How to perform Umrah: Your Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide

Have you ever missed your loved ones to the point you wished to visit them? Well, at times it costs a lot. We have to travel miles to see our family or friends living abroad. And even if it isn’t about people we love, there are places we want to travel to. Sounds familiar? Some places just feel special and close to our hearts while others are deemed sacred. Hence, similarly, Mecca is a sacred place closest to the hearts of the Muslims. Every Muslim wants to visit Mecca and that is where they perform Umrah. They eagerly wait and pray for such an opportunity. 

Umrah also known as ‘minor pilgrimage’ is similar to the major Islamic pilgrimage. It is a source of attaining purification and spiritual closeness to Allah. Unlike major pilgrimages, It can be performed any time of the year. Though it is not mandatory, it holds great spiritual significance that drives billions of Muslims all over the world to perform sacred pilgrimages to Mecca. Whether you are reading out of curiosity or you are planning to go on this sacred journey, this article is going to be your ultimate guide to a series of religious practices to perform Umrah.

How to prepare for Umrah?

Before embarking on this sacred journey, it is important to prepare for Umrah spiritually and physically. But before we dive into step by step guide, you must take care of the following:

1. Spiritual Preparation

• It is important to purify your intentions first. Remind yourself you are doing it solely for the mercy and forgiveness of Allah.
• Seek Forgiveness: It is important to reflect and repent on past sins while also seeking strength from Allah.

2. Physical Preparation

• It is important to make sure you are medically and physically sound to endure exertion.
• Make sure you have enough money to meet your needs and cover the expenses required for Umrah.
• Don’t forget to pack essentials including the Quran, clothes, prayer mats, toiletries, etc.
• Make travel arrangements ahead of time to avoid any last-minute chaos.

What are the steps of Performing Umrah?

1. Entering the Ihram

Ihram is the beginning of the pilgrimage. It is where you start preparing so you must consider the following:

• It is Sunnah to perform Ghusl before assuming Ihram.
• Clip your nails
• Remove excess body hair
• It is Sunnah to pray Salah Al Ihram before assuming Ihram.
• Ihram for men: men are supposed to wear two white clothes. One cloth to wrap around the waist and the other to cover the top of the body. It should be free from any fragrance.
• Ihram for women: wear something modest to cover the whole body except hands and face. Avoid any adornments or fragrances.
• Assume Ihram before crossing Miqat
• Make the intention for Umrah before landing by reciting the following:

 لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ عُمْرَةً

Transliteration: Labbayk Allahumma bi-Umrah.
Translation:Here I am O Allah making Umrah.

• Recite the Talbiyah

لَبَّيْكَ اللهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ – لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ – إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ – لَا شَرِيْكَ لَكَ

Transliteration: Labbayka llāhumma labbayk(a), labbayka lā sharīka laka labbayk(a), inna l-ḥamda wa n-ni’mata, laka wa l-mulk(a), lā sharīka lak.
Translation: At Your service, Allah, at Your service. At Your service, You have no partner, at Your service. Truly all praise, favour, and sovereignty are Yours. You have no partner.

2. Entering Masjid Al Haram

• Make the following dua as you enter the masjid with your right foot:

اَللَّهُمَّ هَذَا حَرَمُكَ وَأَمْنُكَ فَحَرِّمْنِي عَلَى النَّارِ، وَأَمِنِّي مِنْ عَذَابِكَ يَوْمَ تَبْعَثُ عِبَادَكَ، وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنْ أَوْلِيَائِكَ وَأَهْلِ طَاعَتِكَ.

Transliteration: Allāhumma hādhā ḥaramuka wa amnuka fa ḥarrimnī ‘ala-n-Nār, wa amminnī min ‘adhābika yawma tab’athu ‘ibādak, wa j‘alnī min awliyā’ika wa ahli ṭā’atik.
Translation: Allah, this is Your sanctuary and security, so make me unlawful to Hell-Fire, make me safe from Your punishment on the day You resurrect Your servants, and make me one of Your friends and one of the people who obey You.

• Make dua with sincerity as you see Holy Kaaba for the first time as it is when prayers are accepted. You can even recite:

اَللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ السَّلاَمُ وَمِنْكَ السَّلَامُ، حَيِّنَا رَبَّنَا بِالسَّلاَمِ

Transliteration: Allāhumma Anta-s-Salāmu wa minka-s-salām, ḥayyinā Rabbanā bi-s-salām.
Translation: O Allah, You are Peace, and from You is peace. Make us live, Lord, in peace.

• Do dhikr and send salawat upon Prophet (pbuh)

3. Tawaf

• Ensure you are in wudu before making tawaf
• Make Intention about doing tawaf for the sake of Allah
• Stand facing the Kaaba and recite “Bismillahi Allahu Akbar” as you begin your first round
• Start from the Black Stone (Hajar Al Aswad) and make seven rounds around the Kaaba
• Try to touch the Black Stone reciting “Allahu Akbar”, kiss it, and rest your forehead (Istilam) on it. If you can’t get to touch it, perform symbolic Istilam from far away 
• Try to touch the Yemeni corner of the Kaaba, each time you pass around it and recite the following dua:

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

Transliteration: Rabbanā ātinā fi d-dunyā ḥasanatan wafi l-ākhirati ḥasanatan wa qinā ‘adhāba n-nār.
Translation: O our Lord, grant us the good of this world, the good of the Hereafter, and save us from the punishment of the fire.

• Tawaf must be done continuously without any interruptions. But if your prayer is due, or you have to make wudu again, you can join again starting off from where you left your tawaf.
• Keep making dua during tawaf

4. After Tawaf

Proceed to Maqam Ibrahim after tawaf. Men should recite following dua and cover their shoulders:

وَاتَّخِذُوا مِنْ مَقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى

Transliteration: Wattakhidhu min maqāmi Ibrāhīma muṣalla.
Translation: And take the Maqam Ibrahim as a place of Salah.

• It is Sunnah to perform two Ra’akah between Maqam Ibrahim and the Kaaba.
• Drink Zamzam water available there.
• Now you may proceed to Multazam, the area between Hajar Al Aswad and the door of the Kaaba, and make dua touching it or you may supplicate from the distance due to the crowd.
• It is Sunnah to perform Istilam again on returning from Maqam Ibrahim to Hajar Al Aswad

5. Sa’i

The next step of Umrah involves proceeding to Safa.

• Start at Safa: Coming at Safa Hill, facing the kaaba, recite following duaa and walk to Marwah, completing one round:

إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ

Transliteration: Inna ṣ-ṣafā wa l-marwata min sha’ā’iri llāh(i).

Translation: Indeed, Safa and Marwa are from the Signs of Allah.

• Aim for seven rounds, walking back and forth between Safa and Marwah.
• Men are recommended to walk briskly while women can walk at a normal pace.
• You can keep making your personal dua or recite Takbir, and Tahlil and send Salawat upon the Prophet (pbuh)
• It is Sunnah to recite:

اَللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ، اَللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ، اَللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ، وَلِلّٰهِ الْحَمْدُ

Transliteration: Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, wa lillāhi l-ḥamd.
Translation: Allah is the greatest; Allah is the greatest; Allah is the greatest, and to Allah belongs all praise.

6. Shaving or Trimming Hair

After completing Sai, men should either shave or trim their hair while women can cut their hair about an inch to exit Ihram. You can now change into your casuals but don’t forget to keep engaged in reciting dua and remembering Allah.

Mubarak on your completion of Umrah!

Initially, it feels like there is so much to remember. If it is your time going on Umrah, it can be overwhelming and you might get anxious about how you will perform it well, and whether you will remember everything accurately or not. But do you ever wonder why there are so many things that we do for the first time in life? And we give it our best shot. So do not stress yourself out. Make dua, get familiar with the rituals of the Umrah and once you are done putting your best efforts with pure intentions, put your trust in Allah, He will guide you and make it easy for you. Remember, Umrah is not just about visiting Mecca, the state of Ihram, or the tawaf of Kaaba, rather it should be a life-transformational experience for you. You may go as a struggling Muslim, but it is in your hands to return as a completely new version of yourself, being closer to Allah and with the intention to live the rest of your life seeking His pleasure–keeping Allah at the center of your life. May Allah accept your Umrah, and grant you peace and blessings. (Ameen)

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FAQS

and send Salawat upon the Prophet (pbuh)

What is Miqat?

It is a boundary where Muslim Pilgrims must enter the state of Ihram before proceeding Umrah