How to Perform Umrah

لَبَّيْكَ ٱللَّٰهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ، إِنَّ ٱلْحَمْدَ وَٱلنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَٱلْمُلْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ

UMRAH Introduction

Umrah is known as the minor pilgrimage, while Hajj is the main pilgrimage and one of
the pillars of Islam. Umrah is often referred to as the ‘lesser’ or ‘minor’ pilgrimage, it is a
set of rituals of worshipping ALLAH by entering into the state of Ihram, performing
circumambulation of the Kaaba, performing Sa’i between Safa and Marwa.

Is UMRAH Obligatory?

Umrah is a beloved Sunnah, of the Prophet Muhammadصلى الله عليه وسلم. It offers a unique
opportunity to refresh one’s faith and cleanse one’s soul. Pilgrims seek forgiveness,
make sincere dua, and aim to gain a closer connection to Allah.
According to the Hanafi and Maliki schools of thought, Umrah is not obligatory but is
considered a sunnah mu’akkadah. On the other hand, it is considered obligatory
according to the Shafi’i and Hanbali schools.
Allah says in the Quran:
وَأَتِمُّواْ ٱلۡحَجَّ وَٱلۡعُمۡرَةَ لِلَّهِۚ

And complete the Hajj and Umrah for Allah.
[Surah al-Baqarah, 2:196

Benefits And Rewards of Umrah:

Just the thought of being a guest of Allah gives shivers, but this is the most beautiful
feeling in the world.
Umrah offers an opportunity for Muslims to renew their faith, seek forgiveness, pray for
their needs, and be cleansed of their sins.
Umrah can strengthen your Eman.
Umrah can give you physical and mental detoxification.
Rewards equivalent to Jihad.

Rules Of Umrah:

To be eligible to perform Umrah, one must adhere to certain conditions or rules.
Including:
1. It is necessary to be Muslim.
2. You must have reached puberty (Baligh). You can perform Umrah before this age,
but it is only accepted after the age of puberty.
3. You should be mentally sound and in control of your mental faculties.
4. You must have enough funds to cover the expenses of travel, accommodation, and
other requirements during your Umrah. You should also be able to support your
dependents while you are away. Being debt-free is not mandatory, but
arrangements for debt repayment should be made beforehand.
5. You must be physically capable of traveling to Makkah and performing the rituals
of Umrah, either on foot or in a wheelchair.
6. You should have access to transportation and be able to afford the costs of
traveling to Makkah for Umrah. It is also important that the journey is safe,
without any foreseeable danger. Safar-e-Kaaba provides packages with
transportation.

Women Only:

A menstruating woman is obliged to wait until her menstruation finishes and she takes a
ghusl before performing the umrah tawaf. They must wait until their period is over and
they have performed ritual purification (ghusl) before circumambulating the Kaaba.
Should women wear the Ihram?
Women are allowed to make Ihram in any dress they wish which fulfills the Islamic
conditions of public dress, regardless of the color. Women’s hands and faces should be
uncovered in Ihram. Their heads should be covered.

Before Ihram:

Clip the nails, remove unwanted hair under the armpits and navel, and trim the
mustache.Do ghusl (bath) or, at the very least, wudhu (ablution).

Ihram Clothing:

Before reaching the Miqat, put on the Ihram. For men, this is two sheets of white cloth. For
women, regular modest clothing will suffice. It is recommended to put on the Ihram at the
airport before departure.

Things You Shouldn't Do In Ihram:

Shaving, cutting hair, or trimming nails: You should take care of this before you enter
Ihram.
Applying perfume or wearing perfumed cosmetics. Use soap and shampoo with fragrance.
You should not engage in sexual activity with your spouse.
You should avoid removing blood from your body, such as by cupping or removing a tooth.
Men should keep their heads uncovered at all times.
You should avoid suggestive and provocative talk or gestures.
You should not hunt any wild animals, even if they are edible.
You should not perform marriage or get married yourself.

In addition, women must refrain from wearing perfume, tight-fitted clothing, gloves,
make-up, or henna during the state of Ihram. They must also ensure they wear hijab and
dress modestly, ensuring that everything except their face, hands, and feet are covered.

Salah for Ihram:

After you have donned the Ihram Garments, it is Sunnah to perform two Rakats of
Salah-al-Ihram before making the intention to enter the state Ihram. In the first rakaah,
read: Surah Kafiroon. In the second rakaah, read Surah Ikhlaas. After the completion of
this salah make Dua.

Niyyat for Umrah:

Make your niyyah for Umrah as you approach the Miqat, preferably on the plane. Make
sure you remove any clothing that violates the conditions of Ihram. It is recommended to
make a verbal intention. This may be done in any language.“Allahumma inni uridil umrahta fa-yassisra le wa taqabbalah minni”
O Allah, here I am to perform Umrah.

Talbiya:

لَبَّيْكَ ٱللَّٰهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ، إِنَّ ٱلْحَمْدَ وَٱلنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَٱلْمُلْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ

To MAKKAH :

Proceed to Makkah while

Reciting Talbiyah, dhikr, and Salawat.

Enter with your right foot and recite the Dua for entering the mosque

اَللَّهُـمَّ افْتَـحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتـِكَ

Dua for First view of Kaaba:

‏ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ السَّلاَمُ وَمِنْكَ السَّلاَمُ تَبَارَكْتَ يَا ذَا الْجَلاَلِ وَالإِكْرَامِ

“O Allah, verily You are As-Salaam (the Most Holy/saved from all disgrace and lack), and
from You salvation, so welcome us, O our Rabb, with salvation.”

Also:

Imam An-Nawawi in Holy Al-Idhah fi Manasikil Hajji mentions a prayer that is
recommended to be read when seeing the Kaaba. He encouraged anyone who saw the
Kaaba to recite the following prayer:

الَّلهُمَّ زِدْ هّذَا البَيْتَ تَشْرِيفاً وَتَعْظِيماً وَتَكْرِيماً وَمَهَابَةً، وَزِدْ مَن شَرَّفَهُ وَكَرَّمَهُ مِمَّنْ حَجَّهُ أَو اعتَمَرَهُ تَشرِيفاً وَتَكرِيماً وَتَعظِيماً وَبِرّاً

Means: “O Allah, add glory, majesty, honor, and greatness to this Jerusalem (Baitullah).

Also add glory, honor, majesty, and kindness to those who perform Hajj or Umrah who
venerate and honor the Kaaba.”

How to perform Umrah:

Tawaf-al-Umrah:

–Idtiba, the practice of uncovering the right shoulder, It is sunnah to perform Idtiba for the
entire duration of the Tawaf.
–The starting point for Tawaf, is at the corner of the Kaaba where Hajar Al-Aswad, or the
black stone, is positioned. Stand facing the Kaaba with the black stone on your right side.
This is where you’ll make the niyyah to perform Tawaf

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أُرِيْدُ الْعُمْرَةَ فَيَسِّرْهَا لِيْ وَتَقَبَّلْهَا مِنِّ

Allahumma inni uridu l-tawwafa baytika l-harami fa yassirhu li wa taqabbalhu minni.
O Allah, I intend to perform Tawaf of the Sacred Mosque, so accept it from me and make it
easy for me.
–Raise your hands to your ears and recite the words
Bismillah, wa Allah Akbar, Allahumma imanan bika w tasdeqan bi kitabika wa wafaan bi
a’ahdika wa attba’an li sunnati nabik Muhammad (Salallah Alaihi Wasallam).

Translation: I begin in the name of Allah; Allah is the greatest. O Allah, out of faith in You,
belief in Your book, in fulfillment of Your covenant, and the emulation of the Sunnah of Your
Prophet (PBUH).

–Begin your Tawaf by heading to your right so that the Kaaba is on your left.
–Men may walk briskly with the chest sticking out (Raml) in the first three circuits. Don’t do
this if there is too much congestion then return to your normal walking state for the rest of
the four rounds. Perform your Tawaf with humbleness, keeping in view the greatness of the
Kaaba. Avoid eating and drinking and talking unnecessarily about worldly things.
–Keep reciting the Quran, do dhikr, make any dua, and send Salawat during Tawaf.
Between the Rukn al-Yamani and the Hajar al-Aswad, you can recite:

رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا حَسَنَةٗ وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ حَسَنَةٗ وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ

Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil ‘akhirati hasanatan waqina ‘adhaban-nar.

O our Lord, grant us the good of this world, the good of the Hereafter, and save us from the
punishment of the fire.
–Complete seven rounds continuously (unless Salah starts). You will finish having made
Istilam eight times in total.
–Cover Your Right Shoulder with your Ihram
–After Tawaf, perform two rakats of salah, preferably in a position where Maqam Ibrahim
is between you and the Kaaba. If this is not possible, pray anywhere in the Masjid.
–Drink ZamZam Water And make Dua
–Before Sa’i, it’s recommended to make Istilam for the ninth time

Proceed to Safa And Marwa:

The next stage of performing Umrah involves walking to Safa which is located inside
Masjid al-Haram in line with the Hajar al-Aswad, and reciting the following verse:

إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللهِ

“Indeed, Safa and Marwa are from the Signs of
Allah”

أَبْدَأُ بِمَا بَدَأَ اللهُ بِهِ

Say “I begin with that which Allah has begun with”.
–Reaching the hill of Safa, face the direction of the Kaaba, raise your hands, and start
saying takbir (Allahu akbar), Tahlil (la ilaha illa Allah), and send Salawat upon the Prophet
(PBUH).
It is Sunnah to recite

اللهُ أَكْبَرُ ، اللهُ أَكْبَرُ ، اللهُ أَكْبَرُ

–Translation: Allah is the greatest; Allah is the greatest; Allah is the greatest, and to Allah
belongs all praise.

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Translation: There is no deity except Allah, alone without a partner. To Him belongs the
Dominion, and to Him belongs all praise. He gives life and death and He has power over
everything. لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ ، أَنْجَزَ وَعْدَهُ ، وَنَصَرَ عَبْدَهُ ، وَهَزَمَ الأَحْزَابَ وَحْدَهُ

Translation: There is no deity except Allah alone. He fulfilled His promise, supported His
slave and defeated the confederates alone.
–After reciting this Dua, you may recite your own supplications. Read the Dua a total of
three times, making your own supplications in between each time, as was the Sunnah of the
Prophet (PBUH).
–Then Walk towards Marwa. Men should run between the green lights.
–After reaching Marwa, make du’a as you did at Safa. This is one lap. Then climb on it and
repeat the steps you took when you reached Safatoo Safa and repeat the steps.
–Complete seven circuits between Safa and Marwa, ending the last one at Marwa.
–Make dua and perform two rakats of salah in the Masjid of Sa’i.

Cutting Hairs to Complete Umrah:

To complete your Umrah, Men Should shave their head (Halq) or trim at least 1 inch
(Taqsir). Women may only cut the length of one fingertip to break from the state of Ihram.