Hajj Ihram: How you should wear and carry the Sacred Garment

To start, let's describe briefly what an ihram is. Ihram is a religious attire that is specifically a unique piece of clothing for men. It is worn for performing the major pilgrimage – Hajj and also the same ihram for Umrah is worn when performing the minor pilgrimage.

In this blog, we will cover how you should wear an ihram and what some rules are for it Being in a state of Ihram is more than just wearing two pieces of white clothes or in the case of women, the abaya and hijab. It is to cleanse your body and soul before performing the Hajj or Umrah. We will focus below on how the hajj ihram for men is worn and some restrictions that you need to implement and observe.

IHRAM FOR MEN

Before wearing the pilgrimage clothing, men must perform ghusl, trim or shave any hair on the face or body that is needed, and cut their nails. Once these things are done, they can put on the sacred garment of Ihram.

Two white clothes are required. You can find ihram for sale in specific retail shops or order online such as Vohra and Saigol. You must wear the ihram before reaching Makkah.

It is best to wear a pair of sandals as for men, their feet should not be covered. Now you may wonder, how are the two white clothes worn? One white cloth is for your upper body – known as the ‘Rida’ while the other is to cover the lower part of the body for men – referred to as the ‘Izar’.

Starting with the Izar, to wrap the lower body properly, place your feet wide apart – covering half of it behind the other half the front. Once this is done, secure the sides of the cloth by compressing it. The Izar should cover your navel and the knees. Now you may add a layer on the front by folding the end. You may choose to wear a belt to keep the cloth tightened and in place.

Now coming onto Rida – the upper body cloth. Start from the back, take the longer side of the cloth, and cover over your left shoulder, making sure that the cloth is secured and your torso is covered. The right shoulder is exposed during the Tawaf which is why the cloth is kept under the right arm while covering the whole left shoulder.

You need white cloth of good quality fabric, which is long enough to be able to wrap properly around the body. It should not be transparent as wearing undergarments underneath the ihram is not permissible. Shop the best quality hajj ihrams online at Vohra and Saigol.

What are some prohibitions during the state of Ihram?

As mentioned above, ihram is more than just wearing the appropriate garment to perform the pilgrimage. Certain actions that are prohibited during this period include:

•   Engaging in any sort of fighting with others.
•   Using any sort of bad language or cursing someone.
•   Wearing makeup or strong perfume, especially for women.  
•   Engaging in any sexual activity.
•   Cutting, removing, or plucking of hair and nails after the ihram is worn.
•   Hunting or killing of any animal.
• Getting married in the state of Ihram.