Short answer: there are three types of Hajj. Tamattu: perform Umrah in the Hajj months, leave ihram, then enter a new ihram for Hajj. Qiran: Umrah and Hajj together in one ihram. Ifrad: Hajj alone. Tamattu and qiran require a sacrifice; ifrad does not. The Hanafi school holds that qiran is best, then tamattu, then ifrad, while most pilgrims from abroad perform tamattu. A Hajj mabroor is an accepted Hajj, done sincerely and kept free of sin, and its reward is Paradise. Hajj badal is Hajj performed for someone who has died or is too ill to go.
The three types at a glance
| Tamattu | Qiran | Ifrad | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intention at the miqat | Umrah only | Umrah and Hajj together | Hajj only |
| Talbiyah begins with | Labbayka umratan | Labbayka umratan wa hajjan | Labbayka hajjan |
| After Umrah | Leave ihram, live normally until the 8th | Stay in ihram until the 10th | No Umrah first; stay in ihram until the 10th |
| New ihram | Yes, for Hajj on the 8th, from Makkah | No | No |
| Sacrifice (hady) | Wajib | Wajib | Not required (recommended) |
| If no animal is affordable | Fast 3 days in Hajj and 7 at home | The same | Not applicable |
| Time in ihram | Shortest | Longest | Long |
| Who usually does it | Most pilgrims from the US, UK, UAE and Canada | Those who can bear a long ihram | Residents of Makkah and those with little time before Hajj |
The Quran mentions tamattu by name, with its sacrifice and the fast for those who cannot afford one:
فَإِذَآ أَمِنتُمْ فَمَن تَمَتَّعَ بِٱلْعُمْرَةِ إِلَى ٱلْحَجِّ فَمَا ٱسْتَيْسَرَ مِنَ ٱلْهَدْىِ ۚ فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَٰثَةِ أَيَّامٍۢ فِى ٱلْحَجِّ وَسَبْعَةٍ إِذَا رَجَعْتُمْ ۗ تِلْكَ عَشَرَةٌۭ كَامِلَةٌۭ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن لَّمْ يَكُنْ أَهْلُهُۥ حَاضِرِى ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ
Famal lam yajid fa Siyaamu salaasti ayyaamin fil Hajji wa sab'atin izaa raja'tum; tilka 'asharatun kaamilah; zaalika limal lam yakun ahluhoo haadiril Masjidil Haraam; wattaqul laaha wa'lamoo annal laaha shadeedul'iqaab
"And when you are secure, then whoever performs 'umrah [during the Hajj months] followed by Hajj [offers] what can be obtained with ease of sacrificial animals. And whoever cannot find [or afford such an animal] - then a fast of three days during Hajj and of seven when you have returned [home]. Those are ten complete [days]. This is for those whose family is not in the area of al-Masjid al-Haram."
Quran 2:196, part of the ayah · translation by Sahih International
Aishah described the Farewell Hajj: "Some of us entered ihram for Umrah, some for Hajj and Umrah, and some for Hajj alone."1 All three were done in front of the Prophet ﷺ. For the day-by-day rites, see Hajj 2027, and for the Umrah part, the Umrah guide.
Which type is best?
Qiran is the best, then tamattu, then ifrad. The Hanafis hold that the Prophet ﷺ himself performed qiran, as Anas heard him say "Labbayka umratan wa hajjan", and qiran joins two acts of worship in one long ihram. A qarin performs two tawafs and two sa'is: one of each for the Umrah, then one of each for the Hajj.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Ifrad is best, as long as Umrah is done in the same year, then tamattu, then qiran. A qarin does one tawaf and one sa'i for both.
- Maliki
- Ifrad is best, then qiran, then tamattu. One tawaf and one sa'i for a qarin.
- Hanbali
- Tamattu is best, because the Prophet ﷺ said that had he known beforehand, he would not have brought his sacrificial animal and would have made his ihram an Umrah. One tawaf and one sa'i for a qarin.
The difference is only about which is better. All three are valid in every school. In practice, tamattu is the easiest for pilgrims who arrive days or weeks before Hajj, because they can leave ihram after Umrah.
Residents of Makkah
Tamattu and qiran are not for those who live within the miqat (the people of al-Masjid al-Haram, 2:196). They perform ifrad. If one of them does tamattu or qiran, it counts, but a penalty sacrifice is due.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i, Maliki and Hanbali
- Residents of Makkah may perform tamattu or qiran, but no sacrifice is due from them. The verse removes the sacrifice, not the permission.
What is Hajj mabroor?
الْعُمْرَةُ إِلَى الْعُمْرَةِ كَفَّارَةٌ لِمَا بَيْنَهُمَا، وَالْحَجُّ الْمَبْرُورُ لَيْسَ لَهُ جَزَاءٌ إِلاَّ الْجَنَّةُ
Al-ʿumratu ilal-ʿumrati kaffāratun limā baynahumā, wal-ḥajjul-mabrūru laysa lahū jazā'un illal-jannah
One Umrah to the next is an expiation for what is between them, and a Hajj mabroor has no reward but Paradise.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1773 and Sahih Muslim 1349, from Abu Hurayrah
Mabroor (also spelled mabrur) comes from birr, righteousness. The scholars gave close definitions:
- Al-Nawawi: the best-known meaning is a Hajj not mixed with any sin. Some said it is a Hajj that is accepted.
- Al-Hasan al-Basri is reported to have said: it is that you return detached from this world and longing for the Hereafter.
- Others said its sign is that the pilgrim comes back better than he went, and does not return to the sins he left.
Other hadith describe its reward. "Whoever performs Hajj for Allah and does not commit obscenity or sin returns like the day his mother bore him."2 Asked which deed is best, the Prophet ﷺ said faith in Allah and His Messenger, then jihad, then a Hajj mabroor.3 And he told Aishah that for women "the best jihad is a Hajj mabroor".4
How to aim for it: pay for it with halal money, make your intention for Allah alone, learn the rites before you go, avoid arguing and obscene talk (2:197), be patient with the crowds, and help other pilgrims. The greeting "Hajj mabroor, wa sa'y mashkur, wa dhanb maghfur" (an accepted Hajj, a rewarded effort, a forgiven sin) is a good dua, but it is not a hadith in that wording.
Hajj badal: Hajj for someone else
A woman from the tribe of Khath'am asked the Prophet ﷺ at the Farewell Hajj: "My father is very old and cannot sit on a mount. Shall I perform Hajj for him?" He said: "Yes."5 He also heard a man saying "Labbayk on behalf of Shubrumah" and asked whether he had performed his own Hajj. When he said no, the Prophet ﷺ said: "Perform Hajj for yourself, then for Shubrumah."6
Hajj badal is valid for someone who has died, or who is permanently unable to travel, such as from old age or a lasting illness. If the person recovers, they must perform their own Hajj. The intention is made for them ("Labbayka an fulan"), and the costs come wholly or mostly from their money. It is best that the proxy has already performed his own Hajj; if he has not, the badal is still valid but disliked, and more strongly disliked if Hajj is already due on him. The proxy should perform ifrad, or tamattu or qiran only with the sender's permission. A man may perform it for a woman and a woman for a man.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i and Hanbali
- Allowed for one who has died or is permanently unable. The proxy must have performed his own Hajj first; if not, the Hajj counts for himself, following the hadith of Shubrumah.
- Maliki
- Hajj for a living person who is unable is not valid. For someone who has died it is valid if he left it in his will, with dislike.
Umrah badal
Abu Razin asked the Prophet ﷺ about his father, who could not perform Hajj or Umrah or travel. He said: "Perform Hajj and Umrah on behalf of your father."7
Umrah badal is allowed for someone who has died or cannot go. Hanafi scholars also allow a voluntary Umrah on behalf of a living person who asks for it, and allow gifting the reward of your own Umrah to anyone, living or dead.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i and Hanbali
- Allowed for one who has died or is permanently unable, by a proxy who has done his own Umrah.
- Maliki
- Disliked, though it counts if the person left it in his will.
Using a Hajj or Umrah badal service
- Choose a person or organisation you can verify, preferably someone you know or a licensed agency.
- Agree on the type of Hajj, and give the proxy the name of the person it is for.
- Hanafi scholars do not allow a fee for worship as such, but you may pay the proxy's full travel and living costs.
- Ask for confirmation of the dates and rites, and make dua for the person yourself.
FAQ
What are the three types of Hajj?
Tamattu (Umrah, leave ihram, then Hajj), qiran (Umrah and Hajj in one ihram) and ifrad (Hajj alone). Tamattu and qiran need a sacrifice; ifrad does not.
Which type of Hajj is best?
Hanafi: qiran, then tamattu, then ifrad. Shafi'i and Maliki: ifrad is best. Hanbali: tamattu is best. All three are valid in every school.
What does Hajj mabroor mean?
An accepted Hajj, done for Allah and kept free of sin. Its reward is Paradise (Bukhari 1773). Its sign, scholars said, is that you come back better than you went.
Can I perform Hajj for my deceased parent?
Yes. Hajj badal for a parent who has died is valid in the Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools, best done by someone who has performed his own Hajj. The Maliki school requires that they left it in their will.
Is Umrah badal allowed?
Yes, for someone who has died or cannot go, following the hadith of Abu Razin (Abu Dawud 1810, Tirmidhi 930). The Maliki school dislikes it.
Which type of Hajj do most pilgrims do?
Tamattu. Pilgrims from the US, UK, UAE and Canada usually arrive early, perform Umrah, leave ihram, then put it on again for Hajj on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah.
Sources
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1562 and Sahih Muslim 1211, from Aishah.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1521 and Sahih Muslim 1350, from Abu Hurayrah.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 26, from Abu Hurayrah.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1520, from Aishah.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1513 and Sahih Muslim 1334, from Ibn Abbas.
- Sunan Abu Dawud 1811 and Sunan Ibn Majah 2903, from Ibn Abbas; graded sahih by al-Albani.
- Sunan Abu Dawud 1810 and Jami at-Tirmidhi 930, from Abu Razin al-Uqayli; at-Tirmidhi graded it hasan sahih.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1773 and Sahih Muslim 1349, from Abu Hurayrah. On qiran: Sahih Muslim 1232, from Anas. On the sacrificial animal: Sahih al-Bukhari 1651, from Jabir.
- Al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim, on the hadith of Hajj mabroor. On the types and badal: al-Marghinani, al-Hidayah, book of Hajj; for the other schools, their standard manuals.
- Quran 2:196 and 2:197, Arabic from the Uthmani text, translation by Sahih International.
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.