A step-by-step, referenced guide to the rites of Umrah and Hajj.
لَبَّيْكَ اللّٰهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ، إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ، لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ
Here I am, O Allah, here I am. You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise, grace and dominion belong to You; You have no partner.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1549; Sahih Muslim 1184
Umrah may be performed any time of year. An Umrah in Ramadan equals a Hajj in reward (Sahih al-Bukhari 1782).
13 steps
Use this as an orientation strip, then read every rite and its source below.
Orientation only. Read the full rite, its evidence and the scholarly note on this page before acting.
Version: 2026.09
Before ihram: trim nails, remove unwanted hair, and take a bath (ghusl) — recommended even for menstruating women. Men may apply perfume to the body (not the cloth) before entering ihram; women do not perfume. Cleanliness now is rewarded, because afterwards cutting hair/nails and perfume become forbidden.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 1539; Sahih Muslim 1189
Men wear two clean, unstitched white sheets — the izar (waist) and the rida (shoulders) — with sandals leaving the toes and heel uncovered, and the head bare. Women wear ordinary modest clothing of any colour that covers all but the face and hands; the face is not veiled with a cloth that touches it, and the hands are not gloved.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 1542; Sahih al-Bukhari 1838
Ihram must be entered at (or before crossing) the meeqat — the fixed boundary stations (e.g. Dhul-Hulayfah, Yalamlam, Qarn al-Manazil, etc.). Those already inside Makkah leave to the Ḥill (e.g. Tanʿim/Masjid ʿAishah). At the meeqat, pray two rakʿah before forming the intention.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 1524; Sahih al-Bukhari 1525
Face the Qiblah and make the intention in the heart, saying it aloud once: "Labbayka Allahumma ʿUmrah". With these words you enter the state of ihram — the consecration begins now.
لَبَّيْكَ اللّٰهُمَّ عُمْرَةً
Here I am, O Allah, for Umrah.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 1549; Sahih Muslim 1184
Immediately start the Talbiyah and repeat it often on the way to Makkah — men raising the voice, women keeping it low. Keep reciting until you begin the tawaf, at which point the Talbiyah stops.
لَبَّيْكَ اللّٰهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ، إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ، لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ
Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise, grace and dominion belong to You; You have no partner.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 1549; Sahih Muslim 1184
Enter Masjid al-Haram with the right foot, reciting the mosque-entry duʿa. At the first sight of the Kaʿbah raise the hands and make duʿa — this is a time when supplication is hoped to be answered.
اللّٰهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ
O Allah, open for me the doors of Your mercy (said on entering the mosque).
Source: Sahih Muslim 713
Stand facing the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad). Touch and kiss it if easily possible; otherwise touch with the hand and kiss the hand; if even that is hard, simply point towards it with the right hand. Each time say the takbir. The seven circuits go anticlockwise (Kaʿbah on your left); each circuit begins and ends at the Black Stone.
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ وَاللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ
In the name of Allah, and Allah is the Greatest (at the Black Stone each circuit).
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 1597; Sahih al-Bukhari 1613
For these seven circuits men do idtibaʿ — uncovering the right shoulder by passing the rida under the right armpit (re-cover it afterwards) — and raml (a brisk, vigorous walk) in the first three circuits only, walking normally in the last four. There is NO fixed duʿa per circuit: recite Qur’an, dhikr or any duʿa. Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone the Sunnah duʿa is "Rabbana atina…".
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire (between the two corners).
Source: al-Baqarah 2:201; Sunan Abi Dawud 1892
When the seven circuits are complete, re-cover both shoulders and pray two rakʿah behind Maqam Ibrahim if possible (otherwise anywhere in the Masjid) — reciting al-Kafirun in the first and al-Ikhlas in the second is Sunnah.
وَاتَّخِذُوا مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى
And take the standing place of Ibrahim as a place of prayer.
Source: al-Baqarah 2:125; Sahih Muslim 1218
After the prayer, go to drink Zamzam to your fill — it is blessed water, "for whatever it is drunk." Drinking it facing the Qiblah, in three breaths, and making duʿa over it is recommended.
اللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَافِعًا وَرِزْقًا وَاسِعًا وَشِفَاءً مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ
O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, abundant provision, and a cure from every disease.
Source: Sunan Ibn Majah 3062
Proceed to Mount Safa to begin the saʿi. On approaching Safa, recite the verse "Innas-Safa wal-Marwah…" and say "I begin with what Allah began with." Climb Safa, face the Qiblah, raise the hands, declare the tahlil three times and make duʿa in between.
إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَائِرِ اللّٰهِ
Indeed, Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah.
Source: al-Baqarah 2:158; Sahih Muslim 1218
Walk from Safa to Marwah; men jog briskly between the two green markers, while women walk throughout. On Marwah face the Qiblah and repeat the same dhikr and duʿa. Safa→Marwah is one trip, Marwah→Safa is the second; seven trips end at Marwah.
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner; His is the dominion and His the praise, and He is over all things capable (said three times on Safa and Marwah).
Source: Sahih Muslim 1218
After the saʿi, men shave the whole head (halq — more rewarded; the Prophet ﷺ supplicated three times for those who shaved) or trim evenly from all of it (taqsir). Women gather their hair and cut a fingertip’s length (about 2.5 cm) from the ends. With this the Umrah is complete and all ihram restrictions are lifted.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 1727; Sahih Muslim 1301
May Allah accept your Hajj and Umrah and grant you a Hajj Mabrur.
