How to perform Umrah: the complete step-by-step guide

Umrah at a glance

TipOur group scholar performs every step with you. You don't need to memorise Arabic — a short sincere du'a in your own language is valid throughout.

Before you leave Bengaluru

• Make sincere intention (niyyah) for Allah alone, settle debts, seek forgiveness from family and write a simple will.
• Learn the four pillars above and the Ihram restrictions (see our Ihram guide).
• Men: two white Ihram sheets (izar + rida), a belt, unscented toiletries, open sandals. Women: loose, modest everyday clothing — any colour.
• Trim nails, remove unwanted body hair and take a bath at home before the airport — this is Sunnah before Ihram.
• Carry Ihram in your hand luggage: you will change at the airport or on the plane.

Step 1 — Ihram and the Miqat

The Miqat is the boundary a pilgrim must not cross without being in Ihram. Flights from India to Jeddah pass over the Miqat of Yalamlam or Qarn al-Manazil about 30–45 minutes before landing; the crew usually announces it. Jeddah airport is inside the boundary, so you must be in Ihram before landing — not at Jeddah.

If your group flies to Madinah first, you enter Ihram later at Dhul Hulayfah (Abyar Ali), 10 minutes outside Madinah, on the way to Makkah.

1. Perform ghusl (full bath) and wudu; men may apply perfume to the body (not the Ihram cloth) before the intention.
2. Men wear the two unstitched sheets; women wear modest clothing and must not wear a niqab or gloves while in Ihram.
3. Pray two rak'ah if it is not a forbidden time (many scholars say it is not a specific Ihram prayer — praying the obligatory prayer before Ihram is also fine).
4. At the Miqat, make the intention and say it once. Then recite the Talbiyah frequently — men aloud, women softly — until Tawaf begins.

Take careCrossing the Miqat without Ihram requires a penalty (dam — a sheep sacrificed in Makkah) unless you go back to the Miqat. Change on the ground in Bengaluru if you are unsure you'll manage on the plane.

Arriving at Masjid al-Haram

• Rest at the hotel first if you are exhausted — Umrah has no time limit after arrival.
• Renew wudu: Tawaf requires ritual purity according to the majority of scholars.
• Enter with the right foot (King Abdul Aziz Gate No. 1 or King Fahd Gate No. 79 are the easiest for groups) and recite the du'a for entering the masjid.
• When you first see the Kaaba, raise your hands and make du'a — it is a moment of acceptance.
• Agree a meeting point with your group (we use a numbered gate and the green light on the Black Stone line).

Step 2 — Tawaf, seven circuits of the Kaaba

Stop reciting the Talbiyah when Tawaf starts. Men uncover the right shoulder (idtiba') by passing the rida under the right arm — only during this Tawaf.

Start at the corner of the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad), marked by a brown line on older floors and a green light on the wall opposite. Face it, raise your right hand toward it (istilam), say “Bismillāhi wallāhu akbar”, then turn so the Kaaba is on your left and walk.

1. Each circuit starts and ends at the Black Stone line — 7 in total.
2. Men walk briskly with short steps (raml) in the first three circuits only, if the crowd allows; walk normally in circuits 4–7.
3. Touch the Yemeni Corner (the corner before the Black Stone) with your right hand if possible — do not kiss it or point to it if you can't reach it.
4. Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone, recite “Rabbanā ātinā…”. Elsewhere, make any du'a, dhikr or recite Qur'an — there is no fixed du'a for each circuit.
5. Walk outside the semicircular wall (Hijr Isma'il / Hateem) — it is part of the Kaaba, so walking through it doesn't count.
6. If you lose count, take the lower number. If your wudu breaks, renew it and continue from where you stopped (majority view).
7. If a congregational prayer starts, join it and resume the circuit from where you stopped.

TipThe ground floor is fastest after midnight and after Fajr. The first floor and roof are wider and suit wheelchairs; one roof circuit is about 1 km, so allow up to 2 hours.

Step 3 — Two rak'ah, Zamzam and the Multazam

1. Cover the right shoulder again.
2. Walk towards Maqam Ibrahim reciting the verse, then pray two short rak'ah behind it if there is space — anywhere in the masjid is equally valid. Recite Surah al-Kafirun in the first and al-Ikhlas in the second.
3. Drink Zamzam standing or sitting, facing the Qiblah, in three breaths, and make du'a — coolers are throughout the masjid.
4. Optional: if it is not crowded, stand at the Multazam (between the Black Stone and the Kaaba door) and make du'a.

Step 4 — Sa'i between Safa and Marwa

Sa'i commemorates Hajar (peace be upon her) running between the two hills searching for water for Isma'il. Follow the signs to Safa (“الصفا”).

1. Approaching Safa, recite the verse and “abda'u bimā bada'a Allāhu bih” — at the start only.
2. Climb Safa until you can see the Kaaba, face it, raise your hands (as in du'a, not as in prayer) and say the dhikr of the hills three times, with your own du'a in between.
3. Walk towards Marwa. Men jog lightly between the two green lights; women walk normally.
4. On Marwa, face the Kaaba and repeat the same dhikr and du'a. Safa → Marwa is lap 1; Marwa → Safa is lap 2.
5. The seventh lap ends at Marwa. Each lap is about 450 m — about 3.2 km in total.

TipWudu is recommended but not required for Sa'i. A woman whose period starts after Tawaf may still complete Sa'i. Electric carts and wheelchair lanes run on the first floor and roof.

Step 5 — Halq or Taqsir: completing your Umrah

1. Men: shaving the whole head (Halq) is more virtuous — the Prophet ﷺ prayed three times for those who shave. Trimming (Taqsir) must be from the whole head, not a few strands.
2. Women: gather the hair and cut about a fingertip's length (≈ 2 cm) from the ends — privately, not at a barber.
3. Barbers are just outside the Marwa exit (≈ SAR 20–40). Men may also shave at the hotel.
4. Your Umrah is complete. All Ihram restrictions are lifted — change into normal clothes. Alhamdulillah.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Entering Ihram at Jeddah airport instead of before the Miqat.
• Leaving the right shoulder uncovered for the whole Umrah, including the two rak'ah (idtiba' is for Tawaf only).
• Kissing or pointing at the Yemeni Corner, or pointing at the Black Stone every few steps.
• Walking through the Hateem, or starting Tawaf from the wrong corner.
• Counting Safa → Marwa → Safa as one lap (it is two).
• Trimming only a few strands of hair, or women cutting hair at a public barber.
• Pushing and harming others to kiss the Black Stone — kissing it is Sunnah, harming people is forbidden.
• Using scented soap, wipes or shampoo while still in Ihram.

After Umrah: your days in Makkah

• Pray as many prayers as possible in congregation in Masjid al-Haram — one prayer there is worth 100,000 elsewhere.
• Perform voluntary Tawaf (no Ihram, no Sa'i) as often as you can.
• Many pilgrims perform an extra Umrah for a deceased parent by going out to Masjid Aisha (Tan'eem) or Ji'ranah for Ihram. Scholars differ on doing this often; our scholar will advise.
• Before leaving Makkah, perform the Farewell Tawaf (Tawaf al-Wada'). Many scholars hold it recommended for Umrah and obligatory for Hajj.

Frequently asked

Keep reading

Ihram rules: what is allowed and forbidden

Du'as for Umrah: Arabic, transliteration and meaning

Umrah for women: mahram rules, Ihram, periods and practical tips