UAE
Saudi Arabia
To perform Hajj, most Pakistani pilgrims first complete Umrah (Hajj al-Tamattu). On 8th Dhul Hijjah they enter ihram and go to Mina, stand at Arafat on the 9th and spend the night at Muzdalifah. The 10th brings stoning, sacrifice, shaving and Tawaf al-Ifadah, and the 11th to 13th are spent stoning the three Jamarat in Mina.
Key points
- Most Pakistani pilgrims perform Hajj al-Tamattu: Umrah first, then a fresh ihram for Hajj on 8th Dhul Hijjah.
- Standing at Arafat on the 9th is the heart of Hajj, and a pilgrim who misses it has missed Hajj.
- The 10th is the busiest day: stoning Jamarat al-Aqabah, the sacrifice, shaving or trimming, and Tawaf al-Ifadah with sa'i.
- On the 11th and 12th, and the 13th if you stay, you stone all three Jamarat after midday at the times set for your group.
- Scholars differ on some details, so learn the rites in advance and follow your group's scholar on the day.
Learning how to perform Hajj before you leave Pakistan is the best preparation you can make. The rites run over five or six days, from the 8th to the 12th or 13th of Dhul Hijjah, and each day has its own place and acts: Mina, Arafat, Muzdalifah, the Jamarat and the Kaaba. Our Hajj visa guide explains how Pakistanis get a place on Hajj in the first place; this guide covers what you do once you are there.
What follows is the mainstream outline most Pakistani groups teach. Where scholars differ, we say so briefly. Learn from a scholar you trust, attend the training sessions that the Ministry of Religious Affairs arranges, and follow your group's guide on the day. If you are still choosing how to go, VisaWala's Hajj and Umrah service can talk you through the options.
Which type of Hajj will you perform?
There are three ways to perform Hajj. They differ in whether you combine it with Umrah, how long you stay in ihram and whether a sacrifice is due.
| Type | What you do | Ihram | Sacrifice (hady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamattu | Umrah in the months of Hajj, then Hajj the same year | Leave ihram after Umrah; enter it again on 8th Dhul Hijjah | Required |
| Qiran | Umrah and Hajj together, with one intention | Stay in ihram from arrival until the 10th | Required |
| Ifrad | Hajj only | Stay in ihram from arrival until the 10th | Not required, but recommended |
Most Pakistani pilgrims perform Hajj al-Tamattu, often called Hajj e Tamattu, because they arrive well before the 8th and it lets them leave ihram in the days between. Your scheme or company will tell you which type its schedule is built around.
How to perform Hajj step by step: the days at a glance
- Before the 8th: arrive, perform Umrah (for Tamattu) and leave ihram.
- 8th Dhul Hijjah: enter ihram for Hajj and go to Mina.
- 9th: stand at Arafat until sunset, then move to Muzdalifah for the night.
- 10th: stone Jamarat al-Aqabah, offer the sacrifice, shave or trim, then perform Tawaf al-Ifadah and sa'i.
- 11th and 12th: stay in Mina and stone all three Jamarat each day.
- 13th: stay a further day and stone again, or leave Mina on the 12th.
- Before leaving Makkah: perform the farewell tawaf.
1. Arrival, ihram and Umrah (for Tamattu)
Most Pakistani pilgrims fly into Jeddah or Madinah some days before Hajj. If you are going straight to Makkah, you enter ihram before crossing the miqat, usually on the plane; the crew announces when you are approaching it, and many pilgrims put on the ihram clothes at home or at the airport. If you go to Madinah first, you enter ihram at its miqat, Dhul Hulayfah, on the way to Makkah.
For Tamattu, your first act in Makkah is Umrah: tawaf, two rakat, sa'i between Safa and Marwah, then shaving or trimming the hair. If Hajj is only days away, many scholars advise men to trim at this stage, leaving hair to shave on the 10th. You then leave ihram and live normally until the 8th. Our guide to performing Umrah step by step covers these rites in detail.
What is forbidden in ihram?
- Perfume, including scented soap and wipes
- Cutting or removing hair or nails
- Marital relations and anything leading to them
- Hunting, and cutting plants within the sanctuary
- For men: stitched clothing shaped to the body, and covering the head
- For women: the niqab, and gloves in most schools (the Hanafi school allows them)
2. 8th Dhul Hijjah: ihram for Hajj and the move to Mina
The 8th is called Yawm al-Tarwiyah. Tamattu pilgrims enter ihram again from their accommodation in Makkah, make the intention for Hajj and begin the talbiyah. Pilgrims performing Qiran or Ifrad are already in ihram.
The sunnah is to go to Mina and pray Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha and the next morning's Fajr there, each in its own time. Whether the four-rakat prayers are shortened depends on your school and how long you have stayed in Makkah, so follow your group's scholar. Because of the numbers involved, many groups move to Mina the night before, on the schedule the authorities set. Find your tent, note your camp details, and learn the way to the nearest toilets and exit.
3. 9th Dhul Hijjah: the Day of Arafat
The Day of Arafat is the heart of Hajj. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said that Hajj is Arafah, and a pilgrim who misses the standing at Arafat has missed Hajj. The sunnah is to leave Mina after sunrise, though many groups are moved earlier, overnight, on the authorities' schedule, by bus, by train or partly on foot.
The standing, called wuquf, runs from after midday until sunset; a pilgrim delayed on the way can still catch it by reaching Arafat before dawn on the 10th. Dhuhr and Asr are prayed in the early afternoon; scholars differ on whether pilgrims praying in their own camps should combine and shorten them. In the Hanafi view, combining is for those praying behind the main imam, so many Hanafi groups pray each in its own time in their tents, while other groups combine. Follow your group's practice. Spend the afternoon in dua, dhikr, Qur'an and seeking forgiveness. You do not need to climb Jabal al-Rahmah: anywhere within the boundaries of Arafat is valid, and the boundaries are signposted.
Stay inside your camp in the heat of the day, drink steadily, and save your energy for the hours before sunset, which many pilgrims remember as the most moving of their lives.
4. The night at Muzdalifah
After sunset, pilgrims leave Arafat for Muzdalifah without praying Maghrib at Arafat. At Muzdalifah you pray Maghrib and Isha together, however late you arrive, shortening Isha only if your school counts you as a traveller, then rest under the open sky. It is a night of simplicity: a mat, a light sheet and whatever sleep the crowds allow.
Many pilgrims collect their pebbles for the stoning here, each about the size of a chickpea. You need 49 if you leave Mina on the 12th, or 70 if you stay for the 13th, and it is wise to carry a few spare. Pebbles can also be picked up in Mina.
The sunnah is to pray Fajr at Muzdalifah, make dua until the sky is light, and leave before sunrise. Scholars allow the elderly, the weak, women and those caring for them to leave after the middle of the night. Others should stay: the Hanafi school treats being at Muzdalifah between Fajr and sunrise as necessary (wajib) for those able to. Follow your group's instructions on when to move.
5. 10th Dhul Hijjah: stoning, sacrifice, shaving and Tawaf al-Ifadah
The 10th is Eid al-Adha and the busiest day of Hajj. It has four main acts:
- Rami: stone Jamarat al-Aqabah, the Jamrah nearest Makkah, with seven pebbles thrown one at a time, saying Allahu akbar with each. Stop the talbiyah when you begin.
- Sacrifice: Tamattu and Qiran pilgrims offer an animal. Arrangements are set by the authorities; many pilgrims pay through an official sacrifice system and are told when it has been done, and your scheme or company will explain how it works that season.
- Halq or taqsir: men shave the head, which is better, or shorten the hair to the extent their school requires, as for Umrah; women cut a fingertip's length from the ends of their hair.
- Tawaf al-Ifadah and sa'i: return to Makkah for the tawaf that is a pillar of Hajj, followed by sa'i for Tamattu pilgrims and for others who have not yet performed it.
Pilgrims who follow the Hanafi school, as many Pakistani pilgrims do, are taught to keep the first three acts in this order for Tamattu and Qiran. That is why Hanafi groups wait for word that their sacrifice has been made before shaving. Other schools are more flexible about the order, so ask your group's scholar which view your group follows. The qurbani is one of the Hajj costs listed on our Hajj visa guide.
After the stoning and shaving or trimming, you can change into normal clothes and most ihram restrictions lift, apart from marital relations, which become permitted only after Tawaf al-Ifadah (and, in some schools, the sa'i that follows it). That tawaf does not have to be on the 10th: many pilgrims perform it on the 11th or 12th when crowds ease. Scholars differ on the latest time; the Hanafi school expects it before sunset on the 12th, so check with your scholar before you delay it.
6. 11th to 13th Dhul Hijjah: stoning the three Jamarat
These are the days of tashreeq. You spend the nights in Mina and, each day after midday, stone all three Jamarat in order: the small one (al-Ula), the middle one (al-Wusta) and then Jamarat al-Aqabah, seven pebbles at each. After the first two, the sunnah is to step aside, face the qiblah and make a long dua.
The Qur'an allows pilgrims to leave Mina after the stoning on the 12th, and many groups do. If you stay, you stone all three again on the 13th. Scholars differ on the exact cut-off for leaving on the 12th, so go with your group's plan.
7. Farewell tawaf and the journey home
Tawaf al-Wada, the farewell tawaf, is the last thing you do in Makkah before leaving. Women who are menstruating are excused from it. Once it is done, avoid lingering in Makkah beyond what you need to set off.
Many Pakistani groups spend time in Madinah before or after Hajj, depending on their flights. Visiting the Prophet's Mosque is not part of Hajj, but it is a journey most pilgrims treasure. A visit to the Rawdah needs a permit booked in the Nusuk app, as our Nusuk app guide explains.
Practical tips for Pakistani pilgrims during the days of Hajj
- Keep your Nusuk card with you at all times; it identifies you and your camp
- Expect to walk far more than you think, so break in your sandals at home and carry a small, light bag
- Drink water steadily, use an umbrella and rest in your tent in the heat of the day
- Stay with your group and save your group leader's number on every phone
- Respect Saudi permit rules: only pilgrims with a Hajj permit may perform Hajj, and the penalties for breaking this are severe
- Carry your medicines and the doctor's note, and know where your group's medical help is
If you are travelling with older relatives, our guide to Umrah with elderly parents has advice on pacing, heat and wheelchairs that applies to Hajj too.
Prepare for Hajj with VisaWala
The rites feel far more manageable when the arrangements are settled. If you have not yet chosen a route, our comparison of the Government and Private Hajj schemes and our guide to applying for Hajj from Pakistan explain the choices, and our Hajj guides list the official sources.
VisaWala arranges Hajj through a registered Hajj operator partner, shares that operator's registration details before you book, and confirms the package and full cost in writing before you pay. Start with a free first consultation on our Hajj and Umrah service page or through the contact form, or compare Hajj consultants in Karachi and other cities in our directory.
Frequently asked questions
How many days does Hajj take?
The rites of Hajj take five or six days, from the 8th to the 12th or 13th of Dhul Hijjah. The whole trip is much longer, because pilgrims from Pakistan usually arrive in Saudi Arabia well before the 8th and often spend time in Madinah before or after. How long you stay depends on your scheme and package.
What is the difference between Hajj and Umrah?
Hajj is obligatory once in a lifetime for those able to perform it, takes place only on set days in Dhul Hijjah, and includes Arafat, Muzdalifah, Mina and the stoning. Umrah is a shorter act of worship made up of ihram, tawaf, sa'i and shaving or trimming, and it can be performed for most of the year.
Can a woman perform Hajj during her period?
Yes. A woman who is menstruating can perform every rite of Hajj, including Arafat, Muzdalifah and the stoning, except tawaf, which she performs once she is pure. If this affects Tawaf al-Ifadah close to her flight home, she should speak to her group's scholar early, as scholars have recognised views for such cases. She is excused from the farewell tawaf.
What happens if I miss one of the rites of Hajj?
It depends on the rite. Missing the standing at Arafat means missing Hajj itself. Missing another obligatory act, such as the stoning, without a valid excuse usually requires an expiation, often a sacrifice, while missing a sunnah carries no penalty. Scholars differ on the details, so tell your group's scholar straight away if something goes wrong.
Do I have to slaughter the sacrifice myself?
No. Pilgrims rarely slaughter the animal themselves. The sacrifice for Tamattu and Qiran is arranged according to Saudi instructions, usually through an official system that confirms when it has been done. Your scheme or company will explain how to pay and how you will be told, which matters if your group waits for confirmation before shaving.
What should I wear during Hajj?
Men wear the two white, unstitched sheets of ihram from the 8th until they shave or trim on the 10th, with sandals that leave the top of the foot uncovered. Women wear ordinary modest clothing in any colour, without a niqab. Everyone needs comfortable footwear, a light mat for Muzdalifah and loose, light clothes for the days after ihram.
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