The miqats and the time for entering Ihram
The five miqat boundaries around Makkah, which pilgrims use each, and when Ihram for Hajj and Umrah may and may not be entered.
A miqat is a boundary place where pilgrims coming from outside Makkah must put on ihram before continuing towards the Haram. There are five well-known miqats, one for each direction people usually travel from.
| Miqat | For pilgrims coming from | Distance from Makkah |
|---|---|---|
| Dhu'l-Hulayfah (also called Abyar 'Ali) | Madinah | About 10 stages; roughly 196 miles. |
| Al-Juhfah (nowadays, Rabigh, just ahead of it) | Egypt, Syria and the Maghrib, if travelling via the road through Tabuk rather than through Madinah | A populated village in earlier times, now desolate; Rabigh lies slightly ahead of it. |
| Qarn al-Manazil | Najd | Near Ta'if. |
| Yalamlam (known today as Sa'diyyah) | Yemen, Tihamah, and those travelling from Yemen, including pilgrims from India | About two stages; roughly 32 miles. |
| Dhat 'Irq (people from Iraq now prefer Wadi al-'Aqiq, one or two stages further out) | Iraq: for example, Basra and Khorasan | About 42 miles. |
Dhu'l-Hulayfah is the furthest of the five miqats from Makkah, and Yalamlam is the closest.
Anyone travelling to Makkah or the Haram who passes by a miqat must put on ihram there for Hajj or Umrah: this is wajib according to Imam Abu Hanifah, even if the person is travelling for trade rather than for Hajj or Umrah.
Someone who actually lives in Makkah puts on ihram for Hajj from inside the Haram itself, and for Umrah from just outside it, in the nearest part of the Hill area.
For an Afaqi (someone who lives outside the miqat boundary), the time for the ihram of Umrah is throughout the year, except during the five days of Arafah, Eid and the days of Tashriq, when it is makruh tahrimi. For a Makki (someone who lives in Makkah), Umrah is likewise permitted throughout the year except during the months of Hajj, when it is makruh only if the person also intends to perform Hajj; without that intention, it is not makruh.
For an Afaqi, entering ihram for Umrah during the five days of Arafah, Eid al-Adha and the days of Tashriq is makruh tahrimi.
For a Makki who intends to also perform Hajj that year, entering ihram for Umrah during the months of Hajj is makruh; without that intention, it is not.
An Afaqi has five well-known places to enter ihram for Umrah and Hajj, each called a miqat.
| Miqat | Serves pilgrims from | Distance from Makkah |
|---|---|---|
| Dhu'l-Hulayfah, popularly Abyar 'Ali | The people of Madinah | Ten stages (manazil) from Makkah towards Madinah, per ad-Durr al-Mukhtar; 196 miles per Fath al-Bari, and 4 to 6 miles from Madinah. |
| Al-Juhfah: travellers now use Rabigh, just ahead of it | Egypt, Syria and the Maghrib, if travelling via Tabuk rather than through Madinah | Formerly a populated village near Rabigh, now desolate and its exact site uncertain. |
| Qarn (al-Manazil) | Najd | Near Ta'if, at the edge of a canal in Arafat, a smooth, round hill resembling an egg. |
| Yalamlam, known today as Sa'diyyah | Yemen, Tihamah, and those travelling from Yemen, including the people of India | A mountain two stages from Makkah, 32 miles away. |
| Dhat 'Irq: the people of Iraq now prefer Wadi al-'Aqiq, one or two stages further out | Iraq, including Basra and Khorasan | 42 miles from Makkah; formerly populated, its people having since moved closer to Makkah. |
Dhu'l-Hulayfah is the farthest of the five from Makkah; Yalamlam is the closest; no miqat is closer than two stages.
The correct method is to enter ihram at the start of each miqat, so as to cross every miqat already in ihram; where a hadith fixes the exact spot of a particular miqat, that spot should be used, as with Masjid ash-Shajarah at Dhu'l-Hulayfah.
It is not permissible to go beyond a miqat without having entered ihram. It is permitted, and better if one is confident of avoiding the prohibitions of ihram, to enter ihram before the miqat, even from home; otherwise it is better to wait until the miqat itself. Those travelling by air should enter ihram from home or at the airport.
For an Afaqi travelling to Makkah or the Haram who passes a miqat, entering ihram for Hajj or Umrah becomes wajib according to Imam Abu Hanifah, even if the traveller is not wealthy, and regardless of whether the purpose of the journey is Hajj, Umrah, or trade. According to Imam ash-Shafi'i, there is no such obligation if the purpose of the journey is something other than Hajj or Umrah.
For someone who lives in Makkah, the place for entering ihram for Hajj is anywhere in the Haram, though the area beneath the Mizab (the spout) of Masjid al-Haram is better; for Umrah, the whole of the Hill area suffices, though Tan'im, particularly Masjid 'A'ishah, is better.
The time for entering ihram for Hajj runs through Shawwal, all of Dhu'l-Qi'dah, and the first ten days of Dhu'l-Hijjah. According to Imam Abu Hanifah, entering ihram before this period is makruh; according to Imam ash-Shafi'i, it is not permissible at all.
For an Afaqi (someone who lives outside the miqat boundary), the time for the ihram of Umrah is throughout the year, except during the five days of Arafah, Eid and the days of Tashriq, when it is makruh tahrimi. For a Makki (someone who lives in Makkah), Umrah is likewise permitted throughout the year except during the months of Hajj, when it is makruh only if the person also intends to perform Hajj; without that intention, it is not makruh.
For an Afaqi, entering ihram for Umrah during the five days of Arafah, Eid al-Adha and the days of Tashriq is makruh tahrimi.
For a Makki who intends to also perform Hajj that year, entering ihram for Umrah during the months of Hajj is makruh; without that intention, it is not.
An Afaqi has five well-known places to enter ihram for Umrah and Hajj, each called a miqat.
| Miqat | Serves pilgrims from | Distance from Makkah |
|---|---|---|
| Dhu'l-Hulayfah, popularly Abyar 'Ali | The people of Madinah | Ten stages (manazil) from Makkah towards Madinah, per ad-Durr al-Mukhtar; 196 miles per Fath al-Bari, and 4 to 6 miles from Madinah. |
| Al-Juhfah: travellers now use Rabigh, just ahead of it | Egypt, Syria and the Maghrib, if travelling via Tabuk rather than through Madinah | Formerly a populated village near Rabigh, now desolate and its exact site uncertain. |
| Qarn (al-Manazil) | Najd | Near Ta'if, at the edge of a canal in Arafat, a smooth, round hill resembling an egg. |
| Yalamlam, known today as Sa'diyyah | Yemen, Tihamah, and those travelling from Yemen, including the people of India | A mountain two stages from Makkah, 32 miles away. |
| Dhat 'Irq: the people of Iraq now prefer Wadi al-'Aqiq, one or two stages further out | Iraq, including Basra and Khorasan | 42 miles from Makkah; formerly populated, its people having since moved closer to Makkah. |
Dhu'l-Hulayfah is the farthest of the five from Makkah; Yalamlam is the closest; no miqat is closer than two stages.
The correct method is to enter ihram at the start of each miqat, so as to cross every miqat already in ihram; where a hadith fixes the exact spot of a particular miqat, that spot should be used, as with Masjid ash-Shajarah at Dhu'l-Hulayfah.
It is not permissible to go beyond a miqat without having entered ihram. It is permitted, and better if one is confident of avoiding the prohibitions of ihram, to enter ihram before the miqat, even from home; otherwise it is better to wait until the miqat itself. Those travelling by air should enter ihram from home or at the airport.
For an Afaqi travelling to Makkah or the Haram who passes a miqat, entering ihram for Hajj or Umrah becomes wajib according to Imam Abu Hanifah, even if the traveller is not wealthy, and regardless of whether the purpose of the journey is Hajj, Umrah, or trade. According to Imam ash-Shafi'i, there is no such obligation if the purpose of the journey is something other than Hajj or Umrah.
For someone who lives in Makkah, the place for entering ihram for Hajj is anywhere in the Haram, though the area beneath the Mizab (the spout) of Masjid al-Haram is better; for Umrah, the whole of the Hill area suffices, though Tan'im, particularly Masjid 'A'ishah, is better.
The time for entering ihram for Hajj runs through Shawwal, all of Dhu'l-Qi'dah, and the first ten days of Dhu'l-Hijjah. According to Imam Abu Hanifah, entering ihram before this period is makruh; according to Imam ash-Shafi'i, it is not permissible at all.
Terms on this page
Related
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- The Day of Tarwiyah: entering ihram for Hajj and going to Mina How Hajj begins on the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah: entering ihram, Tawaf al-Qudum, travelling to Mina, and spending the night there.
- The fard, wajib and sunnah acts of Hajj and Umrah, at a glance The five acts Hajj cannot be valid without, the thirty-one wajib acts, the emphasised sunnahs, and what invalidates Hajj or Umrah outright.
- Where dua is accepted in Makkah, and sacred places to visit The places in and around Makkah where dua is said to be accepted, and the historic sites (Khadijah's house, the caves of Hira and Thawr, and more) worth visiting.