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Umre consists of four essential acts performed in order: (1) entering ihram at the miqat with the intention and Telbiye, (2) performing tavaf — 7 counterclockwise circuits around the Kabe, (3) performing sa'i — 7 laps between Safa and Marwa, and (4) shaving (halq) or trimming (taqsir) the hair to exit ihram. The entire process typically takes 2-4 hours.
Preparation for Umre begins before the physical journey: (1) Repent sincerely from all sins — Hz. Peygamber (sallallahu aleyhi ve sellem) said: 'An Umre to the next Umre is an expiation for what is between them' (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1773; Sahih Muslim, 1349). (2) Ensure the money for Umre is from halal sources. (3) Settle debts or arrange for their repayment. (4) Learn the rites of Umre before departing — Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen considered this farz. (5) At your accommodation or the airport before reaching the miqat, perform gusul (full ritual bath). This is sunnah mu'akkadah for both men and women, including menstruating women, based on the hadith that Hz. Peygamber ordered Asma bint Umays to bathe for ihram while she was in post-natal bleeding (Sahih Muslim, 1209). (6) Men may apply perfume to their body — not ihram garments — before making the intention, based on the hadith of Aisha (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1539). (7) Trim nails and remove unwanted hair before entering ihram, as these will be haram during the sacred state.
At the miqat, men put on the two white unstitched ihram garments: the izar (lower wrap around the waist) and the rida' (upper wrap over the shoulders). Wear sandals that expose the top of the feet and ankles. Women wear their normal modest clothing — any color is permissible. Pray two rak'at of sunnah if it is not a disliked time (sunnet, not farz). Then make the intention in your heart for Umre and say: 'Labbayk Allahumma Umratan' (Here I am, O Allah, for Umre). If you fear being prevented from completing Umre, add the stipulation: 'If I am prevented by any obstacle, my place of release is wherever You hold me' — based on the hadith of Duba'ah bint al-Zubayr (Sahih Muslim, 1207). Begin the Telbiye immediately. The five miqat points are: Dhul Hulayfah (Abyar Ali, from Medine), Al-Juhfah/Rabigh (from the west), Qarn al-Manazil/al-Sayl (from Najd/east), Yalamlam (from Yemen/south), and Dhat Irq (from Iraq/northeast). For residents of Mekke performing Umre, the miqat is the nearest point outside the Haram boundary, typically al-Tan'eem or al-Ji'ranah.
These are the most frequent errors pilgrims make during this stage of Umrah.
Scholarly references supporting this guidance from established Islamic sources.
From the moment you enter ihram until you begin tavaf at the Kabe, recite the Telbiye frequently. Men recite it loudly; women recite it softly. The Telbiye is: 'Labbayk Allahumma labbayk, labbayk la sharika laka labbayk, innal hamda wan-ni'mata laka wal-mulk, la sharika lak.' This is the Telbiye of Hz. Peygamber (sallallahu aleyhi ve sellem) as narrated by Ibn Umar (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1549; Sahih Muslim, 1184). Some companions added to it — Ibn Umar added 'Labbayka dha al-ma'arij' and Anas added 'Labbayka haqqan haqqan, ta'abbudan wa riqqa.' These additions are permissible according to the Hanbali school. Stop the Telbiye when you begin tavaf — this is the position of the majority based on the practice of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him). Between recitations of the Telbiye, engage in dhikr, salawat upon Hz. Peygamber, and dua.
Enter Mescid-i Haram with your right foot first, reciting the dua for entering the cami: 'Bismillah, was-salatu was-salamu ala Rasulillah. Allahumma iftah li abwaba rahmatik' (Sahih Muslim, 713). Proceed to the Hacer-ul Esved (al-Hajar al-Aswad) to begin tavaf. Face the Hacer-ul Esved, say 'Bismillah, Allahu Akbar,' and if you can reach it without harming anyone, touch it with your right hand and kiss it. If too crowded, simply point toward it with your right hand and say 'Allahu Akbar.' Before starting, men perform Idtiba': place the middle of the rida' under the right arm, exposing the right shoulder, and throw the ends over the left shoulder. This is maintained throughout all 7 circuits. Keep the Kabe on your LEFT side and walk counterclockwise. Men perform Raml (brisk walking with chest out and small steps) in the first 3 circuits only, then walk normally for the remaining 4. Complete 7 full circuits. Between the Yemeni Corner and the Hacer-ul Esved in each circuit, recite: 'Rabbana atina fi al-dunya hasanah...' (Al-Baqarah 2:201). For the rest of the tavaf, you may make any dua or dhikr — there are no specific duas for each circuit.
After completing 7 circuits, cover the right shoulder (end the Idtiba') and proceed to Maqam Ibrahim. Recite: 'And take from the station of Ibrahim a place of namaz' (Al-Baqarah 2:125). Pray 2 rak'at behind the Maqam: recite Surah al-Kafirun (109) in the first rak'ah and Surah al-Ikhlas (112) in the second — following Hz. Peygamber's practice (Sahih Muslim, 1218, hadith of Jabir). If the area behind Maqam Ibrahim is too crowded, pray anywhere in the cami — the 2 rak'at are the obligation, not the specific spot. After the namaz, proceed to the Zamzam water stations. Face the Qiblah, say 'Bismillah,' and drink your fill. Hz. Peygamber (sallallahu aleyhi ve sellem) said: 'The water of Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for' (Sunan Ibn Majah, 3062, authenticated by al-Albani). Make dua while drinking — ask for beneficial knowledge, ample provision, and healing from every disease. Pour some over your head if you wish.
Proceed to the hill of Safa to begin sa'i. Upon reaching Safa, face the Kabe and recite: 'Indeed, Safa and Marwa are among the symbols of Allah' (Al-Baqarah 2:158), then say: 'Abda'u bima bada'Allahu bihi' (I begin with what Allah began with). Then make takbir and tahlil three times: 'La ilaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadir. La ilaha illallah wahdah, anjaza wa'dah, wa nasara abdah, wa hazamal ahzaba wahdah.' Make personal dua between each recitation. Then walk toward Marwa — Safa to Marwa = lap 1. Men jog between the two green fluorescent markers. At Marwa, face the Kabe, repeat the same takbir, tahlil, and dua. Walk back toward Safa — Marwa to Safa = lap 2. Continue until you complete 7 laps, ending at Marwa. Throughout the walk between the hills, make any dua you wish. Say commemorates Hagar's (Hajar) desperate search for water for her son Isma'il — a profound lesson in trust in Allah (tawakkul).
After completing sa'i at Marwa, the final act of Umre is shaving or trimming the hair: (1) For men, shaving the entire head (halq) is more virtuous. Hz. Peygamber (sallallahu aleyhi ve sellem) supplicated three times for those who shave and once for those who trim (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1727; Sahih Muslim, 1301). Trimming (taqsir) is also valid — cut hair evenly from all parts of the head. (2) For women, ONLY trimming is prescribed — women must NEVER shave their heads for Umre or Hac. A woman trims approximately a fingertip's length (about 1-2 cm) from the ends of her hair. (3) After cutting the hair, you have exited the state of ihram. ALL restrictions are now lifted — you may wear regular clothing, apply perfume, cut nails, and resume normal activities. (4) If you are performing Hac Tamattu' and plan to enter ihram again for Hac, trimming may be preferable so that you have hair to shave on the Day of Sacrifice (10th Dhul Hijjah).
With halq or taqsir complete, your Umre is finished — all praise belongs to Allah. It is sunnet to: (1) Thank Allah for enabling you to complete Umre. (2) Perform voluntary (nafl) tavaf — additional circuits around the Kabe are a tremendous act of worship. Sheikh al-Nawawi stated that voluntary tavaf is better than voluntary namaz for non-residents of Mekke. (3) Spend time in Mescid-i Haram reading Kur'an, making dhikr, and praying. (4) Pray in the Hateem (Hijr Isma'il) — this semi-circular area adjacent to the Kabe is part of the Kabe itself. Praying inside it is like praying inside the Kabe, based on the hadith of Aisha in which Hz. Peygamber said: 'Your people shortened the Kabe from the foundations of Ibrahim, so the Hateem is part of the Kabe' (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1583). (5) If time permits, you may perform additional Umres by going to al-Tan'eem (the nearest point outside the Haram boundary), entering ihram, and returning to the Haram. Hz. Peygamber permitted Aisha to do this after Hac (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1785).