The twelve canonical steps in the Tamattuʿ form, Umrah on arrival, then Hajj on the 8th of Dhul-Ḥijjah. Each step has its supplications in Arabic with transliteration and meaning, etiquette, common pitfalls, and the primary classical source. Madhab variations noted where they matter.
Umrah on arrival, exit ihram, then re-enter for Hajj on 8th Dhul-Hijjah. Two ihrams, two tawafs, two saʿīs, one sacrifice required.
Most pilgrims today. Easiest.
Hajj only, no Umrah this trip. One ihram from miqat held until 10th Dhul-Hijjah. No sacrifice required.
Residents of Makkah and those who plan to do Umrah separately.
Hajj + Umrah combined under one ihram from the miqat. One tawaf, two saʿīs, one sacrifice required.
Those bringing the sacrificial animal with them.
Bathe, put on the two unstitched white cloths (men) or modest plain clothes (women), and make the intention for Hajj before crossing the miqat. From this moment until you exit ihram, several things become forbidden.
On flights to Saudi Arabia, the captain announces the miqat ~30 minutes before crossing it. Change into ihram before boarding if you can; many international flights have a designated ihram-changing announcement near the relevant airspace.
Hanafis hold that ihram itself is the niyyah + talbiyah together; Shafiʿis and Hanbalis hold the niyyah alone is sufficient and the talbiyah is sunnah muʾakkadah. Either way, do both.
Primary source · Sahih Muslim 1218 (the talbiyah); Bukhari 1838 (men's ihram description).
Seven circuits around the Kaaba, starting and ending at the Black Stone corner. For Tamattuʿ pilgrims this also serves as the Umrah tawaf, Umrah is one tawaf and one saʿī.
If the Mataf is packed, use the upper levels, they have multiple floors. Each floor counts as a valid tawaf level. Going at 2 AM is also viable; the Masjid is open 24/7 and upper levels are noticeably less crowded.
Touching or kissing the Black Stone is sunnah, not required. With today's crowds the safest practice is to point and say takbīr from a distance, that fulfills the sunnah without harming others.
Primary source · Bukhari 1610–1611 (the Prophet ﷺ kissed the Black Stone, did raml on the first three circuits, and prayed two rakaʿāt at the Maqam).
Walk seven trips between the hills of Ṣafā and Marwah, starting at Ṣafā and ending at Marwah. Each one-way walk counts as one trip. Commemorates Hajar's frantic search for water for her infant Ismaʿīl.
The full saʿī is a ~3.5 km walk in air-conditioned marble corridors. Wear good sandals (not flip-flops). Many pilgrims do saʿī right after tawaf to flow through both rituals while still energised.
Primary source · Quran 2:158; Sahih Muslim 1218 (Jabir's narration of the Prophet's ﷺ saʿī); Bukhari 1643.
Tamattuʿ pilgrims now exit ihram and stay in regular clothes until the 8th. End of the Umrah portion. Ifrad and Qiran pilgrims stay in ihram throughout, they do not perform this step.
Bring a small reusable bag for the hair. Some pilgrims bury it; others discard it respectfully. Don't leave hair on the floor of the Masjid.
Ifrad and Qiran pilgrims do NOT shave here; they stay in ihram until the 10th.
Primary source · Bukhari 1691.
Re-enter ihram for Hajj. Travel to Mina before noon. Pray Dhuhr through Fajr there, the four-rakʿah prayers shortened (qaṣr) but not combined.
Mina tents are air-conditioned and have meals provided by your operator. Sleep early on the night of the 8th, the 9th is a long day on your feet at ʿArafah and you'll want energy.
Primary source · Sahih Muslim 1218 (Jabir's narration, Dhuhr through Fajr in Mina, shortened but not combined).
Standing at ʿArafah from after Dhuhr until sunset is THE pillar of Hajj. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Hajj is ʿArafah' (Tirmidhi 889). Miss this and your Hajj is invalid, you must repeat Hajj another year.
Bring zip-lock bags of water bottles, energy bars, electrolyte tablets, and a small umbrella for shade. The plain is hot and the day is long. Stay hydrated. Eat lightly, you're standing for 6 hours.
Primary source · Tirmidhi 3585 (the duʿāʾ of ʿArafah); Sahih Muslim 1348; Bukhari 1655.
After ʿArafah, travel to Muzdalifah, an open plain about 4 km away. Combine Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ. Sleep under the open sky. Collect pebbles for stoning.
Bring a thin emergency mat (silver foil ones work well, light and cheap) to spread on the ground. The Saudi government has been improving Muzdalifah every year but it's still mostly bare ground.
Mālikis count overnight stay at Muzdalifah as a wajib; the other three count even a brief halt as sufficient.
Primary source · Sahih Muslim 1218; Bukhari 1671 (the Prophet ﷺ slept until fajr); Bukhari 1679 (the concession for the weak).
Throw seven pebbles at the largest pillar (Jamarat al-ʿAqabah). With each throw, say 'Allāhu akbar'. This is the first ihram-breaking act of the 10th.
If your operator scheduled your stoning slot for late afternoon, take it, late afternoon is much less crowded than early morning. The Saudi authorities allow stoning of ʿAqabah from sunrise on the 10th until sunset on the 13th.
Primary source · Bukhari 1750; Sahih Muslim 1218.
Sacrifice an animal (qurbāni), almost always done by proxy through licensed banks today. Then shave the head (men, halq, preferred) or trim hair (taqsir). After this, ihram restrictions lift except marital relations.
Pay for qurbāni online before you fly out. Many banks (Al-Rajhi especially) let you pre-pay and select the meat distribution charity. You'll get an SMS confirmation when the slaughter happens, which removes anxiety on the day.
The order, stone, sacrifice, shave, is sunnah but not required. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Do, and there is no harm' to people who asked about doing them out of order (Bukhari 1721).
Primary source · Bukhari 1691; Quran 22:36; Quran 2:196.
Travel to Makkah and perform Tawaf al-Ifāḍah, the obligatory Hajj tawaf, the rukn that without it Hajj is incomplete. Tamattuʿ and Qiran pilgrims also do another saʿī after this tawaf.
The 10th is the busiest day at the Masjid. If you can wait, doing this tawaf on the 11th or after Maghrib on the 12th is much calmer. The Saudi authorities have built upper-floor walkways to spread the load, use them.
Primary source · Quran 22:29.
Return to Mina. Each afternoon after Dhuhr, stone all three jamarāt in order: small → middle → large. 7 pebbles each, takbīr with each throw, duʿāʾ after the small and middle jamarāt facing qibla.
Each stoning round takes about 1.5 hours. Wear good shoes. Bring water. Going at sunset is much cooler than mid-afternoon.
Hanafis count overnight stay in Mina as wajib; the others count it sunnah. Either way, plan to stay.
Primary source · Quran 2:203; Bukhari 1746–1751.
A final tawaf around the Kaaba before departing Makkah. The last act of Hajj. Women in their menses are exempt by ijmāʿ (consensus).
Many pilgrims do this tawaf at 3 AM, much less crowded, and it's the last quiet farewell. Bring a notebook to write down your duʿāʾs in advance so you don't forget anyone.
Mālikis hold the farewell tawaf is sunnah; the other three count it wajib (with sacrifice owed for skipping). Women in menses are exempt by ijmāʿ.
Primary source · Bukhari 1755; Sahih Muslim 1328.
The wuqūf at ʿArafah on the 9th of Dhul-Ḥijjah. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Hajj is ʿArafah' (Tirmidhi 889). Miss this and your Hajj is invalid, there is no compensation, you must repeat Hajj another year.
The 9th of Dhul-Ḥijjah, the second-to-last month of the Hijri calendar. Pilgrims stand on the plain of ʿArafah from after Dhuhr until sunset.
Hajj is the major pilgrimage performed once a year between the 8th and 13th of Dhul-Ḥijjah. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, obligatory once in a lifetime for those able. Umrah is the lesser pilgrimage, performable any time of year. Umrah involves only ihram, tawaf, saʿī, and halq/taqsir, about 5 hours of work. Hajj adds the days at Mina, the wuqūf at ʿArafah, the night at Muzdalifah, the qurbāni, and the days of Tashrīq.
The actual rituals span 5–6 days, from the 8th of Dhul-Ḥijjah through the 12th or 13th. Most package tours are 12–18 days total, including travel and a stay in Madinah.
Hajj is obligatory once in a lifetime for every Muslim who is mature, sane, free, and capable physically and financially. Capability includes having enough money for the journey AND the means to support one's dependents during the absence, and physical health to perform the rites without harm.
Tamattuʿ (most common today): Umrah on arrival, exit ihram, then re-enter for Hajj on the 8th. Ifrad: Hajj only, ihram held throughout. Qirān: Hajj + Umrah combined under one ihram. Tamattuʿ and Qirān require a sacrifice (qurbāni); Ifrad does not.
The boundaries you must enter ihram before crossing. The five fixed miqats are: Dhū al-Ḥulayfah (for those coming from Madinah), Al-Juḥfah (for Syria/Egypt/Maghreb), Yalamlam (for Yemen and South Asia), Qarn al-Manāzil (for Najd and the Gulf), and Dhāt ʿIrq (for Iraq).
The chant of the pilgrim: 'Labbayk Allāhumma labbayk. Labbayka lā sharīka laka labbayk. Inna-l-ḥamda wa-n-niʿmata laka wa-l-mulk. Lā sharīka lak.' (Here I am, O Allah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Truly all praise, all favour, and all sovereignty are Yours. You have no partner.) Recited from entering ihram until starting tawaf, then again from re-entering ihram on the 8th until the first stone is thrown on the 10th.
The animal sacrifice on the 10th of Dhul-Ḥijjah, mandatory for Tamattuʿ and Qirān pilgrims, optional for Ifrad. Today it is almost always done by proxy through licensed Saudi banks (Al-Rajhi, Adahi). The meat is distributed to the poor in Saudi Arabia and worldwide. If a pilgrim cannot afford the qurbāni, they fast 10 days instead, 3 during Hajj and 7 after returning home (Quran 2:196).
It varies enormously by country and package. From South Asia, packages start around USD $4,000–$6,000. From the UK/EU/US, $7,000–$15,000. Premium packages with closer hotels, shorter walks, and en-suite tents in Mina can run $20,000+. Always verify your operator is licensed by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and registered in your country.
Hajj is the journey we save our lives for. Read the steps, memorise the duʿāʾ, save up. Allah promised: whoever does Hajj without obscenity or argument returns as on the day his mother bore him.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1521