is recommended to enter ihram after an obligatory prayer. A Tamattu' pilgrim enters ihram from his lodging in Makkah — no need to return to the miqat — forming the intention for Hajj with the words "Labbayka Allahumma hajjan" ("Here I am, O Allah, for Hajj"), and resuming the Talbiyah.
Go to Mina and stay overnight
Head to Mina in the forenoon and remain there. Pray Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha and the next day's Fajr each shortened to their proper times — shortened, but not combined — and stay until sunrise before moving on to Arafah.
39th Dhul-Hijjah9th Dhul-Hijjah — Yawm 'Arafah
The 9th is the day of the Wuquf — the standing at Arafah — the greatest pillar of Hajj, captured in the words 'the Hajj is Arafah.' A pilgrim who misses Arafah has missed the Hajj itself.
Stand at Arafah (Wuquf)
After Fajr at Mina, proceed to the plain of Arafah. Being present there — at any moment from midday until dawn of the next day — is the pillar. Spend the day facing the Qiblah, hands raised, in earnest du'a and remembrance; the Day of Arafah is among the year's most powerful occasions for supplication.
Missing the standing at Arafah invalidates the Hajj — it cannot be repaired with a sacrifice. Make sure you are within Arafah's boundaries for some part of this window.
Combine the prayers, and do not fast
At Arafah it is sunnah to pray Dhuhr and Asr together at the time of Dhuhr (jam' taqdim), each shortened to two units, freeing the rest of the day for standing. Unlike other Muslims, the pilgrim standing at Arafah is recommended not to fast, to keep full strength for the du'a and exertion of the day.
Remain at Arafah until sunset — do not leave before the sun sets. At sunset you set out for Muzdalifah without praying Maghrib on the way.
4After sunset on the 9thNight of the 10th — Muzdalifah
After sunset you move from Arafah to Muzdalifah to spend the night under the open sky. Most scholars count staying here an obligatory act of Hajj.
Combine Maghrib and Isha, and stay the night
On reaching Muzdalifah, pray Maghrib and Isha together at the time of Isha (jam' ta'khir), with Isha shortened to two units. Then rest through the night until Fajr.
Stand at al-Mash'ar al-Haram, and gather pebbles
After Fajr, it is sunnah to stand at al-Mash'ar al-Haram facing the Qiblah, making takbir and du'a with raised hands until the sky brightens, before setting out for Mina. Gather the pebbles for the stoning — each about the size of a chickpea — commonly picked up here on the morning of the 10th.
510th Dhul-Hijjah10th Dhul-Hijjah — Yawm an-Nahr (Eid)
The 10th is the Day of Sacrifice — the busiest day of Hajj. Four acts are performed in a recommended order: stone Jamrat al-Aqabah, offer the sacrifice, shave or trim, then perform Tawaf al-Ifadah with its sa'i. Doing them out of order is forgiven.
Stone Jamrat al-Aqabah
Return toward Makkah to Mina and stone the largest pillar, Jamrat al-Aqabah, with seven pebbles — saying 'Allahu akbar' with each throw, seven takbirs in all. On this day only this one pillar is stoned. It re-enacts how the Prophet Ibrahim (عليه السلام) rejected Satan.
- 1Al-Jamrah al-Sughra الجمرة الصغرىThe first (smallest), nearest Masjid al-Khaif. Stone it with seven pebbles, saying the takbir with each. Then move forward past it, face the Qibla, raise your hands and make a long du'a.
- 2Al-Jamrah al-Wusta الجمرة الوسطىThe middle jamrah. Stone it with seven pebbles and the takbir. Then go down to the left, face the Qibla, raise your hands and again make a long du'a.
- 3Jamrat al-'Aqabah جمرة العقبةThe last (largest), nearest Makkah. Stand with the Ka'bah on your LEFT and Mina on your RIGHT, stone it with seven pebbles and the takbir — then leave WITHOUT stopping for du'a.
At Jamrat al-'Aqabah the Prophet (ﷺ) stood with the Ka'bah on his left and Mina on his right — Sahih al-Bukhari 1751 (Ibn Mas'ud).
Offer the Hady and eat from it
A Tamattu' (and Qiran) pilgrim now offers the Hady — a sacrificial animal, slaughtered within the Haram during the days of sacrifice, in thanks for joining Umrah and Hajj. It is recommended to eat a portion of your own sacrifice, as one eats from the Eid sacrifice.
An Ifrad pilgrim performs no Hady — it is not required for Hajj performed on its own.
Shave or trim — the first release
Shave the head (halq) or trim the hair (taqsir); shaving carries the greater reward, and women trim about a fingertip's length. With this most restrictions of ihram lift — the 'first tahallul' — though marital relations remain forbidden until the tawaf. Keeping the order stone → sacrifice → shave → tawaf is the sunnah of this day.
Tawaf al-Ifadah and its Sa'i
Go to Makkah and perform Tawaf al-Ifadah — seven circuits of the Ka'bah — a pillar of Hajj that seals your full release from ihram. Greet the Black Stone at the start of each circuit; the sunnahs of tawaf apply, and the two rak'ahs, Zamzam and Multazam follow as in any tawaf. Then perform the Sa'i between Safa and Marwah. After this tawaf and sa'i, the 'second tahallul' completes and everything forbidden in ihram becomes lawful again.
7 circuits · counter-clockwise
Ka'bah on your left. Hijr Isma'il — circle outside it.
Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone, say 'Rabbana atina fi-d-dunya hasanah...'. The brisk pace (raml) of the first three circuits is for men, in the tawaf that is followed by sa'i.
611th, 12th and 13th Dhul-Hijjah11th–13th — Ayyam at-Tashreeq
The days of Tashreeq are spent at Mina, returning each night and stoning all three Jamarat each day after midday.
Stay overnight at Mina
Return to Mina and spend the nights there — the nights of the 11th and the 12th are obligatory for everyone, and the 13th for those who delay their departure. This staying (mabit) is an obligatory act of Hajj for most schools. Make sure to spend the majority of the night duration (Maghrib to Fajr) in Mina.
Stone all three Jamarat each day
Each day after the sun passes its zenith (zawal), stone the three pillars in order — al-Sughra, then al-Wusta, then al-Aqabah — seven pebbles and a takbir at each. After the first and middle pillars (but not the last), step aside, face the Qiblah, and make a long du'a with raised hands.
- 1Al-Jamrah al-Sughra الجمرة الصغرىThe first (smallest), nearest Masjid al-Khaif. Stone it with seven pebbles, saying the takbir with each. Then move forward past it, face the Qibla, raise your hands and make a long du'a.
- 2Al-Jamrah al-Wusta الجمرة الوسطىThe middle jamrah. Stone it with seven pebbles and the takbir. Then go down to the left, face the Qibla, raise your hands and again make a long du'a.
- 3Jamrat al-'Aqabah جمرة العقبةThe last (largest), nearest Makkah. Stand with the Ka'bah on your LEFT and Mina on your RIGHT, stone it with seven pebbles and the takbir — then leave WITHOUT stopping for du'a.
At Jamrat al-'Aqabah the Prophet (ﷺ) stood with the Ka'bah on his left and Mina on his right — Sahih al-Bukhari 1751 (Ibn Mas'ud).
Leave on the 12th or stay for the 13th
After stoning on the 12th you may leave Mina early (nafr awwal) provided you depart before sunset, or stay the extra night and stone again on the 13th (nafr thani). The Qur'an declares both departures free of sin.
7Your last act in MakkahBefore leaving Makkah — Farewell Tawaf
When all the rites are done and you are ready to leave Makkah, the parting is with the House of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).
Perform Tawaf al-Wada'
Make a final seven circuits of the Ka'bah as the very last act before departing — Tawaf al-Wada', the Farewell Tawaf. Most scholars hold it obligatory, and menstruating women are excused from it.