In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy
All praise is due to Allah alone.
A Brief Summary of the Rites of ʿUmrah
This is a concise guide to the rites of ʿUmrah, presented for the reader's benefit:
When a person intending to perform ʿUmrah reaches the miqāt (designated station for entering into Ihrām), it is recommended for him to bathe and cleanse himself. The same applies to a woman—even if she is menstruating or in postnatal bleeding. However, she should not perform ṭawāf (circumambulation) around the Kaʿbah until she becomes pure and has taken a bath.
A man should apply perfume to his body, not his Ihrām garments. If bathing at the miqāt is not possible, there is no harm; it is still recommended to bathe upon reaching Makkah before performing the ṭawāf, if possible.
The man should remove all stitched clothing and wear a lower garment (izār) and an upper garment (ridā’), preferably white and clean.
As for the woman, she enters the state of Ihrām in her ordinary clothes—without adornment or clothing that draws attention.
He then intends the commencement of ʿumrah in his heart and says aloud:
“Labbayka ʿumrah” or “Allāhumma labbayka ʿumrah.”
If the pilgrim fears he may be prevented from completing the rites—due to illness, fear of an enemy, or similar—he is permitted to make a conditional stipulation by saying:
فَإِنْ حَبَسَنِي حَابِسٌ فَمَحِلِّي حَيْثُ حَبَسْتَنِي
fa-in ḥabasanī ḥābisun fa-maḥillī ḥaythu ḥabastanī
“If I am prevented, then my exit is where You prevent me,”
This is based on the ḥadīth of Ḍubāʿah bint al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with her).
He then recites the talbiyah (chant of pilgrimage) as the Prophet ﷺ did:
لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ، إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ، لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ
“Labbayka Allāhumma labbayk. Labbayka lā sharīka laka labbayk. Inna al-ḥamda wa-niʿmata laka wal-mulk, lā sharīka lak.”
"Here I am, O Allah, here I am.
Here I am — You have no partner — here I am. Indeed, all praise and blessings are Yours, and also the dominion.
You have no partner."
He frequently repeats this talbiyah, along with remembering Allah and making duʿā’ until he reaches the Sacred House (Kaʿbah).
Upon reaching al-Masjid al-Ḥarām, he should enter with his right foot and say:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ، وَبِوَجْهِهِ الْكَرِيمِ، وَسُلْطَانِهِ الْقَدِيمِ، مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ.
اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ.
Bismi-llāhi, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūli-llāh,
aʿūdhu bi-llāhi-l-ʿaẓīm, wa bi-wajhihi-l-karīm, wa sulṭānihi-l-qadīm, mina-sh-shayṭāni-r-rajīm.
Allāhumma iftaḥ lī abwāba raḥmatik.
“In the Name of Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. I seek refuge in Allah the Almighty, and in His Noble Face and His Eternal Authority, from the accursed Shayṭān. O Allah, open for me the doors of Your mercy.”
When he reaches the Kaʿbah, he should stop the talbiyah, approach the Black Stone, face it, and touch it with his right hand. He should kiss it if possible, without harming others by crowding. When touching it, he says:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Bismi-llāhi wa-Allāhu akbar
In the name of Allah, and Allah is the Greatest
If he cannot kiss it, he should touch it with his hand or a stick, then kiss the object he used. If he cannot touch it at all, he simply points to it and says: “Allāhu akbar,” but does not kiss what he points with.
Conditions for Ṭawāf
To perform ṭawāf validly, the person must be in a state of ṭahārah (purity) from both minor and major impurities, as ṭawāf is like prayer, though speech is permitted during it.
He should keep the Kaʿbah to his left and circle it seven times. Upon reaching the Yemeni Corner (al-rukn al-yamānī), he touches it with his right hand and says: “Bismillāhi wallāhu akbar,” if able. He does not kiss it. If unable to touch it, he moves on without pointing or saying takbīr, as that was not reported from the Prophet ﷺ.
As for the Black Stone, each time he passes it, he touches and kisses it as described, or points to it and says Allāhu akbar.
It is recommended for men to walk briskly (raml) in the first three rounds of the ṭawāf of arrival (ṭawāf al-qudūm), walking with short, quick steps.
It is also recommended that men uncover the right shoulder (iḍṭibāʿ) during all rounds of ṭawāf al-qudūm, which is done by placing the middle of the upper garment under the right armpit and its ends over the left shoulder.
One should increase in remembrance of Allah and duʿā’ throughout all the rounds. There are no specific supplications or remembrances for ṭawāf, so one may say whatever he can, but between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone, it is established to say:
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً، وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً، وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّا
Rabbana ātinā fī-d-dunyā ḥasanah, wa fī-l-ākhirati ḥasanah, wa qinā ʿadhāba-n-nār
“Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the punishment of the Fire.”
This is to be said in every round.
The seventh round ends with touching and kissing (or pointing to) the Black Stone. Then he returns his garment to cover both shoulders.
After Ṭawāf
He prays two rakʿahs behind Maqām Ibrāhīm if possible, or anywhere in the mosque otherwise. In these rakʿahs, after Sūrat al-Fātiḥah, he recites:
In the first rakʿah: Sūrat al-Kāfirūn
In the second rakʿah: Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ.
This is preferred; but reciting other surahs is also acceptable.
After finishing the prayer, he returns to the Black Stone, if possible, and touches it.
The Saʿy (Walking between Ṣafā and Marwah)
He then proceeds to Mount Ṣafā, climbs it (if possible), or stands there. Climbing is preferred. He recites:
إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ
Innaṣ-Ṣafā wa-l-Marwata min shaʿā’iri-llāh
“Indeed, Ṣafā and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah.” [Surat al-Baqarah 2:158]
Facing the qiblah, he praises Allah, magnifies Him, and says:
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ،
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ،
لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ،
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ، أَنْجَزَ وَعْدَهُ، وَنَصَرَ عَبْدَهُ، وَهَزَمَ الْأَحْزَابَ وَحْدَهُ.
Lā ilāha illallāh wa-Allāhu akbar, Lā ilāha illallāh waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahul-mulk wa lahul-ḥamd wa huwa ʿalā kulli shay’in qadīr. Lā ilāha illallāh waḥdah, anjaza waʿdah, wa naṣara ʿabdah, wa hazamal-aḥzāba waḥdah.
There is none worthy of worship but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest.
There is no god but Allah alone, He has no partner.
His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is over all things capable.
There is no god but Allah alone. He fulfilled His promise, supported His servant, and defeated the confederates alone.
Then he raises his hands and makes duʿā’ as he wishes. He repeats this entire process three times.
He then descends and walks toward Marwah. Upon reaching the first green marker, men should walk briskly until they reach the second green marker, then resume walking normally.
Women do not walk briskly as they are to remain covered.
He then climbs Marwah or stands there (climbing is preferred), saying and doing as he did at Ṣafā.
This process is done seven times, beginning at Ṣafā and ending at Marwah. Each journey—Ṣafā to Marwah or Marwah to Ṣafā—is counted as one.
If one does the saʿy riding an animal or vehicle, there is no harm, especially if needed.
It is encouraged to engage in much remembrance of Allah and duʿā’ during the saʿy. Being in a state of purity is preferred, but not obligatory. The saʿy is valid even without wuḍū’.
Completion of ʿUmrah
Once the saʿy is complete, the man shaves or shortens his hair. Shaving is better. If he arrives close to the time of Hajj, it is better to shorten his hair, so that he may shave it completely during Hajj.
As for a woman, she gathers her hair and cuts from its end about the length of a fingertip or less.
Once the pilgrim does this, his ʿUmrah is complete, and everything that was prohibited due to iḥrām becomes permissible again.
May Allah grant us and all our Muslim brothers understanding of the religion, firmness upon it, and accept our deeds. Verily, He is the Most Generous and Noble.
And may peace and blessings be upon His servant and Messenger, our Prophet Muḥammad, and upon his family, companions, and all those who follow him in goodness until the Day of Judgment.
ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn ʿAbdullāh ibn Bāz
Grand Muftī of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
President of the Council of Senior Scholars and the Department of Scholarly Research and Fatāwá
This brief guide on the rites of ʿUmrah was issued from his office on 13/2/1416 AH. (Majmūʿ Fatāwá wa-Maqālāt al-Shaykh Ibn Bāz, vol. 17, p. 425)
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