The rites of Umrah
What happens at each stage, in order — so that nothing on the day is unfamiliar.
8 min read
What Umrah is
Umrah is four things done in order: entering the state of ihram, circling the Kaaba seven times, walking between Safa and Marwa seven times, and then cutting the hair to leave ihram. Performed without interruption it takes most people between three and five hours.
It can be done at any time of year, unlike Hajj, which falls on fixed days. Many pilgrims perform Umrah more than once during a single trip.
What follows is a description of what happens, so that nothing on the day is unfamiliar. It is not a ruling on how it must be done. Your group leaders will take you through every stage in Dhivehi, and there is no expectation that you arrive knowing it.
1. Ihram — entering the state
Ihram is a state you enter with intention, not simply a set of clothes. It begins at or before a boundary called the miqat, and your group leaders will tell you exactly when — depending on the routing, that may be at the airport before boarding, or in the air as the aircraft approaches.
Men wear two plain white unstitched cloths: one around the waist, one over the shoulder. The head is left uncovered. Women wear ordinary modest clothing — there is no special garment — and the face and hands are left uncovered.
Before entering ihram most pilgrims bathe, and men trim nails and hair, because these are not permitted afterwards. Once in ihram you begin the talbiyah, the calling out that continues until you reach the Kaaba.
- No perfume or scented soap, from the moment you enter ihram
- No cutting hair or nails
- No marital relations, and no marriage contracts
- No hunting, and no harming animals or plants of the sanctuary
- Men: no stitched or fitted clothing, and nothing covering the head
- Women: the face and hands are left uncovered
The Maldives follows the Shafi'i school, and some details of ihram differ between schools. Where you have been taught something different from what you hear on the trip, ask — the difference is often a difference of school rather than a mistake.
2. Arriving at Masjid al-Haram
You will most likely see the Kaaba for the first time on entering the mosque, and most people find that moment affects them more than they expected. It is customary to make du'a on first sight of it.
Practically: memorise which gate you entered by, and agree a meeting point with your group before you separate. The mosque is enormous, the crowd is dense, and phones do not always work well inside. Every group we take loses somebody briefly, and the ones who agreed a meeting point find each other in minutes rather than hours.
3. Tawaf — seven circuits of the Kaaba
The upper floors are far less crowded than the ground floor and are the sensible choice for anyone elderly, unsteady, or travelling with children — the circuit is longer, but you can walk it at your own pace rather than the crowd's.
Wheelchairs are available at the mosque, and can be pushed by a family member or by a paid attendant. If someone in your party will need one, tell us when you book so we can plan for it rather than improvise on the day.
Start at the Black Stone
Each circuit begins and ends at the corner of the Kaaba holding the Black Stone, marked by a line on the floor and a green light on the wall opposite. You face it, greet it, and begin.
Circle anticlockwise, seven times
The Kaaba stays on your left throughout. Seven complete circuits make one tawaf — roughly three kilometres in total, at the pace of the crowd around you.
Do not fight to touch or kiss the stone
Touching it is not required, and the crush around it injures people every season. Raising a hand towards it from a distance is entirely sufficient. Your group leaders will tell you the same thing, firmly, and they are right.
Pray two rak'ahs after the seventh circuit
These are prayed near the Station of Ibrahim if there is room, and anywhere in the mosque if there is not. Do not obstruct the flow of people circling in order to pray in a particular spot.
Drink Zamzam
Water is available throughout the mosque. Drink, and take the opportunity to rest before sa'i.
4. Sa'i — between Safa and Marwa
Sa'i re-enacts Hajar's search for water for her son Ismail. You walk between two low hills, Safa and Marwa, now enclosed within the mosque and connected by a long marbled corridor.
You begin at Safa and finish at Marwa. Safa to Marwa counts as one, Marwa back to Safa counts as two, and so on to seven — which is why sa'i ends at Marwa rather than back where you started. Between the two green markers, men walk briskly; women walk normally throughout.
It is roughly another three and a half kilometres. There is drinking water the whole way, and seating at both ends. There is no merit in exhausting yourself: sit down when you need to, and continue when you are ready.
5. Tahallul — leaving ihram
After sa'i, the hair is cut and the state of ihram ends. Men either shave the head completely or trim the hair all over; shaving is regarded as the more meritorious. Women cut a small amount — about a fingertip's length — from the end of the hair, and never shave.
With that, the Umrah is complete and the restrictions of ihram no longer apply. Barbers work in and around the mosque, and your group leaders will point you to ones the group has used before.
Madinah, and ziyarah
Madinah is not part of Umrah — it is a separate visit, and one that most pilgrims describe afterwards as the calmer half of the journey. There is no ihram, no prescribed sequence, and far less crowding.
Pilgrims visit Masjid an-Nabawi, greet the Prophet at his resting place, and pray in the Rawdah where the schedule allows — access is now managed by timed permit, which we arrange for the group. Our programmes also include ziyarah to sites around both cities, with a Maldivian guide who can explain what you are looking at.
This guide is general information for people travelling with us. Questions of religious ruling should go to a scholar — and to the group leaders travelling with you, who are there for exactly that.