The four rites of Umrah in order, drawn so you can see them, with the words to say and a round counter to keep open on your phone during Tawaf and Sa’i.
4rites, in this order
7 + 7rounds of Tawaf and trips of Sa’i
Your Umrah, scene by scene
Scroll from the plane to the last step
Miqat
Ihram before the miqat
Do not pass the miqat without ihram. Flights to Jeddah usually announce when the aircraft is level with a miqat.
✓ Listen for the announcement
Ihram
The intention, then the Talbiyah
Say “Labbayka Allahumma ʿumrah”, then the Talbiyah until you see the Kaaba.
✓ Men: two white cloths
Entering
Through the gates to the mataf
Follow the signs to the mataf. Lights over some gates show how crowded it is.
✓ Upper levels when it is full
Tawaf
Seven rounds, Kaaba on your left
Start at the green light by the Black Stone and walk anticlockwise.
✓ Say “Allahu Akbar” at each round
Prayer
Two rak’ahs, then Zamzam
Pray behind the Station of Ibrahim if you can, anywhere in the mosque if not.
✓ Drink Zamzam with an intention
Sa’i
Safa to Marwah, seven times
One way is one trip, so the seventh ends at Marwah.
✓ 394 m each way
Halq or taqsir
Shave or trim: Umrah complete
Men shave or trim; women cut a fingertip’s length.
Labbayka Allāhumma labbayk, labbayka lā sharīka laka labbayk, inna al-ḥamda wa an-niʿmata laka wa al-mulk, lā sharīka lak.
“Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. All praise, grace and sovereignty belong to You. You have no partner.”
Not allowed in ihram
Marital relations
A marriage contract
Hunting
Cutting hair or nails
Perfume
Covering the headMen
Sewn, fitted clothingMen
NiqabWomen
GlovesWomen
Allowed
Bathing
Bandaging a wound
Sandals
A woman covering her face in front of men who are not her mahram
More details
Ihram starts when you make the intention for Umrah at the miqat and begin the Talbiyah. Before it, it is Sunnah to take a bath (ghusl) and apply fragrance, then enter ihram after a prayer. If you fear illness or something else may stop you finishing, you can add the condition: “If I am prevented by any obstacle, then my place of release is wherever I am prevented.”
Men
Two pieces of cloth: an izar around the waist and a rida over the shoulders, preferably white. A belt or clips to hold the izar are allowed.
Women
Any clothing that is loose, covers properly, is not decorative and does not restrict movement. No set colour.
Then the Talbiyah. Men raise their voices; women say it quietly. It stops when you see the Kaaba or begin Tawaf.
Yemeni Corner → Black Stone“Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”
More details
Enter the mataf and walk to the line of the Black Stone, marked by a green light. Keep the Kaaba on your left and walk anticlockwise. Each round starts and ends at the Black Stone.
At the start of every round, face the Black Stone, raise your right hand and say “Allahu Akbar”. Being roughly level with it is enough.
Make any supplication you wish; there is no fixed wording for each round.
At the Yemeni Corner, the corner just before the Black Stone, touch it if you can, without pushing.
Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone, it is recommended to say: “Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”
Kissing the Black Stone is Sunnah for those who can reach it, but crowds usually make it hard. Pointing to it is enough.
For men only: uncover the right shoulder (idtiba) during Tawaf, and walk briskly with short steps (raml) in the first three rounds if you can do it safely.
After the seventh round
Men cover the right shoulder again.
Pray two rak’ahs behind the Station of Ibrahim, or level with it, or anywhere in the mosque if it is crowded. On the upper floors, anywhere in the mataf facing the Kaaba.
Drink Zamzam water with a specific intention.
If the ground-floor mataf is too crowded, there are upper levels for Tawaf, reached through specific gates and stairways.
Tawaf and Sa’i round counter
Tap once at the end of each round. It keeps your count on this phone and works without internet.
0of 7
Screen kept on while counting
3Sa’i between Safa and Marwah
Start at Safa, finish at Marwah
One way = one round · 7 rounds
About 45–60 minutes
394 mSafa to Marwah
2,761 mall seven trips
45–60 minaverage time
More details
Follow the signs inside the mosque to the Mas’a. Start at Safa and walk to Marwah: that is one trip. Marwah back to Safa is the second. You finish the seventh trip at Marwah. This is the detail pilgrims most often get wrong: one way counts as one.
At the start of Safa, recite: “Indeed, Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah…” (Al-Baqarah 158).
On Safa and on Marwah, face the qiblah and say: “Allahu Akbar” three times, then “There is no god but Allah alone, without partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things. There is no god but Allah alone. He fulfilled His promise, aided His servant and defeated the confederates alone.” Then make your own supplication. Do this three times, standing where you do not block others.
Between the two green lights on the ceiling, men walk briskly; outside them, walk normally.
Sa’i can be done in the basement, on the ground floor or on the second floor; the mezzanine floor is set aside for electric wheelchairs. To avoid crowds, the upper floors are recommended.
4Halq or taqsir, the end of Umrah
Your Umrah is complete
Men: shave or trim
Women: a fingertip’s length
Your Umrah is complete
More details
With this your Umrah is complete and everything that ihram forbade is allowed again. You do not have to cut your hair inside the Mas’a: there are licensed barbers around the Grand Mosque, who must use new blades and clippers for each pilgrim, disinfect their scissors and wash their hands before each cut.
Mistakes to avoid
Counting Safa → Marwah → Safa as one trip of Sa’i. Each direction is one trip, so you end at Marwah.
Walking against the flow of Tawaf, or stopping suddenly in the crowd.
Pushing to kiss the Black Stone. Pointing to it from where you are is enough.
Passing the miqat without ihram on the plane. Flights to Jeddah usually announce when the aircraft is level with a miqat.
Blocking others while making supplication on Safa, Marwah or in the mataf.
Umrah and Hajj: the difference
Umrah
Hajj
When
Any time of year, apart from the pause around the Hajj season
Fixed days in Dhul Hijjah
Rites
Ihram, Tawaf, Sa’i, then shaving or trimming
The same, plus the stay in Mina, the day of Arafah, the night in Muzdalifah and the stoning of the Jamarat
Time needed
The rites are done in one visit to the Grand Mosque
Seven in each. Tawaf rounds start and end at the Black Stone. In Sa’i, Safa to Marwah is one trip and Marwah to Safa is the next, so the seventh trip ends at Marwah.
How long does Umrah take?
The rites are done in one visit to the Grand Mosque. Tawaf depends on the crowd; Sa’i takes 45 to 60 minutes on average for the 2,761 m of its seven trips.
Can I do Tawaf and Sa’i on the upper floors?
Yes. There are upper levels for Tawaf when the ground floor is crowded, and Sa’i can be done in the basement, on the ground floor or on the second floor. On the upper floors you can pray the two rak’ahs anywhere in the mataf facing the Kaaba.
Where do I cut my hair after Umrah?
Not necessarily in the Mas’a. There are licensed barbers around the Grand Mosque. Men shave or trim; women cut about a fingertip’s length from the ends of the hair.
Is Jeddah airport a miqat?
The mawaqit are set before Makkah, so a flight to Jeddah passes the miqat before landing. Enter ihram before the plane passes the miqat or the point parallel to it; flights to Jeddah usually announce it. Our miqat tool shows when that happens on your route.
How do you perform Umrah step by step?
Four rites, in this order: ihram at the miqat with the intention and the Talbiyah; seven rounds of Tawaf around the Kaaba, starting at the Black Stone, then two rak’ahs; seven trips of Sa’i between Safa and Marwah, ending at Marwah; then shaving or trimming the hair. With that your Umrah is complete.
Do you have to shave your head for Umrah?
No. Men either shave the whole head (halq) or trim the hair (taqsir); for Umrah of tamattu‘ before Hajj, men trim only and do not shave. Women cut about a fingertip’s length from the ends of the hair.
What is Tawaf?
Tawaf is walking seven rounds around the Kaaba, anticlockwise with the Kaaba on your left. Each round starts and ends at the Black Stone, marked by a green light; after the seventh round you pray two rak’ahs.
