How to Perform Umrah, Step by Step

“And complete the Hajj and ‘Umrah for Allah.”

Qur’an 2:196

The Prophet ﷺ said: “An ‘Umrah is an expiation for what is between it and the next” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1773, Sahih Muslim 1349). Umrah has four parts — Ihram, Tawaf, Sa’i and shaving or trimming the hair — and with ordinary crowds it takes two to four hours.

The steps of Umrah

1. Before Ihram

   Prepare your body and your heart

   • Take a ghusl (full bath). Intend purification, wash your hands and private parts, make wudu, pour water over your head three times, then wash the whole body starting with the right side. It is recommended even for a woman who is menstruating.
   • Trim or remove unwanted hair and cut your nails before entering Ihram, if needed. Do it now — once in Ihram, cutting hair or nails is not allowed until your Umrah is finished. Men may put perfume on the body (never on the Ihram cloth) before the intention.
   • MenWear the two pieces of Ihram clothing. A waist-wrap (izar) and a sheet over the shoulders (rida’), ideally white and clean, with sandals rather than shoes or socks. Nothing sewn to the body’s shape, and nothing on the head.
   • WomenWear your normal modest Islamic clothing — there is no special Ihram garment. In Ihram a woman does not wear the niqab or gloves (Bukhari). When men pass close by, she may lower her scarf over her face instead.
   • Pray two rak’ahs if convenient. Many scholars recommend al-Kāfirūn in the first rak’ah and al-Ikhlāṣ in the second. If it is the time of an obligatory prayer, pray that and enter Ihram after it.
   • Hold the intention for Umrah in your heart. Umrah begins with the intention at the Miqat — here you are getting ready for it. Renew your sincerity: this journey is for Allah alone.

2. At the Miqat — enter Ihram

   Make your intention and begin the Talbiyah

   • When you reach the Miqat, make your intention for Umrah. Flying in? The plane crosses the Miqat before Jeddah — be in Ihram clothing before you board, and make the intention when the crew announces it. From now on avoid: perfume, cutting hair or nails, intimacy with your spouse, and hunting; men also avoid sewn clothes and covering the head.
   • Say: Labbayka Allāhumma ʿUmrah. Say it once, aloud. If you fear that illness or something else may stop you, you may add the condition below — the Prophet ﷺ taught it to Ḍubāʿah (Bukhari & Muslim).
   • Begin reciting the Talbiyah. Men raise their voices; women say it so that only those near them hear. Use the counter below if it helps you keep going.
   • Keep reciting it until you reach Makkah and begin Tawaf. Stop the Talbiyah when you begin Tawaf at the Black Stone (Tirmidhi). Between Talbiyahs, remember Allah and make du’a.
   The du’as for this step

   Intention for Umrah

   لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ عُمْرَةً

   Labbayka Allāhumma ʿUmrah

   O Allah, here I am, answering Your call for Umrah.

   Sahih Muslim

   The Talbiyah

   لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ، إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ، لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ

   Labbayka Allāhumma labbayk, labbayka lā sharīka laka labbayk, innal-ḥamda wan-niʿmata laka wal-mulk, lā sharīka lak.

   Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am — You have no partner — here I am. All praise, all blessings and all sovereignty belong to You. You have no partner.

   Bukhari & Muslim

   If you fear being prevented (a condition)

   فَإِنْ حَبَسَنِي حَابِسٌ فَمَحِلِّي حَيْثُ حَبَسْتَنِي

   Fa-in ḥabasanī ḥābisun fa-maḥillī ḥaythu ḥabastanī.

   If anything prevents me, then my place of leaving Ihram is wherever You prevent me.

   Bukhari & Muslim

3. Enter Masjid al-Haram

   Right foot first, and a heart full of hope

   • Enter with your right foot. Any gate is fine. Note its name and number (for example King Fahd Gate 79) so you can find your group and your way out afterwards.
   • Say the du’a for entering the mosque. Then go to Tawaf if you can — at Masjid al-Haram, Tawaf takes the place of the two rak’ahs of greeting the mosque. If a congregational prayer is about to begin, join it first.
   • When you see the Ka’bah, make any sincere du’a you wish — no particular du’a is required. Many pilgrims treasure this moment. Raise your hands and ask for what matters most to you — the narrations of a fixed du’a here are weak, so use your own words.
   The du’as for this step

   At the door, right foot first

   بِسْمِ اللَّهِ، وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ

   Bismillāh, was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh.

   In the name of Allah, and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah.

   Ibn Majah

   Entering the mosque

   اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ

   Allāhumma-ftaḥ lī abwāba raḥmatik.

   O Allah, open for me the doors of Your mercy.

   Sahih Muslim

4. Tawaf — seven rounds

   Circle the Ka’bah, keeping it on your left

   • Go toward the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad) — your Tawaf begins in line with it. Make sure you have wudu. The line is marked by a green light on the wall facing the Black Stone. Face the Stone; touch or kiss it if it is easy, otherwise point your right hand at it, and say the words below.
   • Keep the Ka’bah on your left and walk counterclockwise. Walk outside the Hijr — the low curved wall on the north side is part of the Ka’bah, so a round that cuts through it does not count.
   • One round is from the Black Stone back to the Black Stone. Complete seven. Each time you return to the line, point to the Black Stone with your right hand and say Allāhu Akbar — that completes a round. If you are unsure of the number, build on the lower count.
   • If you cannot touch the Black Stone, never push — face it and say Allāhu Akbar, then continue. Kissing the Stone is a Sunnah; hurting a Muslim is forbidden. In a crowd, pointing from where you are is the Sunnah.
   • There is no required du’a for any round — make your own du’a, remember Allah, recite Qur’an. Between the Yemeni corner and the Black Stone, recite Rabbanā ātinā (Abu Dawud). Touch the Yemeni corner with your right hand if it is easy — do not kiss it, and do not point to it if you cannot reach it.
   • MenMen: keep your right shoulder uncovered (Idtiba’) during this Tawaf. Pass the upper sheet under your right armpit and throw its end over your left shoulder. Only during this Tawaf — not before it, and not in prayer.
   • MenMen: walk briskly in the first three rounds if reasonably possible, without harming or obstructing anyone. Raml is quick, short steps with the shoulders moving — not running. If the crowd makes it impossible, walking normally is fine.
   • MenMen: after Tawaf, cover both shoulders again. Do this before the two rak’ahs — the shoulders are covered in prayer.
   The du’as for this step

   Starting Tawaf at the Black Stone

   بِسْمِ اللَّهِ، وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ

   Bismillāh, wallāhu Akbar.

   In the name of Allah, and Allah is the Greatest.

   Bayhaqi

   Facing the Black Stone

   اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ

   Allāhu Akbar

   Allah is the Greatest.

   Bukhari

   Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone

   رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

   Rabbanā ātinā fid-dunyā ḥasanatan wa fil-ākhirati ḥasanatan wa qinā ʿadhāban-nār.

   Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.

   Al-Baqarah 2:201

5. Two rak’ahs and Zamzam

   Pray, drink, and ask

   • After completing the seven rounds, pray two rak’ahs. Walking toward Maqam Ibrahim, recite the verse below. Recite al-Kāfirūn in the first rak’ah and al-Ikhlāṣ in the second, as the Prophet ﷺ did (Muslim).
   • Behind Maqam Ibrahim if possible — otherwise anywhere in the mosque where you will not obstruct people. Keep the prayer short, and do not pray in the stream of people doing Tawaf. Anywhere in the mosque is valid.
   • Drink Zamzam and make du’a. Face the Qibla, say Bismillāh, drink in three breaths and ask for anything — “Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for” (Ibn Majah). Then, if it is easy, touch the Black Stone once more before going to Safa (Muslim).
   The du’as for this step

   Approaching Maqam Ibrahim

   وَاتَّخِذُوا مِنْ مَقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى

   Wattakhidhū min maqāmi Ibrāhīma muṣallā.

   And take the station of Ibrahim as a place of prayer.

   Al-Baqarah 2:125

   When drinking Zamzam

   اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَافِعًا، وَرِزْقًا وَاسِعًا، وَشِفَاءً مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ

   Allāhumma innī as’aluka ʿilman nāfiʿā, wa rizqan wāsiʿā, wa shifā’an min kulli dā’.

   O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, abundant provision, and a cure for every illness.

   Reported from Ibn ʿAbbas

   Du’a of Ibrahim (AS) — acceptance

   رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

   Rabbanā taqabbal minnā innaka antas-Samīʿul-ʿAlīm.

   Our Lord, accept this from us. You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

   Al-Baqarah 2:127

6. Sa’i — Safa to Marwah

   Seven trips, beginning at Safa and ending at Marwah

   • Go to Safa and recite the verse of Safa and Marwah. Follow the signs to the Mas’a and walk up toward Safa. Recite the verse only here, as you approach Safa at the very start — not on every trip.
   • Say: Abda’u bimā bada’allāhu bih. Once, straight after the verse, at the start of Sa’i.
   • Face the Ka’bah, say Allāhu Akbar three times and the declaration of oneness, then make your own du’a. Go up until you can see the Ka’bah if you can, face it and raise your hands as in du’a (not as in prayer). Say the remembrance three times, making your own du’a between each (Muslim).
   • Safa → Marwah is one trip; Marwah → Safa is the second. Complete seven. Wudu is not required for Sa’i, though it is better. You may rest, drink, or use the upper floors, the roof or the wheelchair lane — it is all the same Mas’a.
   • You finish at Marwah. The seventh trip ends at Marwah — there is no need to walk back to Safa.
   • At Marwah, repeat the same remembrance and du’a as at Safa. Do it at every arrival — on Marwah and back on Safa — except the verse and “Abda’u…”, which are only for the very start.
   • MenMen: jog lightly between the green markers. The green-lit stretch is about a quarter of the way from Safa and some 45 m long. Hurry there on every trip, in both directions.
   • WomenWomen: walk normally throughout. Walk at your normal pace the whole way, the green-lit stretch included; the du’a and remembrance are the same.
   The du’as for this step

   Approaching Safa

   إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ

   Innaṣ-Ṣafā wal-Marwata min shaʿā’irillāh.

   Indeed, Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah.

   Al-Baqarah 2:158

   Then say

   أَبْدَأُ بِمَا بَدَأَ اللَّهُ بِهِ

   Abda’u bimā bada’allāhu bih.

   I begin with what Allah began with.

   Sahih Muslim

   On Safa and Marwah, facing the Ka’bah

   اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ

   Allāhu Akbar, Allāhu Akbar, Allāhu Akbar.

   Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest.

   Sahih Muslim

   Then three times, with your du’a between

   لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ، أَنْجَزَ وَعْدَهُ، وَنَصَرَ عَبْدَهُ، وَهَزَمَ الْأَحْزَابَ وَحْدَهُ

   Lā ilāha illallāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-ḥamd, wa huwa ʿalā kulli shay’in qadīr. Lā ilāha illallāhu waḥdah, anjaza waʿdah, wa naṣara ʿabdah, wa hazamal-aḥzāba waḥdah.

   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, gave victory to His servant, and alone defeated the confederates.

   Sahih Muslim

   Between the green lights (from the Companions)

   رَبِّ اغْفِرْ وَارْحَمْ، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْأَعَزُّ الْأَكْرَمُ

   Rabbigh-fir warḥam, innaka antal-Aʿazzul-Akram.

   My Lord, forgive and have mercy. You are the Most Mighty, the Most Generous.

   Reported from Ibn Masʿud and Ibn ʿUmar

   Between the green markers

   رَبِّ اغْفِرْ وَارْحَمْ وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ

   Rabbigh-fir warḥam wa anta khayrur-rāḥimīn.

   My Lord, forgive and have mercy, for You are the best of those who show mercy.

   Al-Mu’minun 23:118

7. Shave or trim — Umrah complete

   The final step

   • MenMen: Halq — shave the entire head. This is generally considered more virtuous. The Prophet ﷺ prayed three times for those who shave and once for those who trim (Bukhari & Muslim). Begin with the right side of the head (Muslim).
   • MenMen: or Taqsir — shorten the hair from the whole head. Shorten the hair from all over the head — a few snips from one spot are not enough.
   • WomenWomen: cut about a fingertip’s length from the ends of the hair. Gather your hair and cut about 2 cm from the ends — in private, yourself, or by your mahram or another woman.
   • Once this is done, your Umrah is complete and the restrictions of Ihram end. Say Alḥamdulillāh and ask Allah to accept it. “One Umrah to the next is an expiation for what is between them” (Bukhari & Muslim).
   The du’as for this step

   Du’a of Ibrahim (AS) — acceptance

   رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

   Rabbanā taqabbal minnā innaka antas-Samīʿul-ʿAlīm.

   Our Lord, accept this from us. You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

   Al-Baqarah 2:127

Counting Tawaf and Sa’i without losing track

In the crowd it is easy to lose count of the rounds. Zikr Break counts them for you:

• Tawaf: seven rounds, anticlockwise with the Ka’bah on your left, each starting and ending at the line of the Black Stone. The counter follows your walk with your phone’s motion sensors and GPS, tells you when you reach the Yemeni corner (where “Rabbanā ātinā…” is said) and counts each round at the Black Stone line.
• Sa’i: seven trips, starting at Safā and ending at Marwah. If you switch it on away from Safā, it tells you to walk there first, then follows you along the Mas’ā — the green lights where men hasten, each hill, each trip.
• In your pocket: in the Android app it keeps counting with the screen off and shows the count on the lock screen. You can always confirm a round yourself with one tap.