1. Enter the state of Ihraam:
- Ihraam means having the intention of starting the rituals of Hajj or ‘Umrah.
- Ihraam means having the intention of starting the rituals of Hajj or ‘Umrah. Ihraam means having the intention of starting the rituals of Hajj or ‘Umrah. Entering the state of Ihram before crossing the “Miqat” is a requirement for Umrah.
- Ihram for men comprises of two pieces of unstitched white garments.
- Women may wear whatever they wish of permissible Islamic clothing as Ihram.
- After wearing the Ihram, the pilgrim must make Niyyah (intention) for Umrah by saying “Labbaik Allahumma Umratan” (Here I am, O Allaah, for ‘Umrah).
- Then he should recite the Talbiyah “Labbayka Allaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shareeka laka labbayk. Inna al-hamda wan-ni’mata laka wa’l-mulk, laa shareeka lak” (Here I am, O Allaah, here I am. Here I am, you have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, you have no partner).
- One should persist in reciting Talbiyah until the start of Tawaf.
2. Tawaf
- Before beginning Tawaf the pilgrim must stop reciting the Talbiyah
- The Hajr-AL-Aswad (Black Stone) is the starting point of Tawaf. (There are green lights positioned in the Mataf area in the Haram to indicate this).
- It is Sunnah for men to uncover their right shoulder throughout tawaf
- To start Tawaf, one must face the Black Stone after reaching it and raise his hand and say ‘Bismillah wa Allahu akbar.”
- He should then start circumambulating around the Kabah in an anti-clockwise direction.
- There is no specific dua for each circuit of Tawaf
- However, between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone it is sunnah to recite: “Rabbana aatina fid-dunya hasanah wa fi’l-aakhirati hasanah wa qina ‘adhaab an-naar” (Our Lord, give us that which is good in this world and that which is good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire).
- In the rest of his Tawaf one may say whatever he likes of dhikr (remembering Allah) and dua
- The pilgrim has to perform seven circuits of tawaf around the Kaabah and every time he passes the Black Stone he should face it and say ‘Allaahu akbar’.
- After completing seven circuits of Tawaf he must offer two Rakats (units) of voluntary prayer behind the Maqam-e-Ibrahim if it that is possible. Otherwise, he may offer anywhere else in the haram.
3. Sa’ee
- Next the pilgrim must head towards Safa.
- On reaching Safa he should face the Kabah and recite “inna As-Safa wal Marwata min Sha’aairillah” (Verily, As-Safa and Al-Marwah are of the Symbols of Allaah).
- Then he should read the following dua 3 times, “Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk, wa lahu’l-hamd, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer. Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdah, anjaza wa’dah, wa nasara ‘abdah, wa hazamaa al-ahzaaba wahdah” (There is no god but Allaah alone, with no partner or associate; His is the Dominion, all praise is due to Him, and He is able to do all things. There is no god but Allaah alone; he fulfilled His promise, granted victory to His slave, and defeated the confederates alone).
- He should then start walking towards Marwah
- Men are advised to run between the green markers present between Safa and Marwah
- On reaching Marwah, he should read the same dua 3 times that was read at Safa
- Safa to Marwah counts as the first lap and from Marwah back to Safa counts as the second lap.
- In this way the pilgrim must complete seven laps with the last lap finishing at Marwah.
4. Shaving the head or cutting the hair
- After completing Sa’ee the pilgrim must either shave his head or trim his hair.
- Shaving is better than cutting because the Prophet ﷺ made dua three times for those who shaved their heads and once for those who cut their hair
- Women should cut the length of a fingertip from their hair.
- The pilgrim can now exit Ihram and his Umrah is complete