Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

How To Perform UMMRAH?

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Answer:

How to perform umrah

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Beloved Brother, the Umrah pilgrimage, like all the other rites of Islam is extremely simply and beautiful. Rest assured that other than the normal difficulties of travel, etc., the rites of Umrah itself are very basic and simple; and at all times you will have access to hundreds, if not thousands of brothers in the Sacred House who will be more than happy to help and assist you to fulfill your noble intention of performing Umrah.

What we can do here is give you a synopsis of what to expect and what needs to be done to fulfill and honor the rites of the smaller pilgrimage of Umrah to the Sacred House of Allah Subhanah.

1. Wherever and however you might come towards Makkah (by air, sea, or land), at the point of ‘Meeqat’ (if by air, it will be announced in most flights), you need to purify yourself with ghusl or wudu, pray a two rakah voluntary prayer at the ‘Meeqat’, wear only the two-unstiched garments of ‘ehram’, and make intention to perform the Umrah by declaring ‘Labbayka Umrah’ (Here I am to perform Umrah (O my Lord)). Please note that once you make the intention, you will be in the state of ‘ehram’ until after the full performance of Umrah rites and some things which are normally permissible become impermissible for one in the state of ‘ehram’; namely,

1. cannot apply perfume
2. cannot cover hair or head (for males only)
3. cannot cut or clip nails
4. cannot cut or clip any body hair
5. cannot wear any stitched clothes (for males only)
6. cannot wear closed shoes
7. cannot have sex

2. After you have declared your intention for ‘Umrah’ and dorned the garments of ‘ehram’, it is Sunnah to recite as much as you can the following supplication and testification as taught by the Messenger of Allah (saws):

‘Labbayka Allah humma labbayk. Labbayka laa-shareeka laka labbayk. Innal hamda, wan-nehmata, laka wal mulk, laa-shareeka lak.’

(Here I am O Allah, Here I am. Here I am (O Allah), You have no partner, Here I am. All Praise is due to you, All blessings are from you, Sovereignty is Yours Alone. You have no partner (O Allah))

3. When you reach your accommodation in Makkah and if you need rest or need to use the restrooms, there is absolutely no harm. Revalidate your state of wudu (if necessary) and enter the Sacred Precincts of the Sacred Mosque and the absolute first thing one should do is approach the ‘Hajar Aswad’ (Black Stone) and start the ‘tawaaf’ or seven anti-clockwise circumambulation of the Kaaba by either kissing or touching the Black Stone, and if there is too much rush by simply pointing towards it, and declaring ‘Bismillah Allah-o-Akbar’ (In the Name of Allah, Allah is the Greatest). It is Sunnah to leave uncovered or bare the right shoulder during the full tawaaf, and to slightly jog for the first three rounds of ‘tawaaf’. Please note that wudu is an obligatory requirement for the ‘tawaaf’.
4. Except for the specific supplication between the last stretch of the Kaaba, ie. between ‘rukne Yamani’ and ‘Hajar Aswad’, there are no specific or particular dua one needs to recite during the ‘tawaaf’. One may praise The Lord Most High and supplicate the Lord Most Merciful in any language and words in the ‘tawaaf’. It is Sunnah to recite this supplication during the last stretch of each ‘tawaaf’ between the ‘rukne Yamani’ and the ‘Hajar Aswad’:

‘Rabbana aatena fid-dunya hasanah, wa fil-aakherate hasanah, wa kena adaab-an-naar. Wad khilna Jannataka ma-al abraar, Ya Azeezo, Ya Ghaffaar.’

(O our Lord, give us the good in the world, and give us the good in the Hereafter, and save us from the torment of the Hell Fire. And (O our Lord) enter us into Your Paradise with the righteous, O The Most Powerful One, O The Most Forgiving One.)

5. Each time you pass the ‘Hajar Aswad’, it constitutes the end of one ‘tawaaf’. It is Sunnah to kiss or touch the Hajar Aswad, but if there is too much rush, it would suffice to simply point towards it and start the next tawaaf until you complete seven circumambulation of the Kaaba.

6. Upon completion of the ‘tawaaf’, cover both the shoulders with the ‘ehraam’ and pray the Sunnah two rakah voluntary prayers near the ‘Maqaam-e-Ibraheem’ which is located opposite the main door of the Kaaba.

7. It is Sunnah to drink the ‘zam-zam’ water after the prayer.

8. Then approach the Mount Safa and start the ‘Sai’ or the walking of seven times between the Mounts Safa and Marwah. There are set of green lights between these two mounts, and it is Sunnah to do a slight jog between these two green lights. There are no particular or specific duas or supplications which have to be done during the ‘Sai’; one may praise Allah, recite the Quran, or supplicate Allah as much as one wills.

9. Upon completion of the Sai at Mount Marwah, praise and supplicate Allah as much as one desires, and shave or cut your hair, which marks the completion of the Umrah rites.

10. The Umrah is complete and all the restrictions which were enjoined in the state of ‘ehram’ are now lifted.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan