There are four Umrah rituals, done in order: enter ihram at the miqat, walk seven circuits of tawaf around the Kaaba, walk seven laps of sa'i between Safa and Marwa, then shave or trim your hair. That ends your ihram and completes the Umrah. On paper it is short. On the day, first-timers get stuck on small details: when to make the intention on the plane, where a circuit starts, how much hair a woman should cut.
This guide walks through the steps the way you will meet them on the day, starting with the Nusuk permit you need before you reach the Haram. The rulings follow the majority scholarly view. The schools of thought differ on some details, so if you follow a particular madhhab or have a special situation, ask a scholar you trust.
Before you start: the Nusuk Umrah permit
A visa on its own is not enough. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah FAQ says the Umrah permit is issued through the Nusuk app or the Tawakkalna app, and that entry for Umrah is tied to the permit time. Entering the mosque to pray is allowed at any time.
The Ministry lists three rules worth knowing. You cannot cancel a permit once its time has started, so if you need a different slot, cancel before it begins and book again. If you arrive late, you have to wait for the first permit to expire before you can issue a new one. And you can only hold one active permit at a time. So do not book a slot right after your landing time. Leave room for flight delays, passport control and the drive. Our Nusuk app guide covers booking step by step.
Step 1: Entering ihram at the miqat
Ihram is the intention to begin Umrah, and anyone intending Umrah must not pass the miqat without it. The Prophet, peace be upon him, set five miqats:
- Dhul Hulayfah (Abyar Ali): for those coming from the direction of Madinah.
- Al-Juhfah: near Rabigh, for those coming from the Levant, Egypt and North Africa.
- Qarn al-Manazil (As-Sail al-Kabir): for those coming from Najd, Riyadh and Taif.
- Yalamlam: for those coming from Yemen.
- Dhat Irq: for those coming from Iraq.
People who live inside the miqat boundary, such as Jeddah residents, enter ihram from where they are. People in Makkah go out to the area outside the sanctuary, and the nearest point is Masjid al-Tan'im (Masjid Aisha).
If you are flying in
This is where most pilgrims from the UK and Europe go wrong. Jeddah airport is not a miqat for anyone arriving from outside the miqat boundary, and the plane crosses the miqat well before landing. Change into ihram clothing at the airport before departure or on the plane, and make your intention when the crew announces the miqat is close. If you make the intention in Jeddah after passing it, the majority of scholars say you owe a sacrifice (dam). For the practical side of arriving, see our guide to getting from Jeddah airport to Makkah.
Ihram clothing and what is forbidden
Before the intention you can take a bath (ghusl) and put perfume on your body if you wish. Men then wear two unstitched sheets, a waist wrap (izar) and a shoulder wrap (rida), ideally white, and leave the head uncovered. Women enter ihram in their normal modest clothes in any colour. They do not wear a niqab or gloves, and they may let a cloth hang over the face when unrelated men pass close by.
Once you have made the intention, some things are off limits until you finish: perfume, cutting hair or nails, marital relations and anything leading to them, a marriage contract, and hunting land animals. Men also may not wear stitched, fitted clothing or cover the head. Then start the talbiyah: "Labbayka Allahumma labbayk, labbayka la sharika laka labbayk, innal-hamda wan-ni'mata laka wal-mulk, la sharika lak." Men say it aloud and women quietly, and you keep repeating it until tawaf begins.
A woman who is menstruating or in post-natal bleeding enters ihram at the miqat like everyone else. She only delays the tawaf until she is pure.
Step 2: Tawaf around the Kaaba
Enter Masjid al-Haram with your right foot. Most scholars hold that you must have wudu for tawaf to be valid, so make wudu before you start. Tawaf is seven circuits. Each one starts and ends at the Black Stone, with the Kaaba on your left.
- Idtiba: men uncover the right shoulder by passing the middle of the rida under the right armpit and throwing both ends over the left shoulder. This is for this tawaf only.
- Raml: in the first three circuits men walk briskly with short steps if they can do so without pushing anyone, then walk normally for the last four.
- At the Black Stone: touch it, or raise your hand towards it from a distance, and say "Allahu akbar" at the start of each circuit. Do not push to reach it. Pointing is enough, and kissing it is regulated by the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques depending on crowds.
- Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone: it is recommended to say "Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanah, wa fil-akhirati hasanah, wa qina adhaban-nar." For the rest of each circuit, pray for whatever you want in any language. There is no fixed prayer for each circuit.
If you lose count, go with the lower number. Plenty of pilgrims carry a small hand counter or use prayer beads, because the crowd makes it easy to forget.
The two rak'ahs and Zamzam water
After the seventh circuit, men cover the shoulder again. Then pray two rak'ahs behind Maqam Ibrahim if there is space, or anywhere else in the mosque. The sunnah is to recite Surah al-Kafirun in the first and Surah al-Ikhlas in the second. Then drink Zamzam water from the coolers placed throughout the mosque.
Step 3: Sa'i between Safa and Marwa
Head to the Mas'a and climb Safa. When you first go up, it is recommended to recite "Innas-Safa wal-Marwata min sha'a'irillah", then face the Kaaba, raise your hands, say takbir and make dua. Walk to Marwa: that is one lap. Coming back from Marwa to Safa is the second lap, and so on until you finish the seventh lap at Marwa.
Between the two green markers, which you will recognise by the green lights in the ceiling, men should speed up. Women walk at their normal pace. Wudu is recommended for sa'i but most scholars do not require it, so if you lose your wudu you can carry on. Seven laps come to roughly three kilometres on foot. Wear comfortable shoes and rest briefly between laps if you need to.
If walking is hard for you, the General Authority for the Two Holy Mosques runs electric carts for tawaf and sa'i on set floors of the mosque, booked through the Tanaqul app. Read more in our guide to Umrah for elderly pilgrims.
Step 4: Shaving or trimming the hair
After sa'i, men shave the whole head, which is better, or trim hair from all over the head rather than one patch. Women do not shave. A woman gathers her hair and cuts about a fingertip's length from the ends. You will find plenty of barbers near Marwa and in the shopping areas around the Haram.
With that your Umrah is complete and you leave ihram fully. You can change into your own clothes and everything that was restricted is allowed again.
How long do the Umrah rituals take?
It depends on the crowd and the floor you use. On an ordinary day many people finish tawaf and sa'i in two to three hours. In Ramadan and school holidays it can take much longer. Tawaf on the upper floors is a longer walk but usually moves more easily. After midnight and just before Fajr tend to be quieter than the evening, but your Nusuk permit slot decides when you actually start.
Common first-timer mistakes
- Flying past the miqat without the intention and entering ihram in Jeddah instead.
- Booking a Nusuk slot that clashes with your arrival time, then missing it.
- Keeping the right shoulder bare all the time. Idtiba is only for the Umrah tawaf, not for prayer or sa'i.
- Trimming from one side of the head instead of all over.
- Pushing hard to reach the Black Stone and hurting others, when pointing is enough.
We have collected more of these, with fixes, in first-time Umrah mistakes to avoid.
Sort out your trip before you enter ihram
Learn these four steps before you travel, because the day itself goes fast and you will be tired from the journey. Then sort out what comes before it: the visa, your hotel, transport and the permit slot. Our Umrah page brings all of that together, and you can start planning your trip from there.