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The most common العمرة mistakes include: passing the الميقات without الإحرام, reciting fabricated circuit-specific الأدعية during الطواف, pushing to kiss the الحجر الأسود, starting السعي at المروة instead of الصفا, miscounting الطواف circuits and السعي laps, women jogging between the green markers, exiting الإحرام before completing الحلق or التقصير, and following group leaders who chant الأدعية in unison.
The most common الإحرام errors during العمرة are: (1) Passing the الميقات without entering الإحرام — this is especially common for air travelers who do not realize their flight crosses the الميقات boundary. The pilot usually announces it, but some الحجاج are asleep, distracted, or unaware. The penalty is to return to the الميقات and enter الإحرام from there, or if unable, to slaughter a sheep as فدية. (2) Entering الإحرام from within مكة for العمرة — مكة residents or those already in مكة must exit to a point outside the Haram boundary (such as al-Tan'eem/Masjid Aisha or al-Ji'ranah) before entering الإحرام for العمرة. (3) Believing that simply wearing the الإحرام garments initiates الإحرام — الإحرام is the INTENTION, not the clothing. A person wearing الإحرام garments without the niyyah is not in الإحرام. (4) Women buying special white الإحرام outfits — women may wear ANY modest clothing for العمرة; there is no color or style requirement. (5) Men wearing underwear beneath the الإحرام because they are uncomfortable — this is a violation. Use a belt to secure the izar instead. (6) Applying perfume to the الإحرام garments — perfume may only be applied to the body before making the niyyah, never to the garments (صحيح البخاري, 1539). (7) Not reciting the التلبية after entering الإحرام — the التلبية should be recited frequently and continuously from the الميقات until the beginning of الطواف.
These are the most frequent errors pilgrims make during this stage of Umrah.
Scholarly references supporting this guidance from established Islamic sources.
الطواف errors are among the most frequent during العمرة: (1) Reciting specific الأدعية for each circuit from booklets — this is the MOST widespread innovation. There are absolutely NO authentic narrations that prescribe specific الأدعية for circuit 1, circuit 2, and so on. These booklets are widely sold but have no basis in the السنة. The only أُسس location-specific دعاء is 'Rabbana atina fi al-dunya hasanah wa fi al-akhirati hasanah wa qina adhab al-nar' between the Yemeni Corner and the الحجر الأسود (Abu Dawud, 1892, authenticated by الألباني). During the rest of الطواف, make whatever دعاء you wish from your heart. (2) Following a group leader who chants الأدعية that the group repeats in unison — this prevents individual الدعاء and has no basis in النبي's practice. (3) Pushing and shoving to kiss or touch the الحجر الأسود — النبي (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said to Umar: 'O Umar, you are a strong man, do not crowd the weak. If you find space, then touch it (the Stone). If not, face it and say Allahu Akbar' (مسند أحمد, 191, authenticated by al-Arnaut). (4) Walking CLOCKWISE instead of counterclockwise — the الكعبة must be on your LEFT side at all times. (5) Touching all four corners of the الكعبة — only the الحجر الأسود corner and the Yemeni Corner are touched in the السنة. The other two corners are not touched because they are not on the foundations of Ibrahim (صحيح البخاري, 1583).
Additional الطواف errors: (6) Miscounting circuits — this is extremely common, especially in large crowds where focus is divided. Miscounting usually means uncertainty between circuit 6 and 7, or 5 and 6. The ruling is: if you are unsure, take the LOWER number and complete the uncertain circuit. It is better to have done an extra circuit than to have done too few. Use a counter (app, pebbles in pocket, or finger counting). (7) Breaking الوضوء during الطواف and continuing without renewing it — the majority of scholars require الوضوء for الطواف, based on the hadith: 'الطواف around the House is a الصلاة, except that Allah has permitted speaking in it' (سنن الترمذي, 960, graded sahih by الألباني). If الوضوء breaks, go renew it and return to resume from where you stopped (majority opinion). (8) Praying the 2 ركعة of الطواف directly behind مقام إبراهيم, blocking the الطواف path — when the area is crowded, pray ANYWHERE in the مسجد. The obligation is the الصلاة, not the exact location. (9) Believing there is a specific 'greeting الصلاة' (tahiyyat) upon entering المسجد الحرام apart from الطواف — the greeting of المسجد الحرام IS الطواف. If you are not performing الطواف, the tahiyyat al-masjid (2 ركعة upon entering) is sufficient. (10) Performing الاضطباع (exposing the right shoulder) AFTER الطواف — الاضطباع is ONLY during الطواف. Cover both shoulders when praying the 2 ركعة.
Common السعي errors include: (1) Starting at المروة instead of الصفا — السعي MUST begin at الصفا. النبي (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: 'I begin with what Allah began with' (صحيح مسلم, 1218), and Allah mentioned الصفا first in the verse: 'Indeed, الصفا and المروة are among the symbols of Allah' (Al-Baqarah 2:158). If you start at المروة, that first walk does not count as a valid lap — you effectively need to do 8 walks to complete 7 valid laps. (2) Miscounting laps by treating a round trip as one lap — each direction is one lap. الصفا to المروة = 1, المروة to الصفا = 2, and so on until 7, ending at المروة. Many الحجاج confuse this and think 'there and back' equals one lap, ending up with only 3.5 actual laps instead of 7. (3) Women jogging between the green markers — the green markers indicate the area where men should jog (raml). Women walk at their normal pace throughout the entire السعي. (4) Running the entire distance between الصفا and المروة — men only jog between the two green fluorescent markers, NOT the entire distance. Walk normally before and after the green markers. (5) Not making دعاء at الصفا and المروة — the السنة is to stop at each hill, face the الكعبة, raise your hands, and make takbir, tahlil, and personal دعاء three times. Many الحجاج rush through without stopping.
Errors related to shaving or trimming the hair: (1) Exiting الإحرام before completing الحلق or التقصير — some الحجاج change into regular clothes and apply perfume immediately after السعي, before cutting their hair. This is a violation because the person is still in الإحرام until the hair is cut. ALL الإحرام restrictions remain binding until الحلق or التقصير is performed. (2) Women shaving their heads — women must NEVER shave their heads for العمرة or الحج. This is agreed upon by ALL four schools of jurisprudence. Women trim approximately a fingertip's length (1-2 cm) from the ends of their hair, gathered together. (3) Men trimming only a small portion of the head — the Hanafi and Maliki schools require trimming at least one-quarter of the head. The Shafi'i school permits as few as three hairs, but the stronger practice is to trim from all parts of the head evenly. Shaving is preferable, as النبي (صلى الله عليه وسلم) supplicated three times for those who shave and once for those who trim (صحيح البخاري, 1727; صحيح مسلم, 1301). (4) Trimming only the sides or back — the trim should come from all over the head, not just one area. (5) Delaying الحلق/التقصير significantly after السعي without excuse — while there is flexibility in timing, unnecessarily delaying means remaining in الإحرام longer and risking accidental violations.
Beyond the specific ritual phases, common general mistakes include: (1) Believing that visiting النبي's grave in المدينة is part of العمرة — visiting المدينة and النبي's المسجد is a separate, مستحب act entirely unrelated to العمرة. Your العمرة is complete without it. (2) Wiping or touching the walls of the الكعبة, the مقام إبراهيم, or the pillars of the Haram for 'blessings' — there is no basis for this in the السنة. Umar said about the الحجر الأسود: 'I know you are a stone that neither harms nor benefits. Had I not seen النبي kiss you, I would not have kissed you' (صحيح البخاري, 1597). Only the الحجر الأسود and the Yemeni Corner are touched. (3) Performing العمرة multiple times during a single trip by going back and forth to al-Tan'eem — while جائز, scholars differ on whether this is مستحب. Sheikh Ibn Taymiyyah stated that spending time in voluntary الطواف and worship at the Haram is better than performing multiple العمرةs in quick succession. (4) Raising the voice excessively in دعاء during الطواف, disturbing others — النبي (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: 'Each of you is conversing with his Lord, so do not raise your voices over one another in recitation' (صحيح البخاري, 6011). (5) Taking selfies and photos during الطواف and السعي — while photography is not haram, doing it during the actual rites distracts from worship and disrupts the spiritual focus. Photograph before or after the rites. (6) Leaving the Haram immediately after العمرة without spending time in worship — being near the الكعبة is a blessing; use the opportunity for nafl الطواف, الصلاة, القرآن, and دعاء.