Hajj, Umrah, and the three ways of combining them
How Hajj and Umrah differ, and the three recognised ways of performing them together: Ifrad, Tamattu' and Qiran.
Hajj and Umrah are both acts of worship at the Ka'bah, but they are not the same, and there is more than one way to combine them.
| Aspect | Hajj | Umrah |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Entering ihram, staying at Arafat, then doing Tawaf al-Ziyarah at set times. | Entering ihram, doing Tawaf of the Ka'bah, then Sa'i between Safa and Marwah. |
| Its ruling | Fard: everyone agrees. | Sunnah, according to Imam Abu Hanifah and Imam Malik. Imam Shafi'i says it is fard, like Hajj. |
| Tawaf al-Qudum (the arrival tawaf) | Sunnah. | Not part of Umrah. |
| Tawaf al-Wada' (the farewell tawaf) | An obligation. | Not part of Umrah. |
| When it can be done | Only in the months of Hajj. | At almost any time of year. |
There are three ways of combining the two on one trip:
The three ways to combine Hajj and Umrah
- Ifrad: Hajj on its own, without an Umrah that same trip (or an Umrah done after the days of Hajj, or in the month of Shawwal).
- Tamattu': entering ihram during the months of Hajj, doing Umrah first and coming out of ihram, then entering ihram for Hajj again on the same trip.
- Qiran: combining Hajj and Umrah in one single ihram, so there is only one Talbiyah for both.
Hajj consists of entering ihram, standing (wuquf) at Arafat, and performing Tawaf al-Ziyarah at its appointed times. Umrah consists of entering ihram, performing tawaf of the Ka'bah, and performing sa'i between Safa and Marwah. Umrah has neither a Tawaf al-Qudum (arrival tawaf) nor a Tawaf al-Wada' (farewell tawaf); both belong to Hajj, the first being a sunnah and the second an obligation.
Hajj is unanimously considered fard.
According to Imam Abu Hanifah and Imam Malik, Umrah is sunnah, not fard like Hajj.
| Aspect | Hajj | Umrah |
|---|---|---|
| Consists of | Ihram, wuquf (standing) at Arafat, Tawaf al-Ziyarah at its set times. | Ihram, Tawaf of the Ka'bah, Sa'i between Safa and Marwah. |
| Ruling | Fard, unanimously. | Sunnah (Abu Hanifah, Malik); fard according to ash-Shafi'i. |
| Tawaf al-Qudum (arrival) | Sunnah. | Does not exist in Umrah. |
| Tawaf al-Wada' (farewell) | An obligation. | Does not exist in Umrah. |
| Season | Restricted to the months of Hajj. | Permitted through most of the year. |
There are three recognised ways to combine the two in a single journey: Ifrad, Tamattu' and Qiran.
| Form | What it means | Ihram / Talbiyah | Sacrifice (dam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ifrad | Performing Hajj alone, without performing Umrah that same year, or performing Umrah only after the days of Hajj or in Shawwal. | One ihram, one Talbiyah, for Hajj. | Not required by the form itself. |
| Tamattu' | Entering ihram during the months of Hajj, performing the rites of Umrah and coming out of ihram, then entering ihram for Hajj again, before or after returning home. A pilgrim who brings a sacrificial animal may not enter ihram for Hajj before completing Umrah and coming out of ihram. | Two separate states of ihram and two Talbiyahs on the one journey. | Required, whether or not the animal was brought from the miqat. |
| Qiran | Combining Hajj and Umrah under a single ihram during the months of Hajj: entering ihram for Hajj with the intention to also perform Umrah before the tawaf of Umrah, or joining the ihram of Umrah to that of Hajj before returning from Arafat (this second case makes the pilgrim sinful). | One ihram, one Talbiyah, for both. | Required, whether or not the animal was brought from the miqat. |
A pilgrim performing Qiran incurs two compensations for any violation committed in ihram; one performing Ifrad or Tamattu' incurs one. A Tamattu' pilgrim who does not exit ihram after Umrah, and then does something in ihram for Hajj that would otherwise incur a sin, is treated as if performing Qiran.
Ifrad and Qiran are named for what they plainly describe. Tamattu' takes its name from the fact that a pilgrim performing it may benefit ('benefit', tamattu') from things otherwise forbidden in ihram, in the interval between the ihram for Umrah and the ihram for Hajj, unlike Qiran, where doing so after Umrah (for instance, shaving the head) makes a sacrifice obligatory.
An Afaqi, someone who lives outside the miqat boundary, may perform Ifrad, Qiran or Tamattu', whichever they choose.
A Makki, someone who lives in Makkah, should not perform Qiran or Tamattu'; doing so makes a sacrifice (dam) obligatory. This is the confirmed ruling.
Hajj consists of entering ihram, standing (wuquf) at Arafat, and performing Tawaf al-Ziyarah at its appointed times. Umrah consists of entering ihram, performing tawaf of the Ka'bah, and performing sa'i between Safa and Marwah. Umrah has neither a Tawaf al-Qudum (arrival tawaf) nor a Tawaf al-Wada' (farewell tawaf); both belong to Hajj, the first being a sunnah and the second an obligation.
Hajj is unanimously considered fard.
According to Imam Abu Hanifah and Imam Malik, Umrah is sunnah, not fard like Hajj.
| Aspect | Hajj | Umrah |
|---|---|---|
| Consists of | Ihram, wuquf (standing) at Arafat, Tawaf al-Ziyarah at its set times. | Ihram, Tawaf of the Ka'bah, Sa'i between Safa and Marwah. |
| Ruling | Fard, unanimously. | Sunnah (Abu Hanifah, Malik); fard according to ash-Shafi'i. |
| Tawaf al-Qudum (arrival) | Sunnah. | Does not exist in Umrah. |
| Tawaf al-Wada' (farewell) | An obligation. | Does not exist in Umrah. |
| Season | Restricted to the months of Hajj. | Permitted through most of the year. |
There are three recognised ways to combine the two in a single journey: Ifrad, Tamattu' and Qiran.
| Form | What it means | Ihram / Talbiyah | Sacrifice (dam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ifrad | Performing Hajj alone, without performing Umrah that same year, or performing Umrah only after the days of Hajj or in Shawwal. | One ihram, one Talbiyah, for Hajj. | Not required by the form itself. |
| Tamattu' | Entering ihram during the months of Hajj, performing the rites of Umrah and coming out of ihram, then entering ihram for Hajj again, before or after returning home. A pilgrim who brings a sacrificial animal may not enter ihram for Hajj before completing Umrah and coming out of ihram. | Two separate states of ihram and two Talbiyahs on the one journey. | Required, whether or not the animal was brought from the miqat. |
| Qiran | Combining Hajj and Umrah under a single ihram during the months of Hajj: entering ihram for Hajj with the intention to also perform Umrah before the tawaf of Umrah, or joining the ihram of Umrah to that of Hajj before returning from Arafat (this second case makes the pilgrim sinful). | One ihram, one Talbiyah, for both. | Required, whether or not the animal was brought from the miqat. |
A pilgrim performing Qiran incurs two compensations for any violation committed in ihram; one performing Ifrad or Tamattu' incurs one. A Tamattu' pilgrim who does not exit ihram after Umrah, and then does something in ihram for Hajj that would otherwise incur a sin, is treated as if performing Qiran.
Ifrad and Qiran are named for what they plainly describe. Tamattu' takes its name from the fact that a pilgrim performing it may benefit ('benefit', tamattu') from things otherwise forbidden in ihram, in the interval between the ihram for Umrah and the ihram for Hajj, unlike Qiran, where doing so after Umrah (for instance, shaving the head) makes a sacrifice obligatory.
An Afaqi, someone who lives outside the miqat boundary, may perform Ifrad, Qiran or Tamattu', whichever they choose.
A Makki, someone who lives in Makkah, should not perform Qiran or Tamattu'; doing so makes a sacrifice (dam) obligatory. This is the confirmed ruling.
Terms on this page
Related
- 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.
- 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.
- The seven kinds of tawaf, and its fard, wajib and sunnah acts The seven named tawafs of Hajj and Umrah, their timing, and which of tawaf's acts are fard, which wajib, and which sunnah.
- The 10th of Dhul-Hijjah: stoning Jamrat al-Aqabah, the sacrifice, and shaving The order of rites on Eid day: throwing seven pebbles at Jamrat al-Aqabah, the sacrifice, and cutting the hair; and who the sacrifice is obligatory for.