Miqat

The miqats of ihram are the places that have been determined for wearing ihram.

Al-Shajara Mosque

Main article: al-Shajara Mosque

Al-Shajara Mosque (المسجد الشجرة) is situated in the region of Dhu l-Hulayfa (ذوالحليفة) near the holy city of Medina and this is the place to wear ihram for the people who go to Mecca via holy city of Medina.

Wadi l-Aqiq

This constitutes the miqat of the people from Iraq and Najd and those who want to pass this place for 'umra. This has three portions: Maslakh, i.e. its first portion; al-Ghamra, the middle; and Dhat 'Irq, the last portion. ihram at any of these portions is valid.

Juhfa

This is the place of wearing ihram (the miqat) for the people of Syria, Egypt, Morocco, and people who cross this place for performing 'umra. Wearing ihram is valid whether inside the mosque or other places of Juhfah.

Yalamlam

Yalamlam is the name of a mountain that is situated in the south of the holy city of Mecca. This is the place for wearing ihram for the people of Yemen and those who cross that mountain for performing 'umra. Wearing ihram is valid anywhere in Yalamlam.

Qarn al-Manazil

Qarn al-Manazil is the place of wearing ihram for the people of Ta'if and for the people who cross it for 'umra. Wearing dress of ihram anywhere in Qarn al-Manazil whether inside or outside of the mosque is valid and sufficient.

Parallel Places to the Previous Miqats

If a person is on route that does not cross any of the five places, he should wear ihram from a point that is parallel to one of the aforementioned points. Parallel (muhadhat) refers to a point where the point of wearing ihram is either on the left or on the right so that if he goes forward, the miqat will be located behind him.

The aforementioned places are miqats for wearing ihram for 'umra al-tamattu'. Some other places for wearing ihram (miqats) are as follows:

• The holy city of Mecca: it is the miqat for hajj al-tamattu'.
• One's personal house: it is the miqat for those who live between Mecca and a miqat. It is not obligatory for such a person to go to the above mentioned places for wearing ihram.
• Adna l-Hill: it is the miqat for individuals intending to perform al-'umra al-mufradah who are inside the holy city of Mecca. It is better that he should wear ihram at Adna al-Hill, al-Hudaybiyya, al-Ju'rana or al-Tan'im.

Issues

Wearing ihram before reaching miqat is invalid. If a person passes the miqat without wearing ihram on purpose or due to ignorance or negligence, he should return to the place of miqat and wear ihram from there. If a person passes the miqat without wearing ihram due to negligence, forgetfulness or ignorance of the ruling, and he cannot return to the place of miqat due to shortage of time or another excuse while he has not entered the Haram, on the basis of obligatory caution, he should go back towards miqat as much as possible and wear ihram from there. If he has entered the Haram, he should exit the Haram. In case, he cannot exit Haram due to shortage of time or the like, he should wear ihram inside the Haram where the excused (negligence, forgetfulness or ignorance of the ruling) is removed.

In normal condition, it is not permissible to delay in wearing ihram whether there is another miqat in front of him or not. If a person is prevented from wearing ihram in one of the miqats, he is allowed to wear ihram from another miqat. If a person avoids wearing ihram intentionally and he is unable to return to miqat due to shortage of time or another excuse and there is no other miqat ahead of him, and as a consequence the time for performing 'umra is too short, he has missed 'umra and his hajj is invalid. If he is still mustati' or hajj has become obligatory for him [even after losing istita'a], he should perform hajj next year.

Jeddah is not considered as miqat nor parallel to any miqat. Therefore, wearing ihram for 'umra al-tamattu' from this place in normal conditions is invalid. Moreover, it is obligatory for every one to go to one of miqats to wear ihram. In case, he is unable to go to miqat points, on the basis of obligatory caution, he should wear ihram by nadhr from Jeddah.

If a person after wearing ihram and exit miqat, becomes aware that his/her ihram is incorrect, it is obligatory for him to go to a miqat and wear ihram, if possible. If he cannot do so except after entering Mecca, he must wear ihram from Adna l-Hill with the intention of al-'umra al-mufrada and after performing rituals of al-'umra al-mufrada, he must go back to one of the miqats and wear ihram for 'umra al-tamattu'.

However, on the basis of mustahabb caution, it is better not to do so except for dire need or emergency. On the basis of caution, firstly he should wear ihram for hajj and then he may exit the holy city of Mecca. If wearing ihram would cause hardship, he may exit the holy city of Mecca without ihram. Those people who want to observe this caution and are compelled to exit the holy city of Mecca once or more e.g. the workers of caravans, may perform al-'umra al-mufrada first and perform 'umra al-tamattu' just before becoming muhrim for hajj. In this case, they should wear ihram for 'umra al-tamattu' from the miqat and after performing 'umra al-tamattu', they should wear ihram for hajj from the holy city of Mecca.

Criterion of exiting the holy city of Mecca between 'umra al-tamattu' and hajj is to depart from the current city of Mecca. Therefore, visiting a place which is now considered a part of the holy city of Mecca though was not considered a part of the holy city of Mecca in the past will not be considered exiting Mecca.

For a person who has performed 'umra al-tamattu' and exited Mecca without wearing ihram, if he returns to Mecca during the same month in which he has performed 'umra, there is no need to wear ihram again for entering in the holy city of Mecca. If this person returns in the next month of performing, e.g. if he performs 'umra in the month of Dhu l-Qa'da, departs from Mecca, and return to the holy city of Mecca during the month of Dhu l-Hijja, or if he performs 'umra in the month of Dhu l-Qa'da, departs in the month of Dhu l-Hijja and returns again, it is obligatory for him to wear ihram for 'umra again in order to enter into the holy city of Mecca and his 'umra al-tamattu' which is connected with hajj will be his second 'umra al-tamattu'. If he does not wear ihram again and perform second 'umra, his hajj al-tamattu' is not valid.

On the basis of obligatory caution, one should not perform al-'umra al-mufrada after performing 'umra al-tamattu' and prior to hajj al-tamattu'. But if he performs it, it does not make 'umra and hajj al-tamattu' invalid.