- Trim your hair and beard, cut your nails, take a shower with unscented soaps, and comb your hair. Then, repent for your sins.
- For men’s Ihram, hold 1 cloth horizontally in front of your body and wrap it around your waist. Fasten a belt around the cloth about 2 in (5 cm) below the top.
- Then, hold the other cloth horizontally behind your back and bring the left corner under your right armpit. Then, wrap the right corner over your left shoulder.
Getting Ready to Wear Ihram
Ask your imam when to assume Ihram. Most people only wear it when making the Hajj. You can only assume the Hajj Ihram when you are drawing close to Mecca, and the rules for exactly when to do so vary among different sects and different teachings. Talk to your imam when making your Hajj preparations to know exactly when you should begin. If you are already in Saudi Arabia, virtually all planes, buses, and private vehicles entering the Hajj area will inform pilgrims when it is time to enter the state of Ihram.
Make sure you have 2 white cloths, belt, and sandals. The rules of Ihram vary between genders and teachings, but most people will need the same basic supplies. Check with your imam if you aren’t sure what your group’s specific teachings are. Men will need 2 white cloths without stitching of any kind. The size will depend on your dimensions. Each cloth should be wide enough to cover the area between the top of your navel and the tops of your feet, and long enough to wrap all the way around your body without any skin visible. This is important, since you can’t wear underwear with Ihram! The rules for women’s Ihram are variable, but many groups allow women to use the same 2 cloths men do, except women can have stitching. Women’s cloths should be wide enough to reach from the armpit to the tops of the feet, and long enough to wrap all the way around the body. Men can’t pin or sew Ihram cloths in place, so make sure you have a belt or clips to keep yourself dressed. Sandals are the only permitted shoes to wear with Ihram. You can use any sandals, including flip-flops, as long as the tops of your feet are visible. Some groups believe that women may wear socks with their sandals. You can have a small bag to carry necessities, as long as it isn’t pinned to your clothes.
Check the list of prohibited activities while in Ihram. There are certain activities that are ordinarily okay but are prohibited while in a state of Ihram. Talk to your imam if you aren’t sure exactly which prohibitions your group follows. You can’t remove hair or nails by any means during Ihram. Sexual relations are prohibited. No perfumes are allowed when in the state of Ihram. Killing of any kind, including hunting or fishing, isn’t permitted.
Cut or remove any unwanted hair if needed. Before putting on your Ihram, get your hair cut, beard trimmed, and any unwanted body hair shaved or otherwise removed. You aren’t required to get a haircut, but you can’t remove hair for any reason during Ihram, so it’s best to prepare beforehand.
Trim your nails. You can’t cut your nails while in Ihram either, so make sure you clip them before beginning! Don’t forget your toenails, cuticles, or any hangnails too--you won’t be able to take care of them while in Ihram.
Take a shower. The first part of the Ihram purification process is cleanliness. Take a shower or bath and bathe yourself carefully. Avoid using any perfumed soaps or shampoos, and dry your hair and body thoroughly afterwards. If you aren’t able to bathe, you can perform wudhu. To perform wudhu, announce your intentions of doing so by saying “I am performing wudhu for the pleasure of Allah, and to seek closeness to Him.” Then, wash or wipe your face, arms, hands, and feet in that order.
Groom yourself carefully. It’s traditional to carefully comb your hair and beard before assuming Ihram in order to show respect. This applies even if you are a woman who plans to cover her hair!
Repent of any sins. The second part of purification is to repent of any sins. You do not need to publicly announce or confess them, nor do you need to seek forgiveness. All you have to do is acknowledge and repent of your sins to yourself. You don’t even need to speak out loud. In fact, many people repent while showering!
Learn the intention to perform Umrah. Umrah is the act of making a pilgrimage to an Islamic holy site. After you put on your Ihram, you will declare your intention to perform Umrah by loudly declaring “O Allah! I intend to perform Umrah. Please make it easy for me and accept it from me. Amen.” You may say this in any language you know, but you should have it memorized before you put your Ihram on.
Memorize the Talbiyah recitation before putting your Ihram on. After you put your Ihram on and declare your intention to perform Umrah, you’ll need to recite the Talbiyah prayer three times by heart. You can also repeat it as many times as you’d like afterwards. You can say Talbiyah in any language you know, but you should have it memorized before you put your Ihram on. This is the English text of Talbiyah: “Here we come, O Allah, here we come! Here we come. No partner have You. Here we come! Praise indeed, and blessings, are Yours--the Kingdom too! No partner have You!” Men should recite Talbiyah loudly, while women should murmur it softly.
Wearing Men’s Ihram
Unfold and hold one of the cloths horizontally. Hold out one of your white cloths at a horizontal level, so that one top corner is in each hand. You should be facing your cloth.
Wrap the cloth around your waist above your navel. Make sure that the entire navel area is covered, that your feet are visible, and that the cloth isn’t gaping open at any point. It should look like you are wearing a towel after taking a shower.
Fasten the belt or clips around the top of the cloth. If you’re using a belt, buckle it about 2 inches (51 mm) below the top of the cloth to avoid it slipping off. If you’re using clips, make sure at least one clip is over the outside end of the cloth. You can fasten your bag to the belt or the clips.
Hold the other cloth horizontally behind your back, with one top corner in each hand. Once the bottom cloth is secured, unfold the other cloth and hold it behind you with a corner in each hand. It should look almost like you’re about to put on a cape.
Bring the left top corner down to your right armpit. Take your left hand and bring it over your shoulder and towards your right armpit. Your left shoulder should be covered now.
Wrap the other corner around your left shoulder. Take your right hand and wrap the other side of the cloth back over your left shoulder. Your entire left shoulder area should be completely covered, with your right shoulder bare. In some groups, men cover both shoulders. If you plan to cover both shoulders, move your right hand to your left armpit and securely wrap any loose ends around both shoulders. It should look like a winter shawl.
Tie or clip the cloth in place (optional). If you’re worried about your shoulder cloth slipping, you can tie the ends or use clips to secure it. For many people, the cloth is big enough not to worry about dropping it!
Put your sandals on. Slip your sandals on to complete your Ihram clothing. Make sure that the sandals don’t cover the tops of your feet. Also check to be sure that you can move comfortably in your Ihram.
Wearing Women’s Ihram
Speak to your imam about your sect’s views on women’s Ihram. In many sects or groups, Ihram for women is simply their regular, everyday clothes. Others believe that women only need to wear a white cloth over their heads. Most groups accept women wearing the same 2 cloths as men, except that women can have stitching in theirs. If you aren’t sure, talk to your imam. In some groups, women also need to ask their husband’s blessing before wearing Ihram.
Hold one cloth out in front of you horizontally. You should have one top corner in each hand. Hold it out in front of you approximately level with your chest.
Wrap the cloth around the top of your armpits. This should look pretty similar to wearing a towel after coming out of the shower. Your chest should be covered, and there should be no gaps between the ends of the cloth and your body. Some women like to drape the cloth over one shoulder for extra security before securing it in place.
Pin, tie, or stitch the cloth into place. Since women are allowed to have stitches in their Ihram, you may use any method you wish to secure your cloth. You can pin it, tie it, belt it, or even stitch it into place.
Drape the other cloth over your head. You should have the top center of the cloth slightly over your forehead, with one end in both of your hands. You can also buy pre-made Ihram cloths with a hole for your face already sewn in. If you usually wear a burqa or niqab, make sure you remove it before putting on Ihram--you can’t cover your face during Ihram. Many women wear dark sunglasses to prevent their face from being fully visible.
Wrap each end of the cloth around the opposite shoulder. Wrap the cloth securely around your shoulders. Your hair, neck, collarbones, shoulders, and arms should all be entirely covered up. It’s okay for your hands to be visible.
Secure the cloth into place. You can use any method you like to secure the head cloth. Some people prefer to stitch it for extra security, but you can also tie it, pin it, or clip it.
Put on your sandals. Slip on your sandals. In some groups, women are permitted to wear socks with their sandals. Check with your imam if you aren’t sure.
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