Short answer
At or before the miqat, intend umrah in your heart, and it is good to say: "Allahumma inni uridul umrata fa yassirha li wa taqabbalha minni" (O Allah, I intend umrah, so make it easy for me and accept it from me). Then say the talbiyah. In the Hanafi school ihram starts only when the intention and the talbiyah come together.
The intention is in the heart; saying it aloud is mustahabb. Ihram is established by the intention joined with the talbiyah at least once. The ghusl and two rakats before it are sunnah, and the rakats are not prayed at disliked times.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i and Hanbali
- The intention alone starts ihram; the talbiyah is sunnah. A pilgrim who fears being prevented may add a condition ("my place of release is where You stop me") and leave ihram without penalty if it happens.
- Maliki
- The intention starts ihram; the talbiyah is wajib, and leaving it requires a dam.
Explanation
The Prophet ﷺ said that actions are only by intentions. For umrah, the intention is what turns a traveller in white sheets into a muhrim (a person in ihram). Anas heard the Prophet say "Labbayka umratan wa hajjan", naming the rite in his talbiyah, which shows the words can name what you intend.
- Prepare: clip nails, remove unwanted hair, take a ghusl or at least wudu, and wear the ihram clothes (see men's ihram or women's ihram).
- Pray two rakats with the head covered, if it is not a disliked time. On a plane this may not be possible; it is a sunnah only.
- Intend: uncover the head (men) and intend umrah in the heart. You may say the dua above in Arabic or simply "O Allah, I intend umrah" in your own language.
- Say the talbiyah at least once (see the talbiyah). Now the rules of ihram apply.
- Where: at the miqat or before it. On a flight, intend before the plane crosses it (see ihram when flying to Jeddah).
- For someone else: intend umrah on behalf of that person and say "labbayka an..." with their name.
- Forgot the words: the heart's intention plus any talbiyah is enough. There is no fixed formula you must recite.
- Already in Makkah: see umrah from Makkah.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Baqara 2:196
وَأَتِمُّوا۟ ٱلْحَجَّ وَٱلْعُمْرَةَ لِلَّهِ ۚ فَإِنْ أُحْصِرْتُمْ فَمَا ٱسْتَيْسَرَ مِنَ ٱلْهَدْىِ ۖ وَلَا تَحْلِقُوا۟ رُءُوسَكُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ ٱلْهَدْىُ مَحِلَّهُۥ ۚ فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضًا أَوْ بِهِۦٓ أَذًۭى مِّن رَّأْسِهِۦ فَفِدْيَةٌۭ مِّن صِيَامٍ أَوْ صَدَقَةٍ أَوْ نُسُكٍۢ ۚ 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 ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ ﴿١٩٦﴾
And complete the Hajj and 'umrah for Allah. But if you are prevented, then [offer] what can be obtained with ease of sacrificial animals. And do not shave your heads until the sacrificial animal has reached its place of slaughter. And whoever among you is ill or has an ailment of the head [making shaving necessary must offer] a ransom of fasting [three days] or charity or sacrifice. 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. And fear Allah and know that Allah is severe in penalty.
Umrah is begun and completed for Allah.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1
Sahih... إنما الأعمال بالنيات وإنما لكل امرئ ما نوى ...
"Actions are only by intentions, and each person will have what he intended."
Ihram starts with the intention.
Sahih Muslim 1232
Sahih... سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول لبيك عمرة وحجا ...
"I heard the Messenger of Allah say: Here I am for umrah and Hajj."
Naming the rite with the talbiyah is from the Sunnah.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Hajj, chapter on ihram. Ihram is not entered by intention alone without the talbiyah; the two rakats and the dua are recommended.
- Nur al-Idah with Maraqi al-Falah, Kitab al-Hajj, on ihram. Saying the intention aloud is mustahabb.
- Minhaj al-Talibin, Kitab al-Hajj, on ihram. The Shafi'i view that the intention alone starts ihram.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.