How to perform Umrahالعمرة
The lesser pilgrimage, step by step
Umrah is the lesser pilgrimage and can be performed at any time of year. It is four acts in a fixed order — enter ihram, circle the Ka'bah (tawaf), walk between Safa and Marwah (sa'i), then shave or trim — and it carries none of the rites tied to Arafah, Muzdalifah or Mina. This walkthrough takes you from preparation to completion. Each step names the acts it performs and links to their full evidence; the coloured tags show whether an act is a Pillar, an Obligatory act, or a Sunnah.
1Before you cross the MiqatPrepare and enter Ihram
Ihram is the sacred state in which Umrah is performed. You enter it at (or before) the miqat — the fixed boundary set for your route to Makkah — and once in it, some ordinarily lawful things become forbidden until you release from it at the end.
Wash, and put on the ihram
Perform a full-body wash (ghusl) as an act of cleanliness before entering ihram; if no water is available it is simply left out. Men then wear the two plain white unstitched cloths — one wrapped around the lower body, one over the shoulders — and women wear ordinary modest dress. It is a sunnah to apply scent to the body (not to the garments) beforehand; its fragrance may linger into ihram without penalty.
Pray two rak'ahs
It is recommended to pray two short units (rak'ahs) before assuming ihram — most strongly, to enter ihram straight after an obligatory prayer, as the Prophet (ﷺ) did after Dhuhr at Dhul-Hulayfah.
Enter ihram at the Miqat
At or before your miqat, form the intention (niyyah) to perform Umrah and enter the sacred state. The intention is expressed with the words "Labbayka Allahumma 'umrah" — "Here I am, O Allah, for Umrah." You must assume ihram before crossing the miqat line, not after; the map below shows the five mawaqit and which routes they serve.
- 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.
Entering ihram is a pillar; crossing your miqat without it is a breach that must be put right. If you are already inside Makkah, you leave to the nearest boundary — commonly al-Tan'im — to enter ihram for Umrah.
Begin the Talbiyah
From the moment you enter ihram, begin reciting the Talbiyah aloud — "Labbayk Allahumma labbayk..." ("Here I am, O Allah, here I am") — and renew it often as you travel toward Makkah. For Umrah, the Talbiyah continues until you begin your tawaf, at which point it stops.
In ihram, avoid perfume, cutting hair or nails, and marital relations; men leave the head uncovered and do not wear stitched clothing. See the Conditions & Rulings for the full list of ihram prohibitions.
2On reaching MakkahEnter Makkah and the Sacred Mosque
On arriving, there is a recommended etiquette to entering the city and the mosque before you begin the rites.
Enter with the right foot and its du'a
The recommended manners of arrival are to wash before entering the city, to step into Masjid al-Haram with the right foot first while saying its du'a, and to make supplication at the first sight of the Ka'bah. Then make your way toward the Black Stone to begin the tawaf.
3The first main act of UmrahTawaf — circle the Ka'bah seven times
Tawaf al-Umrah is circling the Ka'bah seven times, counter-clockwise, beginning and ending at the Black Stone. It is the first main act of Umrah and a pillar without which the Umrah is not valid.
Start at the Black Stone (Istilam)
Begin each of the seven circuits at the Black Stone: kiss it, touch it, or — when it is crowded — simply point to it with a takbir ("Allahu akbar"). This greeting is a sunnah and never a reason to harm yourself or others in the crush. The Ka'bah stays on your left as you circle.
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.
Raml and Idtiba' (men)
In this tawaf, two sunnahs apply to men: idtiba', baring the right shoulder by passing the ihram cloth under the right arm for the whole tawaf; and raml, walking briskly with short, quick steps in the first three circuits only, walking normally for the last four.
After the seven circuits
When you finish the seventh circuit, it is recommended to pray two short rak'ahs, ideally behind Maqam Ibrahim. Then drink Zamzam water in the recommended manner — facing the Qiblah, saying Bismillah, and drinking your fill. Pressing oneself against the Multazam (the wall between the Black Stone and the door) in du'a is also recommended.
4After the tawafSa'i — walk between Safa and Marwah
The Sa'i is walking seven times between the two small hills of Safa and Marwah, re-living Hajar's search for water for her son Isma'il (عليه السلام). It follows the tawaf and is a pillar of Umrah for most scholars.
Seven trips, starting at Safa
Begin at Safa and end at Marwah. Safa to Marwah counts as one trip and Marwah to Safa as the next, so the seven trips finish at Marwah. On each hill, face the Qiblah and make du'a. Men walk briskly through the marked green-light stretch; everyone walks normally the rest of the way.
7 trips · Safa → Marwah → Safa …
Face the Qiblah and make du'a on each hill.
Safa to Marwah is one trip, Marwah to Safa the next — so the seven trips end at al-Marwah, not back at al-Safa.
5The final actHalq or Taqsir — release and complete
The Umrah is completed by cutting the hair, which releases you from ihram.
Shave or trim the hair
After the sa'i, shave the head (halq) or trim the hair (taqsir); either fulfils the duty, and shaving carries the greater reward. Women trim only about a fingertip's length. With this single release the ihram restrictions lift and your Umrah is complete.