is ihram necessary for umrah?
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Umrah is a beautiful spiritual journey taken by every single Muslim to acknowledge Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala – Glory to him, the exalted) as the harbinger of peace and to commune with him to purge the impurities within. Any pilgrim who proceeds on this journey, goes along the path to purifying their soul, heart mind and body from the sins committed in the past to be distinguished from others on Resurrection day.
Essentially, the Umrah means ‘a visit’ to the Holy Kaaba (the Sacred House of God) in Arabic and can be performed by anyone, anytime of the year; unlike Hajj, which is an obligatory pilgrimage to Makkah, performed every year within the first 10 days of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah.
The acts of faith performed by all pilgrims during their spiritual journey to the Holy Kaaba are collectively known as the Umrah rituals.
Depending on whether one wishes to perform Hajj after the commencement of Umrah rituals, there are two types of Umrah: Al Umrah Al Mufradah (optional before Hajj) and Umrah Al Tammatu (obligatory before Hajj).
Following are the four acts of Umrah Al Mufradah that involve fulfilling some religious duties and rituals, each anchoring the pilgrim in the right moment towards complete atonement.
Before pilgrims wish to enter the Al Masjid Al Haram (the sacred boundary of Makkah) and move across to perform Umrah, they should wear Ihram in order to make haram and traverse the five different areas of Miqats in the Haram boundary:
Prior to visiting the sacred boundary of Makkah, pilgrims are mandated to assume a state of Ihram, which is the combined sacred act of Niyyah and Talbiyah necessary to perform Umrah. Niyyah is the innate intention to perform an act of worship, while Talbiyah is a special prayer said in supplication.
To become a Muhrim (a pilgrim that has attained the state of Ihram), a pilgrim must prepare himself for Ihram by following the below steps as instructed by the Prophet (PBUH):
After assuming a state of Ihram, the Muhrim performs the obligatory act of Tawaf in the Al Masjid Al Haram. The Muhrim must stop reciting the Talbiyah and start circumambulating the holy Kaaba seven times (as a reminder of the angels that circumambulate the celestial realms of Allah’s house, al-Bayt al-Ma’mur), by setting their right foot in and making Idtiba’a. Men must bare their right shoulder by placing the Rida under their right arm and the lower parts of it over their left shoulder during the entirety of Tawaf.
They must circumambulate the Masjid Al Haram by starting from the Black Stone and completing it there at with the sincere intention of seeking closeness to Allah. The worship is validated only if the pilgrim recites the prescribed du’aa (supplication) during each one of the seven circumambulations.
Pilgrims can to Istilam (kiss or gesture towards the Black Stone), if he/she can during the circumambulations. Otherwise, they can touch it with their right hand and start moving towards completing the seven anticlockwise circumambulations while reciting du’aa with the holy Kaaba on their left, without any interruptions or distractions.
During the first three circumambulations, only the men must make Ramal (fast-paced walk on entry into the holy Kaaba) and the remaining four are completed by walking (at a normal pace) between the al Rukn al Yamani (the Rukn of the holy Kaaba) and the Black Stone.
The last circumambulation ends exactly where the first one began, to ensure that the pilgrim completed all seven rounds without moving or falling behind a single step or more. And with the seventh round of circumambulation and performance of eight Istilam, the state of Tawaf concludes. At this point, men must cover their shoulders with the upper part of the Ihram sheet.
Upon completion of Tawaf, pilgrims can go behind Maqam Ibrahim (the station of Ibrahim) and perform Salat of Tawaf to offer the two short rak’aa’s and thereafter drink the holy Zamzam water from Well of Zamzam in the basement of the Sacred Mosque while supplicating to Allah.
After drinking Zamzam, pilgrims then proceed to the Multazam, a section of the holy Kaaba between the Black Stone and the door of the Kaaba, to supplicate to Allah and offer du’aa.
Umrah pilgrims intending to make Sa’iy must make their way out of the Al Masjid Al Haram towards the Masaa’ (the place of Sa’iy) which commemorates the struggle Prophet Abraham’s wife Hazarat Hajra went through to search for water for her son in between the hills of Safa in the south and Marwah in the North. In essence, Sa’iy is a great way to spend some time on self-reflection and self-realisation.
Pilgrims start Sa’iy by going up the hill of Safa to see the holy Kaaba from the Safa door. They must face the Kaaba with utmost devotion and love, while raising their hands to supplicate to Allah. They must then descend from Safa and walk towards the hill of Marwah while reciting the supplication Subhan Allah and keep moving until they reach two green pillars between which only the men have to run through while the women walk at a normal pace. When on top of Marwah, praise Allah facing the Kaaba and recite the supplication mentioning Allah.
The procedure continues with pilgrims going from Safa to Marwah and returning back to Safa, until the they complete seven laps in total. Each round is nearly 450m long. The seventh round will end at Marwah where all pilgrims must stand facing the Kaaba and repeat the same supplications that were recited at Safa. Men must perform Sa’iy with their shoulders covered.
After offering two Raka of Nafl (at a desirable time) in the Al Masjid Al Haram, pilgrims should come out of the Holy Mosque with their left foot out and then offer a du’aa.
Ihram (Arabic: إِحْرَام, romanized: iḥrām, from the triconsonantal root Ḥ-R-M) is, in Islam, a sacred state which a Muslim must enter in order to perform the major pilgrimage (Ḥajj) or the minor pilgrimage (ʿUmrah).
Ihram (Arabic: إِحْرَام, romanized: iḥrām, from the triconsonantal root Ḥ-R-M) is, in Islam, a sacred state which a Muslim must enter in order to perform the major pilgrimage (Ḥajj) or the minor pilgrimage (ʿUmrah). A pilgrim must enter into this state before crossing the pilgrimage boundary, known as Mīqāt, by performing the cleansing rituals and wearing the prescribed attire.
A man in the state of ihram must not tie any knots or wear any stitched items. Sandals and flip flops must not be stitched either and should allow the ankle and back of foot to be exposed (some other schools of thought also agree that the front of the foot must be shown as well).
Men are also not allowed to cover the head or part of it by using a songkok, keffiyeh, turban, ihram cloth, etc. in the state of ihram.[1]
In the state of ihram, women and men are not allowed to wear gloves.[1]
Whilst in the state of ihram, a Muslim must not use any scents on the body or on the robes. If the robe has been fouled by najas (نَجَس, dirty) material or has been wiped, rubbed or touched by scented liquids (intentionally), then a new iḥrām clothing must be worn, or the Umrah or Hajj will be invalid.
Aside from being as clean (purified) as they are for prayer, male Muslims are expected to cut their nails, and trim their hair and beards. They must also not wear any scent, including deodorant. They have to wear ihram clothing, which is a white, seamless garment. Many also shave their head as this is considered hygienic. Most will wait to shave their heads until after they have finished Umrah or Hajj, as this is a requirement to leave the state of ihram. Female Muslims are also expected to be clean. During the pilgrimage, sexual activity, smoking, and swearing are also forbidden.[2]
It is forbidden for every pilgrim of Hajj and Umrah when in his Ihram men and women to uproot, cut, break and grind the branches of trees and trees that are planted alive and growing in the Holy Land. This prohibition is also not allowed by any person present in the Holy Land (al-Haramain: Makkah, Madinah, Masyair Haram: Arafah, Muzdalifah and Mina, Jerusalem: Al-Aqsa Mosque). This is because, the trees that thrive in the Holy Land are the "Blessed Trees".
It is forbidden for every pilgrim of Hajj and Umrah while in his Ihram men and women to hunt, shoot, kill, sacrifice, capture, confine, destroy and abuse any land animal. This prohibition applies to every type of land animal, bird and insect other than marine animals.
If a person steps on or kills small animals/insects such as small black ants, grasshoppers, etc. by accident then he is not considered guilty but it is very necessary to pay the Dam according to the value of the insects killed.
A person is allowed to kill animals and insects that may cause him harm and endanger his sight and that of other pilgrims if he continues to leave it while in Ihram such as mosquitoes, snakes, scorpions and spiders without being subject to Dam, although it is preferable to only drive away the insect or animal first if possible.
Every pilgrim (male and female) of Hajj or Umrah who is in Ihram is prohibited from performing mukaddimah (Beginning/Introduction) to sexual intercourse whether in the form of words, deeds, body gestures or the like. However, it is not imposed on Dam for those who are in Ihram who ejaculate due to seeing women and fantasizing about sex. Husband and wife or mahram are allowed to hold hands (not on the genital) while in Ihram provided they are in a situation where it is called "Masyaqqah" that is: Needs with No Lust (want to have sex). Husband and wife or mahram are allowed to hug for the purpose of desperate needs (not wanting to have sex) as well as security purposes such as pain etc. while in Ihram provided they need to be in a state where it is called "Masyaqqah" namely: Needs with No Lust (want to have sex) .
The act of sexual intercourse is something that is strictly forbidden and is capable of ruining one's Hajj, especially when the congregation is in a state of Ihram before Tahallul Awwal. The state of this prohibition is in a position where:
When it turns out that the husband and wife have done the above act, then it is obligatory for them to continue the rest of the Hajj that has not been performed to be performed as perfectly as possible until it is completed, and then immediately qada replace the Hajj (for the second time) even if it is just the Hajj of Sunnah (generally the Hajj performed for the second time and so on, is the Hajj that is in the category of Sunnah only) unless there is an illness between the two. Only the husband is subject to Dam (Order and Justice). Both (husband and wife) need to ask for forgiveness from Allah SWT as well. However, if there is another sexual intercourse (which is connected with it) after sexual intercourse that spoils the Hajj for the first time, then the husband is subject to Dam (Takhyir and Taqdir). If sexual intercourse occurs after Tahallul Awwal but before Tahallul Thani, the Hajj is not void, but the husband is subject to Dam (Takhyir and Taqdir). Husbands and wives are allowed to have sexual intercourse after (both types of Tahallul Awwal and Tahallul Thani) have been completed properly. However, it is more afdhal (better and encouraged) to postpone the act until all the pillars and activities of Hajj are completed.
All acts of marrying, marrying or accepting a marriage representative are strictly prohibited when the congregation is in a state of Ihram. In fact, pre-marital and post-marital activities such as merisik, betrothal and marriage are illegal. Marriage contract is also considered Haram. However, the people involved are not subject to Dam.
When flying on pilgrimage, appropriate measures are usually taken to assure that the pilgrim will be in the state of ihram when flying above or alongside the stations of miqat.[3] For this reason some airports in Muslim areas have dedicated ihram rooms where pilgrims can change into the necessary clothing. If flying with an airline originating from a Muslim majority country, airline staff announce to be in the state of 'ihram' before entering in the boundaries of "Miqat".
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