Step 1 – Ihram
For anyone planning to perform Hajj or Umrah, Ihram is a necessary ritual. Without Ihram, your Umrah or Hajj will not be accepted. So what exactly is Ihram? Ihram is a specific state in which pilgrims enter and stay while performing Hajj or Umrah. Entering the divine state requires performing some purification rituals and wearing appropriate clothing.
When all Hajj or Umrah pilgrims arrive at the house of Allah in Ihram, it creates complete equality, thus erasing any financial and social differences between them. You cannot distinguish the rich from the poor when performing Umrah or Hajj. The important thing to understand here is that entering Ihram places you under the specific restrictions that you should be aware of. You can easily go to umrah with UC affordable umrah packages 2023 from Canada as per your needs.
These include the following:
- Men are not allowed to shave their hair, cut their beard, or cut their nails.
- Men are not allowed to wear tailored or woven clothing. For women, any all-white or black clothing that completely covers the body except for the face and hands is their Ihram. So women are allowed to wear ready-made clothes during Umrah or Hajj.
- Women should not expose any part of their body except the face and hands.
- Neither men nor women should wear perfume, including perfumes, deodorants, aftershaves, and scented soaps. You will be provided with unscented soap to use during the trip.
- Pilgrims are not allowed to engage in any sexual activity.
- Pilgrims are not allowed to hunt any animals or cut down trees.
How to perform Umrah Niyyah
An important rule that pilgrims should get it is that the niyyah for Umrah or Ihram must be taken some time recently crossing any Meeqats. Niyyah is the intrinsic deliberate to perform any act of adore, which is to be followed by the Talbiyah, which is a special prayer that pilgrims must continue to recite until reaching Masjid Al-Haram. Meeqats are stipulation stations established by Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) to enter Ihram state for all those performing Hajj or Umrah. Umrah packages 2023 brings the best to you.
There are five stations to add up to, and which one applies to you depends on where
- Rabegh or Al-Juhfah – For those traveling from the West, Syria, Egypt
- Yalumlum – For those traveling from Pakistan, India, or Yemen.
- Abyar Ali or Dhul-Hulaifah – For those traveling from Medina
- Qarn-Al-Manazel – For those traveling from Taif and Najd
- Dhatul-Irq – For those traveling from Iraq.
How to enter Ihram state?
If you are traveling by air, you must enter Ihram state before crossing the Meeqat that applies to you. If you fly with Saudi Airlines, they will give notice of Meeqat at the appropriate time before arriving in Makkah. We recommend that you wear Ihram clothes at home and postpone the niyyah until you get close to Meeqat on the plane. You will not officially enter the Ihram state until you have done the niyyah. Before putting on Ihram clothes, let the body be clean. Perform ghusl, which is to bathe in the prescribed manner.
Alternatively, you can simply do wudhu. Ihram clothing consists of two white sheets, one for the upper body and the other for the lower half. After dressing Ihram, pray two rakahs salah Al Ihram, but do not do niyyah of Ihram or Umrah at this time, as mentioned above. As you near your current Meeqat, fulfill your intentions for Ihram and Umrah according to the method explained in the previous section, then recite the Talbiyah. Recite Talbiyah as wajib and validate your intention to enter Ihram state. Umrah packages 2023 from Pakistan have the best things for you.
Step 2 – Tawaf Al-Umrah
The word Tawaf is derived from the Arabic word ‘Taafa,’ which means ‘to surround something.’ Within the setting of Umrah or Hajj, Tawaf is the hone of performing seven counterclockwise rounds of the Ka’abah. Although there are five different types of Tawaf, we will discuss Tawaf Al-Umrah, which is an integral part of Umrah.
Preparation
To perform Tawaf, you must be free of any major and minor impurities and be in a state of wudhu. If your wudhu ends at any time during the Tawaf, start showering again and continue your Tawaf from where you left off. You will naturally be dressed in Ihram clothes, which will be pure and clean. For men, the body must be covered from the navel to the knees, and for women, the entire body must be covered except for the hands and face.
Starting point
While in Mataf, observe the Idtiba, exposing the right shoulder, as is the custom of the Sunnah for Tawaf Al-Umrah. This can be easily done by threading the top sheet of Ihram under your right armpit and hooking it over your left shoulder. You must keep your right shoulder uncovered during Tawaf.
The starting point of Tawaf is the corner of the Ka’abah, where the Hajr Al-Aswad, or Black Stone, is located. Stand confronting the Ka’abah with the dark stone on your right. This is where you will do niyyah to perform Tawaf.
Start your Tawaf by moving to your right so that the Ka’abah is to your left. This way, you will be going counterclockwise. when performing Tawaf Al-Umrah. It refers to the practice of walking fast, lifting strong legs, and puffing out the chest, imitating a warrior. You should do the first three rounds of Tawaf this way and then return to normal walking for the rest of the four rounds.
Perform your Tawaf with great humility, remembering the greatness of the Ka’abah. Avoid unnecessary eating and talking about worldly things. Umrah packages 2023 comes with complete guides.
Duas to read in Tawaf
You can recite all the supplications and duos that you remember in your Tawaf, for this is when the duo is accepted. You can read Arabic duets or call in your own language. However, you should memorize the Arabic Sunnah duos and read them in your Tawaf. However, make sure you understand each verse that you read so that you experience humility in prayer and don’t end up having to repeat the words.
Approaching Hajr Al-Aswad marks the end of each round. You can Kiss and touch the black stone to move on to your next turn. This is called Istilam.
Salah Al-Tawaf
This refers to Salah’s two rakahs to be performed upon completion of your Tawaf. While it is best to perform this Salah ritual near Maqam-e-Ibrahim, it may not be possible because the location is located in Mataf. So you can do this prayer anywhere in the mosque.
After performing the Salah Al-Tawaf, head to the Well of Zamzam, located in Masjid Al-Haram. You should be able to get water from any dispensers and fountains in the area. Duas are also accepted at this station, so make as many duas as possible.
Do Umrah with my kids. Maybe not?
Yes, you can do Umrah with your child. However, you will need to fully understand the different stages, like niyyah, Tawaf, Sa’ee, etc., must be done on behalf of the child. Contact a genuine scholar to learn the steps. UC provide the best discounted umrah packages 2023 for kids.
Step 3 – Sa’ee
Like Tawaf, Sa’ee is a required step in Umrah. Simply put, it is the practice of walking seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah. After completing your Tawaf and performing of the Salah Al-Tawaf, head back to Hajr Al-Aswad to perform Istilam again before heading to Safa Hill to start Sa’ee.
There are many other supplications from the Sunnah that you can recite before starting your Sa’ee. Also, create your own duo in your own language. Then start walking towards Marwah. Between the hills of Safa and Marwah, you will notice two sets of green fluorescent lights about 50 meters apart. Between the two, men should run at a moderate pace, but women should continue to walk at a normal pace.
Step 4 – Halq or Taqsir
After Sa’ee, you will have to perform Halq or Taqsir to get out of the Ihram state. Unless you take this important step, you will remain in the Ihram state. Halq means shaved head, while Taqsir means haircut.
Even if you have no hair left, shave a razor on your head to complete the final ritual. For taqsir, a minimum amount of hair must be cut the length of a finger from all sides of the head where the hair is. Although you can cut your own hair, it is also acceptable to have someone else do it for you.
On the other hand, women are not allowed to practice Halq. They only have to cut a piece of hair as long as their fingers, no matter the length.
Step 5 – Finish Ihram
When completing Halq or Taqsir, you will leave Ihram state. After completing your Ihram, you will not be bound by related restrictions such as using perfume, cutting nails, marital relations, etc. Now you can change into your normal clothes. However, if your Umrah is part of Hajj, marriage will remain prohibited until Tawaf al-Ziyarah but other Ihram restrictions will be lifted.
Congratulations on completing your Umrah!
Congratulations, you have completed your Umrah. Instead of feeling proud of your achievements, continue to repent, thank Allah for that privilege, and continuously perform tricks to get your Umrah accepted.
What do you read in Umrah?
We discussed some of them in this article:
- Duas for travel
- Duas to start Ihram and Talbiyah
- Dua to enter Masjid
- Duas for Tawaf
- Coconut water Zamzam
- Dua leaves Masjid
- Dua for Sa’ee
How long does it take to complete an Umrah?
How long it takes to complete Umrah largely depends on the crowd at the time you do it, your own pace, the weather, and whether or not you choose to take a break between the rituals. Umrah’s most time-consuming stages include Tawaf and Sa’ee. Under normal circumstances, it would take each person about two hours to complete. In this case, it shouldn’t take you more than three to four hours to complete your Umrah. During peak times, it may take longer. Yu can have longer stay in affordable price with umrah packages 2023.