Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Essential Rulings of Ihram: Intentions, Prohibitions, and Makruh Acts

Important ruling regarding intention

Remember! The intention of heart (willingness in heart) is in fact a valid intention. Whether one makes intention for Ṣalāḥ, fast, Iḥrām or for any other deed, if the intention is not present in his heart, mere verbal utterance of the words of the intention is not sufficient, and such an intention is not valid.

Keep also in mind that uttering the words of intention in Arabic is not necessary; one can also utter it in his mother tongue. Similarly, uttering the words of intention in any language is not necessary either; just the presence of intention in the heart is sufficient. However, uttering it verbally is better and uttering it in Arabic is even more preferable as Arabic is the sweet and elegant language of the Noble Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم. Whenever one makes intention in Arabic, it is necessary to understand its meaning.

Meaning of Iḥrām

The literal meaning of Iḥrām is to declare a thing Ḥarām because even some Ḥalāl (lawful) acts become Ḥarām (unlawful) for the person who is in the state of Iḥrām. The Islamic brother who is in the state of Iḥrām is called Muḥrim whereas the Islamic sister is called Muḥrimah.

Ḥarām acts in Iḥrām

The following acts are Ḥarām in the state of Iḥrām.

1.      For men to wear sewn clothes.

2.      To wear a cap or to tie a turban or handkerchief on the head.

3.      For men to place a bundle of clothes onto the head (Islamic sisters should keep their heads covered with shawls; they are not prohibited to place bundle of clothes onto the head).

4.      For men to wear gloves (no prohibition for women).

5.      For men to wear such socks or shoes that hide the instep (i.e. the raised middle part of the foot).

6.      To apply perfume to the body, clothes or hair

7.      To eat pure fragrance, e.g. cardamom, clove, cinnamon, saffron etc. or tie these into clothes. However, if these items are cooked with other food, there is no harm in eating them even if fragrance is emanating from them.

8.      To have intercourse, kiss, touch or hug the wife with lust, and see her vagina with lust.

9.      Every indecent act and all types of sins were already Ḥarām and have been more severely Ḥarām in the state of Iḥrām.

10.  Worldly conflicts and quarrels

11.  Hunting in the forest or even assisting in hunting in any way. Eating, buying and selling meat, egg etc. of the hunted animal are also Ḥarām.

12.  Trimming one’s nails or having the nails trimmed by somebody else or trimming the nails of someone else.

13.  Cutting the hair of the head or the beard, removing armpits hair or under navel hair including pubic hair; removing even a single hair from any part of the body from head to foot.

14.  Dyeing (hair) with henna (Mehndī)

15.  To apply olive or sesame oil to hair or the body even if the oil has no fragrance.

16.  Shaving someone’s head whether he is in Iḥrām or not. (However, if the time of getting out of the restrictions of Iḥrām has arrived, one can shave one’s own head as well as that of anyone else.)

17.  Killing or throwing away a louse or signalling someone to kill it. Washing clothes or placing them in sunlight with the intention of killing the louse. Applying anti-lice medicine etc. to hair. In other words, causing the louse to be killed in any way. [All of these acts are Ḥarām in the state of Iḥrām.]

(Bahār-e-Sharī’at, vol. 1, pp. 1078-1079)

Makrūḥ Acts In Iḥrām

1.      To remove dirt from the body.

2.      To wash hair or body with soap etc.

3.      To comb hair.

4.      To scratch (the body) in such a manner that hair may fall out or louse may fall from the head.

5.      To place a shirt or a coat etc. on the shoulder like wearing it.

6.      To smell a perfume deliberately.

7.      To smell fragrant fruits or leaves like lemon, orange, mint, etc. (There is no harm in eating such things.)

8.      To sit in a perfume shop with the intention of smelling fragrance.

9.      To touch the emanating fragrance by the hand such that it does not come into contact with the hand; otherwise it would be Ḥarām.

10.  To eat or drink such a thing in which uncooked fragrance has been added. However, if the fragrance has neutralized, there is no harm in eating/drinking it.

11.  To get underneath the cover of the Holy Ka’baḥ such that it touches the head or the face.

12.  To cover the nose or any part of the face by a piece of cloth.

13.  To wear such unsewn cloth that is darned or patched.

14.  To lie on the stomach with the face on the pillow. (To sleep whilst lying on the stomach is forbidden at all times as it is a posture of the Hell-dwellers as mentioned in a Ḥadīš.)

15.  It is Makrūḥ to tie a Ta’wīż even if wrapped in unsewn cloth. However, if a Ta’wīż wrapped in unsewn cloth is worn around the neck instead of being tied on the arm etc. there is no harm in it.

16.  To wrap a bandage around the head or the face.

17.  To wrap a bandage around any part of the body without a valid reason.

18.  To wear make-up (cosmetics).

19.  To tie knots at the ends of a shawl having worn it around shoulders with the head uncovered. To cover the head with it is Ḥarām.

20.  To tie a knot at both the ends of Tahband (i.e. a piece of cloth used to cover the lower part of the body).

21.  It is permissible to wear a pocket-belt with the intention of keeping money etc. into it. However, it is Makrūḥ to wear such a belt or string with the intention of tightening the Tahband.

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