The literal meaning of Iḥrām is to declare a thing Ḥarām because even some Ḥalāl (lawful) acts become Ḥarām (unlawful) for the person who is in the state of Iḥrām. The Islamic brother who is in the state of Iḥrām is called Muḥrim whereas the Islamic sister is called Muḥrimaĥ.
1 – For men to wear sewn clothes.
2 – To wear a cap or to tie a turban or handkerchief on the head.
3 – For men to place a bundle of clothes onto the head (Islamic sisters should keep their heads covered with shawls; they are not prohibited to place bundle of clothes onto the head).
4 – For men to wear gloves (no prohibition for women).
5 – For men to wear such socks or shoes that hide the instep (i.e. the raised middle part of the foot).
6 – To apply perfume to the body, clothes or hair
7 – To eat pure aroma, e.g. cardamom, clove, cinnamon, saffron etc. or tie these into clothes. However, if these items are cooked with other food, there is no harm in eating them even if they are giving fragrance.
8 – To have intercourse, kiss or touch the wife with lust.
9 – To be involved in indecent talking and activities. Every sin which is Ḥarām, e.g. lying, backbiting, misusing eyes, worldly conflicts and quarrels is more strictly Ḥarām in the state of Iḥrām.
10 – Hunting in the forest or even assisting in hunting in any way. Eating, buying and selling meat, egg etc. of the hunted animal is also Ḥarām.
11 – Trimming one’s nails or getting the nails trimmed by somebody else or trimming the nails of someone else.
12 – Cutting the hair of the head or beard, removing armpits hair or under navel hair; removing even a single hair from any part of the body from head to foot.
13 – Dyeing (hair) with henna (Mehendy).
14 – To apply olive or sesame oil to hair or the body even if the oil has no fragrance.
15 – Shaving someone’s head whether he is in Iḥrām or not.
16 – Killing or throwing away a louse or signalling someone to kill it. Washing clothes or placing them in sunlight with the intention of killing the louse. Applying anti-lice medicine etc. to hair. In other words, causing the louse to be killed in any way. (All of these acts are Ḥarām in the state of Iḥrām).
1 – To remove dirt from the body.
2 – To wash hair or body with soap etc.
3 – To comb hair of the head or beard.
4 – To scratch (the body) in such a manner that hair may fall out or louse may fall from the head.
5 – To place a shirt or a coat etc. on the shoulder like wearing it.
6 – To smell a perfume deliberately.
7 – To smell fragrant fruits or leaves like lemon, orange, mint etc. (There is no harm in eating such things).
8 – To sit in a perfume shop with the intention of smelling fragrance.
9 – To touch the emanating fragrance by the hand such that it does not come into contact with the hand; otherwise it would be Ḥarām.
10 – To eat or drink such a thing in which uncooked fragrance has been added. However, if the fragrance has neutralized, there is no harm in eating/drinking it.
11 – To get underneath the cover of the Holy Ka’baĥ such that it touches the head or the face.
12 – To cover the nose or any part of the face by a piece of cloth (hence refrain from wiping the nose with a handkerchief in case of getting flu).
13 – To wear such unsewn cloth which is darned or patched.
14 – To lie on the stomach1 with face on the pillow (therefore, while travelling by bus, plane etc., refrain from sleeping by resting your face on the backrest of the seat in front of you).
15 – It is Makrūĥ to tie a Ta’wīż even if wrapped in unsewn cloth. However, if a Ta’wīż wrapped in unsewn cloth is worn around the neck instead of being tied on the arm etc. there is no harm in it.
16 – To wrap a bandage around any part of the body without a valid reason.
17 – To wear make-up (cosmetics).
18 – To tie a knot at both the ends of a shawl or Taĥband (i.e. sarong).
19 – It is permissible to tie a pocket-belt with the intention of keeping money etc. into it. However, it is Makrūĥ to wear such a belt or string with the intention of tightening the Taĥband.
1 – Using A Miswāk
2 – Wearing a ring
3 – To apply kohl into eyes. However, it is Makrūĥ Tanzīĥī for the Muḥrim to use kohl unnecessarily.
4 – To bathe without removing dirt from the body.
5 – Washing clothes (but it is Ḥarām to do so with the intention of killing lice).
6 – Scratching at the body or the head such that hair does not fall out.
7 – To use an umbrella or to sit under shade.
8 – To insert the ends of shawl into Taĥband.
9 – To extract teeth.
10 – To detach a broken nail.
11 – To rupture a pimple.
12 – To remove hair from the eye.
13 – To perform circumcision.
14 – To kill pest and harmful creatures such as rat, lizard, snake,
scorpion, mosquito, fly etc.
15 -To wrap a bandage around any part of the body except for bandage around the head or the face in case of compulsion he will have to pay expiation for it].
16 – To place a pillow under one’s head or cheek.
17 – To cover ears with a cloth.
18 – To place one’s own hand or someone else’s hand onto the nose or the head. (Cloth or handkerchief cannot be placed).
19 – To cover the chin below the beard with a cloth.
20 – For a Muḥrim to place a sack of cereals on the head is permissible but it is Ḥarām for him to place a bundle of clothes onto his head. However, a Muḥrimaĥ is allowed to place both the things onto her head.
21 – To eat the food in which clove, cinnamon etc. have been cooked; it does not matter even if fragrance is still emanating from it. Similarly, it is permissible to eat the food or drink the beverage in which uncooked fragrance has been added and the fragrance does not emanate from it.
22 – To apply almond or coconut oil to the body or hair provided it has no fragrance.
23 – It is permissible to wear such shoes that do not hide the instep (i.e. the raised middle part of the foot). [Hence the Muḥrim is advised to wear flip-flops, i.e. an open sandal with a thong between the big and the second toe].
24 – To slaughter domesticated animals such as camel, goat, hen, cow etc. It is also allowed to sell, purchase, cut and eat their meat.
the head and the face. [Although a Muḥrim can wrap a
1 – To conceal the head. It is Fard (for a woman) to conceal the head during Salah as well as in the presence of non Maḥram males (including her maternal and paternal cousins, especially her sister’s husband).
It is Ḥarām for a woman to appear before non-Maḥram males whilst her head is not concealed or whilst wearing such a thin shawl that the blackness of her hair is visible. It is considered more strictly Haram if done in the state of Ihram.
2 – Since Muḥrimaĥ is allowed to conceal her head, she may also carry a bundle of clothes onto her head.
3 – To tie a sewn item on the arm or the neck.
4 – To get underneath the cover of the Holy Ka’baĥ such that it remains on her head. However, she should take care that the cover does not touch her face as covering the face with cloth is Ḥarām even for a woman.
5 – To wear gloves, socks and sewn clothes.
6 – Since it is Ḥarām for the Muḥrimaĥ to cover her face with a veil in the state of Iḥrām such that it touches her face, if she decides to want to cover the face, she should consider keeping some cardboard or handheld fan near her face (without it touching the face) for veiling from non-Maḥram males.
1. While putting on his upper shawl the Muḥrim should take care that the shawl neither touches his own head or face nor that of any other Muḥrim.
2. Most of the Muḥrims tie Taĥband (i.e. sarong) of Iḥrām from beneath their navel. Sometimes the upper shawl falls from their shoulders due to carelessness, exposing some part of the body beneath the navel. Such Muḥrims do not usually care about it at all. Similarly sometimes thighs etc. become exposed to others when some Muḥrims walk or sit carelessly.
Remember this important ruling that the body of man from below the navel up to and including the knees is his ‘Sitr’ (i.e. the body-parts which must be kept covered), and exposing even a small portion of it to others is Ḥarām and it is also Ḥarām to look at such part of others.
Note: These rulings regarding veiling of man’s ‘Sitr’ are not confined to Iḥrām. Even when not in Iḥrām, it is Ḥarām to expose one’s Sitr to others or to look at the Sitr of others.
If the acts impermissible in the state of Iḥrām occur due to some compulsion or by mistake, though there will be no sin, the penalty imposed by Sharī’aĥ in this regard must be paid even if these acts take place during sleep or under coercion.
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