Hajj Step by Step

Know which Hajj you are performing

At home, before you travel.

There are three valid ways to perform Hajj, and you need to know which one you and your group are doing before you enter ihram.

• Hajj al-Tamattu' (the most common for pilgrims flying in from the US): you perform a complete Umrah first, exit ihram, then enter a fresh ihram for Hajj alone on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah. This guide follows Tamattu'.
• Hajj al-Qiran: you combine Umrah and Hajj under one continuous ihram, not exiting ihram until after the Hajj rites — and you owe the same hady (sacrifice) as Tamattu'.
• Hajj al-Ifrad: you intend Hajj only, with no Umrah combined, and you do not owe a hady for the combination.
• Confirm with your group leader or scholar which one applies to you — it changes your intention wording and, for Ifrad, whether a sacrifice is owed.

Good to know: This guide covers Hajj al-Tamattu' step by step because it's what the large majority of pilgrims from the US perform. If you are doing Qiran or Ifrad, the sequence differs in the early steps — ask your group's scholar to walk you through it.

Get your documents, health, and plan in order

At home, before you travel.

Hajj involves more moving pieces than Umrah — more days, more locations, bigger crowds — so the practical groundwork matters even more.

• Confirm your Hajj visa, Nusuk registration, and passport are valid and packed together — Hajj visas and permits are tightly controlled, unlike Umrah.
• Complete any required vaccinations (meningitis is commonly required; check current Saudi health requirements for your entry point) well before you travel.
• Save your hotel address, camp/tent zone number in Mina, group leader's phone number, and mutawwif (guide) contact in your phone — and write them on a card or wristband in case your phone dies or loses signal.
• Know your miqat in advance: it depends on how you are entering Saudi Arabia, not on where you live.
• Pack ihram garments, a small day bag for the Mina/Arafat/Muzdalifah days, a refillable water bottle, and any medication separately from checked luggage.

Learn the days before you're exhausted and emotional

At home, before you travel.

The days from the 8th to the 13th are physically demanding and move fast — it helps enormously to already know what's coming.

• Read or listen to this whole guide once, calmly, before your trip, so the sequence of days feels familiar rather than overwhelming.
• Practice saying the Talbiyah out loud a few times.
• If you are traveling with children or elderly family, walk through the plan with them — especially the walking distances and the Jamarat crowds — so everyone knows roughly what to expect.
• Ask your group about their arrangements for tents in Mina, transport to Arafat and Muzdalifah, and where and when the hady (sacrifice) is handled — this varies by group and package.

Perform Umrah first (Tamattu')

At the miqat, then Masjid al-Haram in Makkah — before the 8th of Dhul Hijjah.

Under Tamattu', your Hajj begins with a complete Umrah: ihram at the miqat, tawaf, sa'i, and cutting the hair to exit ihram.

• Enter ihram at your miqat with the intention of Umrah, exactly as described in Al Forqan's Umrah step-by-step guide — that guide covers ihram, tawaf, sa'i, and tahallul in full detail.
• Complete tawaf, sa'i, and cut or shave your hair to formally exit ihram.
• Once your hair is cut, you are out of ihram completely — normal clothes, perfume, and daily life all resume.

Wait in Makkah until the 8th of Dhul Hijjah

Makkah — the days between your Umrah and the 8th of Dhul Hijjah.

After Umrah you are out of ihram and free to live normally. Use these days to rest, worship, and prepare for the days ahead.

• Rest, drink plenty of fluids, and eat well — you are about to enter the most physically demanding stretch of the trip.
• Pray in Masjid al-Haram as much as you're able, and use the time for extra Qur'an, dhikr, and du'a.
• Confirm your group's exact plan and timing for departure to Mina on the 8th.
• Reassemble your ihram garments, day bag, and any medication ahead of time so you're not packing in a rush.

Enter ihram again and head to Mina

Makkah, on the morning of 8 Dhul Hijjah (Yawm al-Tarwiyah).

On the 8th, you enter a fresh ihram — this time with the intention of Hajj alone — and travel to Mina, where the rites of Hajj formally begin.

• Perform ghusl if possible and put on your ihram garments again, the same way as before.
• Make the intention for Hajj and say the Talbiyah, now with the Hajj wording.
• Travel to Mina with your group, by bus or on foot depending on your arrangement, and settle into your assigned tent/camp.
• From this point, the restrictions of ihram apply again exactly as they did for Umrah.

Spend the day and night in Mina

Mina — 8 Dhul Hijjah, from around midday through the night.

The 8th is a day of rest and worship in Mina — there is no specific rite to perform beyond being present and praying.

• Pray Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha in Mina, each shortened to two rak'ahs if you are traveling (qasr), and each prayed at its own time without combining.
• Spend the day in dhikr, Qur'an, and rest — conserve your energy for tomorrow, which is the most important day of Hajj.
• Stay near your tent and group; avoid wandering far, since Mina is packed with pilgrims from every part of the world.
• Sleep if you can — you will be up very early tomorrow and the day is long.

Good to know: Spending the night of the 8th in Mina is a sunnah following the Prophet's practice, not an obligatory rite — some groups travel directly to Arafat on the 9th. Either is valid; follow your group's arrangement.

Travel to Arafat after Fajr

From Mina to Arafat — 9 Dhul Hijjah, morning.

On the 9th, all pilgrims move to the plain of Arafat for the single most important rite of Hajj.

• After Fajr prayer in Mina, travel with your group to Arafat, by bus or on foot depending on your arrangement.
• Confirm you are within the boundaries of Arafat once you arrive — boundary markers and signs are posted, and your group leader will confirm the location.
• Settle into your group's tent or spot for the day.
• Keep repeating the Talbiyah during the journey.

Pray Dhuhr and Asr combined

Arafat — 9 Dhul Hijjah, midday.

At Arafat, Dhuhr and Asr are combined and shortened, prayed together at the time of Dhuhr.

• Pray Dhuhr and Asr combined (jama' taqdim) and shortened to two rak'ahs each, one directly after the other, ideally led in congregation if you are with an imam.
• If you cannot reach your group's congregation, pray in your own spot — the combination and shortening still apply.

Stand at Arafat until sunset — the pillar of Hajj

Anywhere within the boundaries of Arafat — 9 Dhul Hijjah, from after Dhuhr until sunset.

Wuquf — standing at Arafat — is the single pillar without which Hajj is not valid. Being present in Arafat during this window, in any state, completes it.

• Remain anywhere within the boundaries of Arafat from after Dhuhr until sunset — you do not need to stand literally; sitting, resting in shade, or lying down all count, as long as you are present in the area.
• Spend the time in du'a, dhikr, and Qur'an as much as you're able — this is considered the most virtuous day for supplication in the entire year.
• Face the qiblah when making du'a if you can, though it is not a strict requirement.
• Raise your hands and ask Allah sincerely for whatever is on your heart — this is a day for long, personal, unhurried du'a.
• Stay until the sun has fully set — do not leave for Muzdalifah before sunset.

Good to know: Wuquf at Arafat is the one rite that makes Hajj valid — a pilgrim who is present in Arafat for any moment of this window, even briefly and even due to illness or a late arrival, has fulfilled this pillar. If you are unwell or worried you might miss the window, ask your group's scholar immediately rather than guessing; this is the one part of Hajj with no substitute.

Travel to Muzdalifah after sunset

From Arafat to Muzdalifah — 9 Dhul Hijjah, after sunset.

Once the sun has set, pilgrims leave Arafat together for Muzdalifah, a short distance away, without praying Maghrib first.

• Leave Arafat only after the sun has fully set, moving with your group toward Muzdalifah.
• Do not pray Maghrib in Arafat or on the road — it is delayed until you arrive in Muzdalifah.
• Keep saying the Talbiyah during the journey.
• Expect heavy traffic and slow movement — this stretch can take hours because of the sheer number of pilgrims moving at once.

Pray Maghrib and Isha combined, and collect pebbles

Muzdalifah — night of 9–10 Dhul Hijjah.

In Muzdalifah, Maghrib and Isha are prayed together, and most pilgrims spend the night in the open under the sky.

• On arrival, pray Maghrib and Isha combined (jama' ta'khir), with Isha shortened to two rak'ahs — one adhan and iqamah is sufficient for both, prayed one after another.
• Settle on the ground for the night — most pilgrims sleep in the open air here; bring a mat or thin sleeping pad if your group allows carrying one.
• Collect small pebbles for rami (stoning the jamarat) — you'll need roughly 49 for a two-day stay in Mina afterward, or 70 if staying three days. Many pilgrims gather extra as a margin.
• Rest through the night — you'll be up again before Fajr.

Good to know: The majority stay in Muzdalifah until after Fajr, but the elderly, the weak, women, and those accompanying them are permitted by many scholars to leave for Mina in the latter part of the night, before Fajr, to avoid the crowds — ask your group's scholar whether this applies to you.

Stay until Fajr, then head to Mina

Muzdalifah — pre-dawn and Fajr, 10 Dhul Hijjah.

After praying Fajr in Muzdalifah, most pilgrims pause briefly for du'a before moving on to Mina for the biggest day of Hajj.

• Pray Fajr in Muzdalifah as early in its time as possible.
• Spend a short while afterward in du'a and dhikr, facing the qiblah, before the sky brightens.
• Once it's light, gather your things, make sure everyone in your group is together, and set off for Mina.
• Keep your collected pebbles with you — you'll use them shortly.

Rami of Jamrat al-Aqabah

Mina — Jamarat Bridge, 10 Dhul Hijjah (Yawm al-Nahr), morning.

The first act of the day is stoning the largest of the three pillars, Jamrat al-Aqabah, with seven pebbles.

• Make your way to the Jamarat Bridge complex in Mina.
• Throw seven pebbles, one at a time, at Jamrat al-Aqabah (the pillar closest to Makkah), saying the takbir with each throw.
• Aim for the pillar or the basin around it — it isn't necessary to strike it directly, landing in the designated area is sufficient.
• Move away from the throwing area promptly afterward to ease congestion for others.

Good to know: The timing window for this rami and how early or late it may be done varies between scholars, and Saudi authorities also issue specific timing guidance by group each year to manage crowding. Follow your group leader's assigned time slot rather than a fixed rule you read elsewhere.

Hady — the sacrifice

Anywhere within the boundaries of Makkah/Mina (usually arranged through an authorized service) — 10 Dhul Hijjah onward.

Pilgrims performing Tamattu' or Qiran owe a hady, an animal sacrifice, most commonly arranged today through an authorized bank or agency rather than handled personally.

• Confirm with your group or through the official Saudi banking/agency channels that your hady has been paid for and will be carried out on your behalf.
• If you are handling it yourself or through a smaller local arrangement, confirm the sacrifice is done within the correct days and area.
• The meat is distributed to the poor — you do not need to be present for the slaughter itself.
• If you are performing Hajj al-Ifrad, you do not owe a hady for the combination — confirm your situation with your group's scholar if unsure.

Good to know: The hady is a wajib (obligatory act) for Tamattu' and Qiran pilgrims, not a pillar — if you cannot afford it, there is a known alternative of fasting ten days (three during Hajj, seven after returning home). Ask a knowledgeable scholar about your specific situation rather than skipping it without guidance.

Halq or taqsir — cutting the hair

Mina, near the Jamarat area or barber shops nearby — 10 Dhul Hijjah, after rami.

After stoning Jamrat al-Aqabah, the hair is cut — for men, shaving is preferred; this begins your first, partial exit from ihram.

• Men: shave the head completely (halq) — this carries the greater reported virtue — or trim the hair evenly across the whole head (taqsir) if you prefer.
• Women: cut a small portion of hair, about a fingertip's length, from the ends. Women do not shave their heads.
• Once this is done, you have entered the first, partial tahallul — most ihram restrictions are lifted, with one exception noted below.

Good to know: After halq/taqsir, most restrictions of ihram are lifted — you may wear normal clothes and use perfume again — but marital relations remain prohibited until after tawaf al-ifadah. This is the 'first tahallul'; the 'second tahallul' (full exit) happens after tawaf al-ifadah and sa'i.

Tawaf al-Ifadah and Sa'i

Masjid al-Haram, Makkah — 10 Dhul Hijjah or in the days shortly after.

Tawaf al-Ifadah is the pillar-level tawaf of Hajj itself. If you are performing Tamattu', a fresh sa'i is also required here since your earlier sa'i belonged to Umrah.

• Travel from Mina to Masjid al-Haram, either on the 10th itself if your group's schedule allows, or in the days shortly after — this tawaf has a wide permissible window.
• Perform tawaf around the Kaaba exactly as in Umrah: seven circuits starting and ending at the Black Stone corner, Kaaba on your left.
• Pray two rak'ahs near Maqam Ibrahim if you can reach it, or anywhere else in the mosque if it's too crowded.
• Perform sa'i again — seven laps between Safa and Marwah — since under Tamattu' this sa'i belongs to Hajj, separate from the one you already did for Umrah.
• After this tawaf and sa'i are complete, you have reached the second, full tahallul — every restriction of ihram is now lifted, including marital relations.

Good to know: Tawaf al-ifadah is one of the pillars of Hajj — it cannot be skipped or substituted, though its timing is flexible across the Hajj days. The requirement to repeat sa'i under Tamattu' (versus Qiran/Ifrad, where one sa'i can suffice) is a point some scholars detail differently — follow your group's guidance for your specific case.

Return to Mina for the night

Mina — night of 10 Dhul Hijjah.

After completing the day's rites, pilgrims return to Mina, where they will remain through the Days of Tashriq.

• Head back to your tent in Mina once tawaf al-ifadah and sa'i are done.
• Rest — the 9th and 10th are physically the hardest days of Hajj, and you've now completed the core of it.
• Reconfirm your group's plan for the coming days of rami at all three jamarat.

Rami of all three jamarat, day by day

Mina — 11, 12, and (for those staying) 13 Dhul Hijjah, each day after zawal (just past midday).

On each of the Days of Tashriq, all three jamarat are stoned in order, seven pebbles each, only after the sun has passed its zenith.

• Each day, wait until after zawal (true midday, when the sun has begun to decline) before going to the Jamarat — rami is not valid earlier in the day.
• Go first to Jamrat al-Ula (the smallest, farthest from Makkah) and throw seven pebbles, saying the takbir with each one.
• Move to a clear area afterward and make du'a facing the qiblah, for as long as you wish.
• Go to Jamrat al-Wusta (the middle pillar), throw seven pebbles the same way, then again pause afterward for du'a facing the qiblah.
• Go finally to Jamrat al-Aqabah (the largest, nearest Makkah) and throw seven pebbles — there is no pause for du'a after this one; simply move on.
• Repeat this full sequence — all three jamarat, in order, seven pebbles each — on the 11th and 12th, and on the 13th if you are staying that long.

Good to know: The exact permissible start and end time for each day's rami (some scholars allow it from Fajr, others require waiting until after zawal) is a matter of real scholarly difference, and Saudi authorities issue their own crowd-management timing by group each Hajj season. Follow your group leader's assigned schedule rather than a rule you read elsewhere.

Decide: leave on the 12th (rushed) or stay to the 13th

Mina — 12 Dhul Hijjah, after that day's rami.

Pilgrims may choose to leave Mina after completing rami on the 12th, or stay through the 13th and perform one more day of rami — both are valid.

• If you intend to take the early departure (ta'ajjul), complete rami of all three jamarat on the 12th, then leave Mina before sunset that day.
• If sunset arrives while you are still in Mina, most scholars hold you are now required to stay through the 13th and perform that day's rami as well — leave with enough margin, not right at the edge of sunset.
• If you intend to stay the fuller stay (ta'akhkhur), simply remain in Mina and perform rami of all three jamarat again on the 13th, after zawal, then leave.
• Either way, once you leave Mina for the final time, you are done with the jamarat.

Good to know: Both the two-day (ta'ajjul) and three-day (ta'akhkhur) options are explicitly mentioned in the Qur'an (2:203) as equally valid — this is not a compromise or a shortcut, it is a built-in choice. If you're unsure which suits your health or group plan, ask your group leader.

Tawaf al-Wada' — the Farewell Tawaf

Masjid al-Haram, Makkah — as the last thing you do before leaving Makkah for home.

Before departing Makkah for good, perform one final tawaf as a farewell to the Kaaba — this is the last rite of Hajj.

• Once all your packing and travel arrangements are finalized and you are ready to leave Makkah, go to Masjid al-Haram one last time.
• Perform tawaf — seven circuits around the Kaaba, exactly as before — with the intention of farewell.
• Pray two rak'ahs afterward if you're able to find space.
• Make this your final activity in Makkah — try not to schedule shopping or errands after it, so it truly is your last act before departure.
• Leave for the airport or your next destination once this tawaf is complete.

Good to know: Most scholars hold tawaf al-wada' is wajib (obligatory) for those leaving Makkah, but not a pillar — and it is specifically waived for menstruating and post-partum women. If you are in genuine doubt about your situation, ask a knowledgeable scholar before you travel rather than guessing.

You have completed Hajj

Wherever you are standing right now — it's done.

Once tawaf al-wada' is complete, your Hajj is finished. May Allah accept it from you.

• Take a moment before you rush into travel logistics — sit, reflect, and make du'a now that Hajj is complete.
• Keep any hady receipts, medical records, and your Hajj documents together until you're safely home.
• When you return home, it's traditional to be met and congratulated by family and community — many also visit or call on relatives shortly after returning.