الإِحْرَام

Ihram - The Sacred State

Attire, Miqat, Talbiyah & Prohibitions
Page 4 of 13 • Book 14: Hajj and Umrah

🏳️ What is Ihram?

Ihram is a state of consecration and purity that a pilgrim enters before performing Hajj or Umrah. It is the physical manifestation of detaching from worldly affairs to present oneself before Allah in complete humility and devotion.

Ihram consists of two elements:

📍 The Miqat Boundaries

The Miqat are designated boundary points that cannot be crossed without entering Ihram. For air travelers, the pilot announces the approach approximately 30 minutes before landing.

🗺️ The Five Miqat Points

  • North Dhul Hulayfah (Abyar Ali) - For people of Madinah
  • East Qarn al-Manazil - For people of Najd (Central Arabia)
  • South Yalamlam - For people of Yemen
  • Northeast Dhat Irq - For people of Iraq
  • Northwest Juhfah (Rabigh) - For people of Syria, Egypt, Maghreb

✈️ For Air Travelers

It is advisable to wear Ihram garments at your departure airport or during a layover to avoid changing in cramped airplane lavatories. Listen for the pilot's announcement and be ready to make your intention.

👔 Ihram Attire

👨 Men's Ihram

  • Remove ALL stitched clothing and underwear
  • Wear two white, unsewn sheets:
  • Izar - wraps around the waist
  • Rida - covers the upper body
  • Footwear must NOT cover ankles or top of foot
  • Sandals or flip-flops are ideal

👩 Women's Ihram

  • Wear regular modest clothing
  • Any color is permissible (black, white, etc.)
  • Must cover entire body except face and hands
  • Niqab (face veil) is prohibited
  • Gloves are prohibited
  • May drape cloth over face if non-Mahram men are nearby

📋 Steps Before Entering Ihram

  1. Perform personal hygiene: clip nails, trim moustache, remove unwanted body hair
  2. Perform a complete ritual bath (Ghusl)
  3. Apply perfume to body (not clothes) - this is the last time
  4. Put on Ihram garments
  5. Pray 2 Rak'ahs (if not prayer-prohibited time)
  6. Make intention and recite Talbiyah at the Miqat

🎵 The Talbiyah

The Talbiyah is the anthem of the pilgrimage. It should be recited frequently and loudly by men, quietly by women.

لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ، إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ، لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ
Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk, Labbayk la sharika laka Labbayk,
Innal hamda wan-ni'mata laka wal-mulk, la sharika lak
"Here I am, O Allah, here I am. You have no partner, here I am.
Verily all praise, grace, and sovereignty belong to You. You have no partner."

📢 When to Recite

  • Immediately after making intention at the Miqat
  • After every prayer
  • When ascending or descending terrain
  • When meeting other pilgrims
  • At dawn and dusk
  • Stop reciting when you begin Tawaf (for Umrah)

🚫 Prohibitions of Ihram (Mahzurat)

Once the intention is made and Talbiyah is recited, the following become strictly forbidden:

✂️
No Cutting Hair/Nails

Do not remove any hair or nails

🧴
No Perfume

No scented products at all

💑
No Intimacy

No relations or foreplay

🦌
No Hunting

Cannot kill even insects (unless harmful)

👒
No Head Cover (Men)

Head must remain uncovered

🧥
No Stitched (Men)

No sewn garments for men

🧤
No Gloves (Women)

Hands must remain bare

😠
No Quarreling

Avoid all arguments and disputes

⚠️ Penalty for Violations

Intentionally violating Ihram restrictions may require a penalty (Fidyah) such as feeding the poor, fasting, or sacrificing an animal, depending on the severity and whether it was intentional.