Ihram for Umrah from Algeria: where to start it, what to wear and what to avoid

Start by identifying your route

Where you enter ihram depends on the way you travel to Makkah, not on the city you fly from in Algeria. Check this table against the agency's programme:

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah's page on the miqats states that Dhul-Hulayfah is the miqat for the people of Madinah and al-Juhfah the miqat for the people of the Levant (al-Sham), and that the miqats apply both to their own people and to others who pass them intending Hajj or Umrah. It adds that passing the level of a miqat counts whether you travel by plane or by land. Ministry of Hajj and Umrah page on the miqats (in Arabic) (external link, opens in a new tab).

In one fatwa, Sheikh Ibn Baz states that al-Juhfah is the miqat for the people of the Levant, Egypt, the Maghreb and Sudan, that people now enter ihram at Rabigh, shortly before al-Juhfah, and that an air traveller enters ihram on reaching its level. Sheikh Ibn Baz's fatwa on the miqats for travellers from Sudan (in Arabic) (external link, opens in a new tab).

An answer from the IslamWeb fatwa centre, about a traveller from Riyadh who visits Madinah before Makkah, says that he enters ihram at Dhul-Hulayfah, now known as Abyar Ali, because the miqats apply to those who pass them without being their residents. IslamWeb answer: where to enter ihram when going to Madinah first (in Arabic) (external link, opens in a new tab). That answer does not deal with air travel: if your flight lands directly in Madinah, ask a scholar whether the plane passes the level of a miqat before landing.

If you land in Jeddah and go to Madinah first

We found no answer to this exact route in the sources cited here, so put it to a scholar you trust before you travel. The closest source is a fatwa by Sheikh Muhammad Ali Ferkous about pilgrims coming from Algeria who do not enter ihram on the plane but at the miqat of the people of Madinah. In it, he explains that those among them who intend Hajj or Umrah may not pass the miqat without ihram, and that it is preferable for them to enter ihram on the plane from the miqat of al-Juhfah. He also states that someone who passed the miqat without ihram and then went back to their own miqat or to another miqat to enter ihram there owes nothing. Sheikh Ferkous's fatwa on entering ihram from the miqat (in Arabic) (external link, opens in a new tab).

Until you have an answer for your own case, keep your ihram clothing in your hand luggage.

Ihram on the plane: a practical plan for an Algeria-Jeddah flight

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah defines ihram as entering the worship of Hajj or Umrah and taking up its acts with intention. Ministry of Hajj and Umrah page on ihram (in Arabic) (external link, opens in a new tab). An IslamWeb answer about travelling by air says that the traveller gets ready where he is staying or at the airport, taking a full ritual bath (ghusl) and putting on the izar and rida, then enters ihram when the plane passes the miqat, and that he should not wait until Jeddah to take off stitched clothing if he can do so on the plane. IslamWeb answer: how to enter ihram on a plane (in Arabic) (external link, opens in a new tab).

Before you leave home

• Take a full ritual bath (ghusl) and freshen up.
• Trim your nails and finish any shaving or trimming, because these are prohibited once you are in ihram.
• Do not put perfume on your ihram clothing. Sheikh Ibn Baz ruled that this is not permitted and that the sunnah is to perfume the body before ihram. Sheikh Ibn Baz's fatwa on perfume on ihram clothing (in Arabic) (external link, opens in a new tab). Some schools add details about perfume before ihram, so ask if you follow a particular school.
• If you put on the izar and rida before take-off, as in the answer above, you make the intention when the plane passes the level of the miqat.
• If you do not put on your ihram before take-off, pack what you need in your hand luggage: changing in an aircraft toilet is difficult.

On the plane

• Ask the group guide or the cabin crew whether the approach to the miqat will be announced.
• Be ready early, especially if you tend to fall asleep on flights.
• When the plane passes the level of the miqat, make the intention to enter Umrah and say "Labbayka ‘umratan" ("Here I am for Umrah"), the wording given by the ministry, then start the talbiyah.
• If you are unsure when the plane passes that point, entering ihram a little early is safer than delaying it, as IslamQA notes in the answer cited below.

The talbiyah, as it appears in the hadith of Ibn ‘Umar narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim:

If you are worried that illness or a health condition may stop you from completing Umrah, ask a scholar before you travel about the condition (ishtirat) that can be stated when entering ihram, and about its wording.

Can you delay ihram until Jeddah airport?

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah's page on the miqats states that King Abdulaziz International Airport is neither a miqat nor a place to enter ihram. IslamQA quotes a resolution of the Islamic Fiqh Academy stating that pilgrims arriving by air or sea for Hajj or Umrah may not delay ihram until they reach Jeddah, because Jeddah is not one of the miqats set by the Prophet ﷺ. IslamQA: the difference of opinion on Jeddah as a miqat (in Arabic) (external link, opens in a new tab).

The same answer presents two other opinions. The first treats Jeddah as the miqat for everyone who arrives there. The second, attributed to Sheikh Ibn Baz and other scholars, treats it as the miqat for those who reach it directly from the west, such as people from southern Egypt and northern Sudan, because it is the first land they reach. Sheikh Ibn Baz's fatwa cited above, however, names al-Juhfah as the miqat for the people of the Maghreb, where an air traveller enters ihram on reaching its level.

In practice: Sheikh Ferkous's fatwa says it is preferable for those coming from Algeria to enter ihram on the plane from the miqat of al-Juhfah; the ministry's page states that Jeddah airport is not a miqat; and the Academy's resolution, as quoted by IslamQA, does not allow air travellers to delay ihram until Jeddah. The opinion that Jeddah is a miqat has its proponents, as described above: if you want to follow it, ask a scholar you trust before you travel, not after you land.

What if you passed the miqat without ihram?

The ministry's page states that anyone who passed the miqat without ihram must go back to it. Sheikh Ferkous's fatwa states that someone who passed the miqat intending Hajj or Umrah, whether or not they knew the rule, and then went back to their own miqat or to another miqat to enter ihram there owes nothing; whereas someone who entered ihram after passing it, without going back, owes a sacrifice (dam). If this happens to you, ask about your own case before you start tawaf.

Ihram clothing for men

A man wears an izar, covering the lower body, and a rida over the shoulders, and keeps his head uncovered. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah quotes the hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ forbade the pilgrim in ihram from wearing shirts, turbans, trousers, hooded cloaks (burnous) and leather socks (khuffs), and allowed someone without sandals to wear khuffs cut below the ankles.

Common practical questions:

• Can you hold the izar up with a belt? Yes. Sheikh Ibn Baz ruled that there is nothing wrong with wearing a money belt or a regular belt, or a tied cloth, to hold the izar in place and keep money safe. Sheikh Ibn Baz's fatwa on wearing a belt in ihram (in Arabic) (external link, opens in a new tab).
• Can you knot or fasten the izar? An IslamWeb fatwa states that fastening the izar with a knot, a belt or a tie is permitted, but sewing it or adding buttons to it is not. IslamWeb fatwa on ihram clothing and knotting the izar (in Arabic) (external link, opens in a new tab).
• What about shoes? The default is sandals, as in the hadith above. If a health condition means you need closed shoes, ask a scholar about your case.

Practical tips for choosing the izar and rida

• Choose a thick fabric that does not become see-through when you move or when it gets wet.
• Practise tying the izar at home before you travel, especially if it is your first time.
• If there is room, pack a spare set: yours may get dirty or torn during the trip.

The Ihram Clothing category in the Dalil Umrah store offers ihram sets for men and children, as well as ihram sandals, if you want to get them ready before you travel.

Ihram clothing for women

A woman enters ihram in her covering clothes. According to Sheikh Ibn Baz's fatwa, the clothing she must not wear in ihram is the niqab and gloves. The other prohibitions listed below apply to her as well, except those specific to men. The sheikh adds that she covers her hands with something other than gloves, and that a woman in ihram lowers her headscarf over her face when unrelated men pass by, as narrated by ‘A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her. Sheikh Ibn Baz's fatwa on the niqab and gloves during Hajj and Umrah (in Arabic) (external link, opens in a new tab).

If a woman is menstruating when she reaches the miqat: Sheikh Ibn Baz ruled that she enters ihram at the miqat even while menstruating, then waits until she is pure to take a full ritual bath and perform tawaf and sa‘y. Sheikh Ibn Baz's fatwa on entering ihram while menstruating (in Arabic) (external link, opens in a new tab). This is why it is worth discussing the length of the stay in Makkah and how flexible the programme is with the agency before booking, not after arrival.

To prepare for the trip, the Umrah Kits category includes a women's Umrah essentials bag.

The nine prohibitions of ihram

The prohibitions start with the intention. Sheikh Ibn Baz lists nine, which remain prohibited until you leave the state of ihram (tahallul). Sheikh Ibn Baz's fatwa: the nine things a pilgrim in ihram must avoid (in Arabic) (external link, opens in a new tab).

A practical note on perfume: perfume is one of the prohibitions of ihram, and scholars go into detail about scented toiletries. If you want to be cautious, pack fragrance-free products before you travel. The Unscented Care collection includes unscented soap, shampoo, wet wipes and deodorant.

If you commit a prohibited act, whether by forgetting, not knowing or for a valid reason, do not decide the ruling for yourself. The rules vary with the act and its cause, so ask a scholar you trust.

When do you leave ihram?

A person performing Umrah stays in ihram until completing tawaf, then sa‘y, then shaving or shortening the hair. These steps are explained one by one in the Umrah journey guide, and the related supplications are in the Hajj and Umrah duas.

Pre-departure checklist

Checklist: your ticks are not saved after leaving the page.

• I have confirmed the arrival airport: Jeddah or Madinah.
• I know where to enter ihram for my route, and I have asked a scholar if my route goes through Jeddah and then Madinah.
• I have prepared the izar and rida, or suitable covering clothes for a woman.
• I have practised tying the izar and packed a belt if I need one.
• I have trimmed my nails and finished shaving before the intention.
• I have packed fragrance-free products.
• I have put what I need for ihram in my hand luggage.
• I have learned the wording of the talbiyah.
• I have asked a scholar about my situation if I have a health condition or other constraint.
• I have checked the documents I need for Umrah.

To check your documents, see the guide Umrah documents for Algerians.

Frequently asked questions

When you compare programmes, ask the agency to confirm the arrival airport and the order of cities before you pay: that decides where you enter ihram and how you pack. Browse the available Umrah offers and compare them using the method in Comparing Umrah packages. If you would rather spread the cost, see the Umrah instalment service.