How to Perform Umrah Step by Step

1. Ihram at the miqat

Before reaching the miqat (the boundary set for your route), bathe, men put on the two white unstitched cloths, women their ordinary modest clothing. At the miqat, make the intention “Labbayka ‘umrah” and begin the talbiyah: “Labbayk Allahumma labbayk…”. On a plane, enter ihram before passing over the miqat.

2. Tawaf

On arriving at the Sacred Mosque, stop the talbiyah and go round the Kaaba seven times anticlockwise, starting at the Black Stone, saying “Allahu akbar” each time you pass it. Men uncover the right shoulder (idtiba‘) and walk briskly in the first three rounds (raml). Between the Yemeni corner and the Black Stone say: “Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanah…”. Then pray two rak‘ahs behind Maqam Ibrahim if possible, and drink Zamzam water.

3. Sa‘i

Go to Safa, recite “Innas-safa wal-marwata min sha‘a’irillah”, face the Kaaba and make du‘a, then walk to Marwah: that is one lap. Complete seven laps, ending at Marwah; men jog between the green lights. Make du‘a freely throughout.

4. Shaving or shortening

Men shave the head, which is better, or shorten the hair evenly; women cut a fingertip’s length from their hair. The Umrah is then complete and the restrictions of ihram are lifted.

Mistakes to avoid in Umrah

• Passing the miqat without entering ihram, which requires a sacrifice if one does not go back.
• Walking through the Hijr of Isma‘il during tawaf: it is part of the Kaaba, so the round must pass outside it.
• Kissing the Yemeni Corner: it is touched with the hand, not kissed.
• Pushing and hurting others to reach the Black Stone; pointing to it is enough.
• Believing that each round has a fixed du‘a: any good du‘a and remembrance are valid.
• Women shaving their heads: they only shorten a fingertip’s length.

In brief

• Umrah can be performed at any time of the year.
• It has four steps: ihram, tawaf, sa‘y and shaving or shortening.
• Ihram is entered before passing the miqat.
• Tawaf has seven rounds with the Kaaba on the left.
• An Umrah in Ramadan equals a Hajj in reward.

A closing note

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Perform Hajj and Umrah one after the other, for they remove poverty and sins as the bellows remove impurities from iron, gold and silver” (at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa’i). Umrah is a means of forgiveness and wider provision; whoever is able to perform it should do so carefully, following the Sunnah.

Read next

• How to Perform Hajj: the Rites Day by DayA day-by-day guide to the rites of Hajj: ihram, tawaf, sa‘i, Mina, Arafah, Muzdalifah, the stoning, the sacrifice, shaving and the farewell tawaf.