How to perform Umrah

Umrah consists of 5 steps:

1. Adopting Ihraam with niyah (at meqaat)
2. Performing Tawaaf (7 circuits)
3. Performing 2 rak'at salah after tawaaf
4. Performing Sa'ee (7 laps)
5. Cutting your hair

1. Adopt Ihraam:

• Adopt your Ihraam clothes and utter your niyah at the meqaat
• Recite the Talbiyah as often as possible.
• When you enter the Haram proceed directly towards the Ka’bah to perform your tawaaf, unless it is time for fardh salah. Do perform two rak’at tahiyatul-masjid salah, if you plan to sit down prior to performing your tawaaf.

2. Perform Tawaaf:

• Uncover your right shoulder (men).
• Start at the Hajr-al-Aswad (black stone)
• Kiss it if possible;
• If not, touch it with your right hand (Istilam) and kiss your hand;
• If this is not possible, then face the Black stone and with your right hand gesture towards it ONCE only, and DO NOT kiss your hand.
• Say once only:

بِسْمِ اللهِ وَ اللهُ أَكْبَرُ

"Bismillahi-wallahu-akbar"

In the name of Allah, Allah is Greater

• Proceed in an anti-clockwise (towards the Maqaam Ibraheem) direction.
• Supplicate, make dhikr, recite Qur'an.
• Walk around the Hijr area and not through it.
• Once you reach the Rukn-al-Yamani (the southern corner) touch it with your right hand (Istilam) and say اللهُ أَكْبَرُ (Allahu Akbar). Do NOT kiss it. If you are unable to touch it, do not gesture towards it, but proceed towards the Hajr-al-Aswad, without saying اللهُ أَكْبَرُ It is Sunnah to recite the following between the Rukn-al-Yamani and the Black Stone corner (note that the dua stops at …adhaabannaar):

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَ فِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَ قِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

 “Rabbanaa aatina fidunya hasanatan wa fil aakhirati hasanatan wa qinaa adhaabanaar”

 Oh Allah, give us the good of this world and the good of the Hereafter and protect us from the punishment of Hellfire.

{Surah al-Baqarah (2), part of ayah 201}

• Once you reach the Hajr-al-Aswad again you have completed 1 circuit.
• Continue by once again either kissing, touching or gesturing towards the Black Stone and say only:

اللهُ أَكْبَرُ

“Allahu Akbar”

   Allah is Greater

• Proceed and repeat the aforementioned steps until you have completed 7 circuits.

1. Perform two Rak’at:

• Upon completion of the Tawaaf, proceed to the Maqaam Ibraheem or any place in the mosque if this area is too crowded.

• It is commendable to say:

وَ اتَّخِذُوا مِنْ مَقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلَّى

 “Wattakhithu min Maqaami Ibraheema musalla”

 And take the station of Ibraheem as a place of prayer.

• Cover your right shoulder and perform 2 rak'at of prayer. We cannot stress enough that it is acceptable to perform the 2 rak'at anywhere in the mosque. As with the kissing of the Black Stone, remember it is best to avoid harming and causing difficulties to fellow Muslims.
• If you are fortunate enough to perform it near the Maqaam, then stand with the Maqaam between you and the Ka’bah (if possible).
• It is Sunnah to recite Suratul-Kafirun (109) after Suratul-Fatiha in the first rakah and Suratul-Ikhlas (112), after Suratul-Fatiha in the second rakah.
• After finishing the two rak’at salah it is Sunnah to proceed to the well of zamzam and drink your fill. The well entrance is gone now, so you need to drink from the taps against the wall.
• Then return to the Black stone and kiss it you are able to do so without crowding other worshippers, saying “Allahu Akbar”.
• If it is not possible proceed to the sa’ee area without gesturing or saying“Allahu Akbar”.
• For nafl tawaaf or Tawaaf-al-Wadaa: At this point you are completed.

2. Perform Sa’ee:

• Proceed to Safaa. When you get close to Safaa it is Sunnah to say:

إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَ الْمَروَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللهِ    

“Innassafa walmarwata min sha’aa irillah”

Indeed Safaa and Marwah are among the signs of Allah

{Surah al-Baqarah (2), part of ayah 158}

• Followed by saying:

أَبْدَأُ بِمَا بَدَأَ اللهُ بِهِ

“Abda’u bima bada’a Allahu bihi”

I begin with that which Allah has begun

• Please note that both the above are only to be said ONCE, that is at the beginning of the Sa’ee and not at the beginning of every lap.

• When ascending Safaa, go up until the Ka’bah is visible (if possible) and facing it, it is Sunnah to repeat the following 3 times while raising your hands as in making Dua (supplication), and not with your palms facing the Ka'bah. Also do not gesture towards the Ka'bah with your hands as in Tawaaf. In between these 3 times you may make your own supplications (i.e. say the following; supplicate; say the following; supplicate; say the following):

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَ لا إِلَهَ إِلا اللهُ وَ اللهُ أَكْبَرُ،

لا إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ َلا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ المُلْكُ وَ لَهُ الحَمْدُ، يُحْيِي وَ يُمِيتُ وَ هُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيءٍ قَدِيرٌ، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ أَنْجَزَ وَعْدَهُ، وَ نَصَرَ عَبْدَهُ، وَ هَزَمَ الأَحْزَابَ وَحْدَه

“Alhamdu lillah, la ilaha illallah, wallahu Akbar, Laa ilaha illallahu wahdahu la shareeka lahu, lahulmulk wa lahulhamd, yuhyee wa yumeetu wa Hua ala kulli shay’in qadeer. La ilaha illallahu wahdahu, anjaza wa’dah wa nassara abdah, wa hazamal ahzaaba wahda” 

All praise is due to Allah, there is no God but Allah, and Allah is Greater. There is none worthy of worship but Allah alone, no partners are unto Him, His is the dominion (kingdom) and His is the praise. He gives life and He gives death and He is capable of everything. There is none worthy of worship but Allah alone, who fulfilled His promise, and gave victory to His servant and defeated the confederates alone.

• Walk towards Marwah. When you arrive at the green fluorescent light, the men should run briskly (if convenient), until the next green light. Women should NOT

• There is no prescribed supplication during the Sa’ee or between the two green lights, though you can supplicate and mention Allah as you like. It is also good to re­cite the Qur'an during the Sa’ee. There is nothing from the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) establishing any particular prayer during the Sa’ee, but it has been esta­blished that Ibn Masood and Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) used to say:

رَبِّ اغْفِرْ وَ ارْحَمْ وَأَنْتَ الأَعَزُّ الأَكْرَمُ 

“Rabbighfir warham wa antal a’azul akram” 

Oh Allah forgive me and have mercy upon me, for You are the most Mighty and Honourable.

• But this is with­out any reference to any particular place where it should be said.

• Proceed back to Safaa (once again men run at the green lights if convenient). The 2^nd lap is now complete. Repeat this procedure at Safaa and Marwah until you finish at Marwah, which should be your 7^th
• There is no dua at the end of the 7^th lap at Marwah.
• Sa’ee is now complete.

It is better to perform Sa’ee while in the state of wudhu, but it is permissible to do it without wudhu (ablution).

1. Proceed to have your hair cut:

• As mentioned earlier, it is recommended for men to shave their heads and women should cut no more than one fingertip length (about one inch) from their hair (one place only).
• You are now out of the state of Ihraam.
• Umrah is complete.
• You may now adopt your normal clothes again.

Complete: If you feel somewhat concerned or disappointed that you have not performed your Umrah ‘correctly’, don’t. Most people feel this way after their first Umrah.