The Miqat Boundaries for Hajj and Umrah: Where to Enter Ihram Based on Your Route

Introduction

The miqat (plural: mawaqit) are specific points around Makkah that anyone intending Hajj or Umrah may not pass without being in a state of ihram. They are spread so that every traveler heading to Makkah passes one of them, whichever direction they come from.

This guide covers the five miqats, who enters ihram at each, and the rulings that determine your miqat based on how and from where you travel.

The Five Miqats by Direction of Arrival

1. Dhul Hulayfah (Abyar Ali): from the north

Location: South of Madinah. It is the farthest miqat from Makkah, about 450 km away.

Who uses it: The people of Madinah, and anyone traveling Makkah-bound by road or air who passes through it.

2. Al-Juhfah (Rabigh): from the northwest

Location: North of Jeddah. Today, pilgrims enter ihram from the nearby city of Rabigh.

Who uses it: Travelers from the Levant, Egypt, Sudan, North Africa and the wider African continent, whether by sea, air or the coastal roads.

3. Qarn al-Manazil (As-Sayl Al-Kabir): from the east

Location: East of Makkah on the Taif road. Its mountainous extension is known as Wadi Mahram.

Who uses it: The people of Najd, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, travelers from the Gulf states (UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman), and those arriving from East Asia through the eastern airspace.

4. Yalamlam (As-Sa'diyah): from the south

Location: South of Makkah. Today, pilgrims enter ihram from the newer As-Sa'diyah miqat.

Who uses it: The people of Yemen, and travelers from the south of Saudi Arabia (such as Jazan and Asir).

5. Dhat Irq (Ad-Dareebah): from the northeast

Location: Northeast of Makkah, about 90 km away.

Who uses it: The people of Iraq, Iran and the lands beyond, and those arriving overland from those directions.

Rulings That Decide Your Miqat

The rulings below reflect the position of the majority of scholars. They determine how ihram works depending on where you live and how you travel.

"They are for their people, and for whoever passes through them"

A miqat is not limited to the people of the region it is named for. It applies to everyone who passes it. For example, an Egyptian who travels to Madinah first enters ihram at Dhul Hulayfah, not at Al-Juhfah.

Ihram by alignment (air and sea travel)

A traveler by plane or ship who does not pass over a miqat directly must enter ihram when they come in line with (parallel to) the first miqat they pass over or alongside during the journey.

Residents living inside the miqat boundaries

Someone who lives between the miqat and Makkah, such as residents of Jeddah, Bahrah or Ash-Shara'i, enters ihram from their home, or from wherever they form the intention. They are not required to go out to one of the five miqats.

Passing a miqat without ihram

Whoever passes a miqat intending Hajj or Umrah without entering ihram has made an error and should return to the miqat to enter ihram from there. If they enter ihram where they are after passing it and do not return to the miqat, they owe a dam: the sacrifice of a sheep, distributed to the poor of the Haram, to make up for the lapse.

Conclusion

Finding your miqat starts with two questions: which direction are you coming from, and how are you traveling? The answers tell you where to make your intention for ihram. If your trip includes more than one leg, such as stopping in Madinah before Makkah, the miqat that applies is the one you actually pass.

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