The 5th pillar
Hajj & Umrah guide
Step-by-step guides to Umrah (year-round) and Hajj (once in a lifetime). Rituals, timings, ihram rules, common questions.
This is a study guide, not a substitute for a qualified mutawwif (guide) during the actual pilgrimage. Rulings are the majority Sunni position; where the four schools differ substantively, we note it and direct you to your local imam.
Umrah — the lesser pilgrimage
Umrah can be performed year-round. Four rituals: enter ihram, perform tawaf, walk sa'i, then trim or shave the hair. Typically takes 2-4 hours.
What is Umrah?
Umrah (العُمْرَة) is a shorter pilgrimage to Makkah that can be performed at any time of year, unlike Hajj which is fixed to the month of Dhul-Hijjah. The Prophet ﷺ performed four umrahs in his lifetime, and encouraged the practice: 'One umrah is an expiation for the sins committed between it and the next, and an accepted Hajj has no reward but Paradise' (Sahih al-Bukhari 1773).
Step 1 — Entering ihram
**Where:** at your assigned miqat, before crossing it. The miqats fixed by the Prophet ﷺ (Sahih al-Bukhari 1526):
Step 2 — Tawaf
Tawaf is seven counter-clockwise circuits around the Ka'bah. Enter the Masjid al-Haram with the right foot, saying the entry dua. Stop the talbiyah once you reach the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad) to begin.
Step 3 — Sa'i
Sa'i means to walk seven laps between Safa and Marwah. It commemorates Hajar's search for water for her infant son Isma'il — she ran between these two hills seven times before Allah caused the well of Zamzam to gush forth.
Step 4 — Halq / Taqsir
After sa'i, the final ritual is cutting the hair. This ends the state of ihram and completes umrah.
Hajj — the greater pilgrimage
Hajj is the 5th pillar of Islam, obligatory once in a lifetime for those able. It takes place from 8-13 Dhul-Hijjah and involves 5 days of specific rituals across Makkah, Mina, Arafah, and Muzdalifah.
Hajj at a glance
Hajj is required once in a lifetime upon every Muslim who is:
The Day of Arafah — the essence of Hajj
The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Hajj is Arafah' (Sunan an-Nasa'i 3016; Sunan at-Tirmidhi 889). Whoever misses standing at Arafah on 9 Dhul-Hijjah between the true noon (zawal) and Fajr of the 10th has missed Hajj itself.
Day of Nahr (10 Dhul-Hijjah)
The 10th of Dhul-Hijjah — Eid al-Adha — is the busiest day of Hajj. Six rituals happen in a specific order:
Days of Tashriq (11-13 Dhul-Hijjah)
The three days after Nahr are called Ayyam at-Tashriq — the Days of Drying (of the sacrificial meat). These are days of celebration and remembrance. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'The days of Tashriq are days of eating, drinking, and remembrance of Allah' (Sahih Muslim 1141).
Preparation
Ihram rules, physical readiness, and what to pack. What you plan matters — but flexibility matters more.
Common questions
Menstruation, delegating rituals, women pilgrims, missing days — the practical questions that come up.
Menstruation during Hajj or Umrah
This happens frequently — the Prophet's ﷺ own wife A'ishah رضي الله عنها got her period during Hajj at the miqat and asked him what to do. His answer: 'Do everything a pilgrim does, except do not perform tawaf until you are pure' (Sahih al-Bukhari 305).
Women's Hajj
Islam obligates Hajj on qualifying women exactly as it obligates it on men. There are only a few practical differences:
Rulings sourced from Quran, Sahih hadith, and the standard fiqh of the four Sunni schools. Cross-referenced with published Saudi Ministry of Hajj guidance.