A Guide to Wearing Ihram Properly for Men and Women

For the pilgrims intending for Umrah rituals, knowing about the dos and don’ts is important. Since Umrah pilgrimage isn’t an everyday occurrence for a believer, not knowing about the technicalities is a common thing. However, before you begin your journey, educate yourself on the rituals of Umrah properly.

The first and most important requisite of Umrah (or even Hajj) is Ihram. Though Ihram commonly refers to the ceremonial clothing, the actual concept is beyond just clothes. Ihram is a state of absolute physical purity for pilgrims arriving through Umrah packages all-inclusive with flight in Makkah.

Here’s your guide to wearing Ihram properly for Men and Women.

Pre-Requisites of Ihram

Before you wear Ihram clothes, there are some prerequisites. Such as;

  1. Trimming your nails.
  2. Shaving/removing unnecessary body hair.
  3. Getting a haircut and beard trim (optional).
  4. Performing Ghusl as it is a Sunnah and recommended act. Otherwise, if you don’t have the need for Ghusl and want to make Wudhu, it’s also permissible.

After this, you can wear your Ihram clothes. For men and women, Ihram clothes are different and come with different guidelines.

Ihram for Men

For men, Ihram is only restricted to two white sheets of cloth. One for covering the lower half of the body (Izar) and other for the upper half of the body (Rida).

The proper way of wearing Izar is to wrap it around your waist from the navel to down below the knees. On the other hand, Rida should be draped over the shoulders like a shawl.

Men cannot wear any other piece of clothing for Ihram. It’s also not permissible to wear stitched clothes (even undergarments). While in state of Ihram, men must keep their heads, feet and ankles uncovered. That’s why most male pilgrims prefer wearing sandals.

During Tawaf, Men must keep their right shoulder uncovered by placing Rida cloth underarm.

Ihram for Women

For women, Ihram with All Inclusive December Umrah Packages can be their ordinary clothes. There’s no restriction of specific clothing for female pilgrims offering holy rituals. They can wear anything their desire but must cover their Awrah as well as remain modest and simple. To avoid any confusion regarding Ihram clothes, most women prefer wearing an Abaya over their ordinary clothes.

Women cannot wear unstitched clothes for their Ihram, only stitched clothing is permissible. Plus, the clothes should be loose fit and ensure that no part of their body is visible.

Female pilgrims must try to wear dark colours for their Ihram clothes. If you are opting for lighter colours, make sure that the fabric is thick enough. It should not reveal your undergarments or any part of your body under bright sunlight.

Women should keep their head and feet covered at all times in the state of Ihram. However, covering of face and hands is optional (but not allowed during Tawaf).

It’s permissible for women to wear jewellery in the state of Ihram. However excessive self-beautification should be avoided.

Specific Guidelines Regarding Ihram

Pilgrims travelling though Umrah packages all-inclusive with flight must abide by certain rules and regulations regarding Ihram. You should learn about these rules in advance than booking Umrah Packages 2025 UK or your place of residence. There are some things that become Haram for a Muhrim once he/she enters Ihram. Such as having sexual intimacy with spouse, hunting/killing, etc.

Using fragrance or scent in any form is not permissible in Ihram. For example, use of perfumes, body sprays, colognes, scented toiletries, etc.

Keeping the weather conditions of Makkah in mind, wear weather appropriate clothes. Cotton blended fabric in light colours is an ideal choice. It will keep your body airy, cool and help to prevent rashes.

Contrary to the popular belief, a pilgrim can actually change Ihram clothes if they get dirty (it’s permissible). In fact, keeping your clothes neat and clean is a compulsion.

Wearing makeup and self-grooming is also not allowed in Ihram. Let it be applying products to your skin, trimming hair, clipping nails, etc.

One can also take a bath carefully and not using any scented toiletries while in the state of Ihram. Personal hygiene should be on your list even while wearing Ihram.

If you have any specific concerns and questions regarding Ihram clothing, it’s addible to consult a religious scholar. Before you begin your journey with All Inclusive December Umrah Packages make sure that you have all the information for a valid pilgrimage trip.

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