Miqat
The mīqāts of iḥrām are the places that have been determined for wearing iḥrām.
Al-Shajara Mosque
Al-Shajara Mosque (المسجد الشجرة) is situated in the region of Dhu l-Ḥulayfa (ذوالحليفة) near the holy city of Medina and this is the place to wear iḥrām for the people who go to Mecca via holy city of Medina.
Wadi l-Aqiq
This constitutes the mīqāt 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 Dhāt 'Irq, the last portion. Iḥrām at any of these portions is valid.
Juhfa
This is the place of wearing iḥrām (the mīqāt) for the people of Syria, Egypt, Morocco, and people who cross this place for performing 'umra. Wearing iḥrām is valid whether inside the mosque or other places of Juḥfah.
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 iḥrām for the people of Yemen and those who cross that mountain for performing 'umra. Wearing iḥrām is valid anywhere in Yalamlam.
Qarn al-Manazil
Qarn al-Manāzil is the place of wearing iḥrām for the people of Tā'if and for the people who cross it for 'umra. Wearing dress of iḥrām anywhere in Qarn al-Manāzil 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 iḥrām from a point that is parallel to one of the aforementioned points. Parallel (muḥādhāt) refers to a point where the point of wearing iḥrām is either on the left or on the right so that if he goes forward, the mīqāt will be located behind him.
The aforementioned places are mīqāts for wearing iḥrām for 'umra al-tamattu'. Some other places for wearing iḥrām (mīqāts) are as follows:
- The holy city of Mecca: it is the mīqāt for hajj al-tamattu'.
- One's personal house: it is the mīqāt for those who live between Mecca and a mīqāt. It is not obligatory for such a person to go to the above mentioned places for wearing iḥrām.
- Adna al-ḥill: it is the mīqāt for individuals intending to perform al-'umra al-mufradah who are inside the holy city of Mecca. It is better that he should wear iḥrām at andā al-ḥill, al-Ḥudaybiyya, al-Ju'rāna or al-Tan'īm.
Issues
Wearing iḥrām before reaching mīqāt is invalid. If a person passes the mīqāt without wearing iḥrām on purpose or due to ignorance or negligence, he should return to the place of mīqāt and wear iḥrām from there. If a person passes the mīqāt without wearing iḥrām due to negligence, forgetfulness or ignorance of the ruling, and he cannot return to the place of mīqāt due to shortage of time or another excuse while he has not entered the Ḥaram, on the basis of obligatory caution, he should go back towards mīqāt as much as possible and wear iḥrām from there. If he has entered the Ḥaram, he should exit the Ḥaram. In case, he cannot exit Ḥaram due to shortage of time or the like, he should wear iḥrām inside the Ḥaram where the excused (negligence, forgetfulness or ignorance of the ruling) is removed. Issue 116: In normal condition, it is not permissible to delay in wearing iḥrām whether there is another mīqāt in front of him or not. Issue 117: If a person is prevented from wearing iḥrām in one of the mīqāts, he is allowed to wear iḥrām from another mīqāt. Issue 118: If a person avoids wearing iḥrām intentionally and he is unable to return to mīqāt due to shortage of time or another excuse and there is no other mīqāt 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 mustaṭī' or hajj has become obligatory for him [even after losing istiṭā'ah], he should perform hajj next year. Issue 119: Jeddah is not considered as mīqāt nor parallel to any mīqāt. Therefore, wearing iḥrām for 'umra tamattu' from this place in normal conditions is invalid. Moreover, it is obligatory for every one to go to one of mīqāts to wear iḥrām. In case, he is unable to go to mīqāt points, on the basis of obligatory caution, he should wear iḥrām by nadhr from Jeddah. Issue 120: If a person after wearing iḥrām and exit mīqāt, becomes aware that his/her iḥrām is incorrect, it is obligatory for him to go to a mīqāt and wear iḥrām, if possible. If he cannot do so except after entering Mecca, he must wear iḥrām from Adnal-Ḥill with the intention of 'umra mufradah and after performing rituals of 'umra mufradah, he must go back to one of the mīqāts and wear iḥrām for 'umra tamattu'. Issue 121: A person who has performed 'umra tamattu' is permitted to exit holy city of Mecca, provided that he is certain about his return to the holy city of Mecca. However, on the basis of mustaḥabb caution, it is better not to do so except for dire need or emergency. On the basis of caution, firstly he should wear iḥrām for hajj and then he may exit the holy city of Mecca. If wearing iḥrām would cause hardship, he may exit the holy city of Mecca without iḥrām. 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 'umra mufradah first and perform 'umra of tamattu' just before becoming muḥrim for hajj. In this case, they should wear iḥrām for 'umra tamattu' from the mīqāt and after performing 'umra tamattu', they should wear iḥrām for hajj from the holy city of Mecca. Issue 122: Criterion of exiting the holy city of Mecca between 'umra 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. Issue 123: For a person who has performed 'umra tamattu' and exited Mecca without wearing iḥrām, if he returns to the Mecca during the same month in which he has performed 'umra, there is no need to wear iḥrām 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 Dhul-Qa'dah, departs from Mecca, and return to the holy city of Mecca during the month of Dhul-Ḥijjah, or if he performs 'umra in the month of Dhul-Qa'dah, departs in the month of Dhul-Ḥijjah and returns again, it is obligatory for him to wear iḥrām for 'umra again in order to enter into the holy city of Mecca and his 'umra tamattu' which is connected with hajj will be his second 'umra tamattu'. If he does not wear iḥrām again and perform second 'umra, his hajj tamattu' is not valid. Issue 124: On the basis of obligatory caution, one should not perform 'umra mufradah after performing 'umra tamattu' and prior to hajj tamattu'. But if he performs it, it does not make 'umra and hajj tamattu' invalid.