Ihraam
Submitted by Mohammed Gilani on
Ihraam refers to the state where one is prohibited from certain
permissible acts (e.g. wearing sewn clothing for men, applying
perfume, removing hair, etc.) until the time when one has
completed the rituals of hajj or umrah and comes out of the state
of ihraam. A person intending to make umrah will enter into ihraam before
crossing the meeqaat. If he travels by plane, he will tie the
ihraam before boarding the plane or when the announcement of
approaching the meeqaat is made.
Ihraam of men
The ihraam of men consists of two pieces of cloth. One cloth will
cover the upper body and the other will be tied around the waist
in order to cover the lower body. In the state of ihraam, it is
necessary that the area of the foot where the shoelaces are tied
be exposed (i.e. the area where the bone protrudes on the top of the foot). Furthermore, the entire area from that point of the
foot up to and including the ankle has to remain exposed.
Ihraam of women
Women are permitted to wear their normal clothing which
covers the entire body. They are also permitted to wear footwear
that covers the entire foot. Women should not wear the
normal niqaab/purdah which lies against the face in the state of
ihraam. However, it is still necessary for a woman to cover her
face before non-mahrams, and for this purpose, the cap niqaab
could be worn.
Performing Salaah before Entering
into Ihraam
Once the clothing of ihraam has been worn, one should perform
two rakaats of nafl salaah, provided that it is not a time in which
performing nafl salaah is makrooh. It is preferable for one to
recite Surah Kaafiroon in the first rakaat and Surah Ikhlaas in the
second rakaat.
While performing these two rakaats of salaah, since one has not
yet entered into the state of ihraam, one should ensure that his
head is covered with a topi and that both shoulders are covered
with the ihraam.
After completing the salaah, one should remove the topi and
make the intention of entering into ihraam for umrah. One will
say
:اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أُرِيدُ الْعُمْرَةَ فَيَسِرْهَا لِي وَتَقَبَّلْهَا مِنِّي
O Allah! I intend perforing umrah, so You make it easy for me and
accept it from me.
After making the intention of umrah, one should recite the
talbiyah. Only after reciting the talbiyah will one enter into the
state of ihraam. If one makes the intention but does not recite
the talbiyah, one will not enter into the state of ihraam.
It is permissible to recite the talbiyah once, however it is
preferable to recite it thrice. Once one has entered into the
state of ihraam, the most virtuous ibaadah for him is the
recitation of the talbiyah. Hence, he should continue to recite the
talbiyah as much as possible. The words of the talbiyah are:
لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ
I am present! O Allah, I am present! I am present! There is no partner for
You! I am present! Indeed, all praise and all favours belong to You, as
well as the kingdom! There is no partner for You!
It is sunnah for men to recite the talbiyah audibly and for women
to recite the talbiyah softly. It is not permissible for women to
recite the talbiyah audibly.
Note: One is encouraged to recite the talbiyah from the time one
enters into ihraam until one pelts the Jamarah on the tenth Zul
Hijjah. Upon pelting the Jamarah on the tenth, the injunction
of reciting talbiyah no longer remains. Hence, from the time of
pelting on the tenth until the end of the hajj, one will no longer
recite the talbiyah.