The Book of Prayer
Forbidden Acts of Ihram

بَابُ مَحْظُوْرَاتِ الإِحْرَامِ

Chapter on the Unlawful Acts during Iḥrâm

بَابُ مَحْظُوْرَاتِ الإِحْرَامِ

There are nine: (1) Shaving the hair and (2) clipping the nails. If he does this to three [hairs or nails], then he must sacrifice an animal; if to less than three, then for each one a mudd of food is due from him; this is one-fourth of a ṣâ‘ (or slightly more than 500g). If hair got in his eye and he removed it, or his hair grew down and covered his eyes, or his nail broke and he clipped it, then nothing is required of him. 640

وَهِيَ تِسْعَةٌ: حَلْقُ الشَّعَرِ، وَقَلْمُ الظُّفُرِ. فَفِيْ ثَلاَثَةٍ مِنْهَا دَمٌ، وَفِيْ كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِمَّا دُوْنَهَا مُدُّ طَعَامٍ، وَهُوَ رُبُعُ الصَّاعِ. وَإِنْ خَرَجَ فِيْ عَيْنِهِ شَعَرٌ فَقَلَعَهُ، أَوْ نَزَلَ شَعَرُهُ فَغَطَّى عَيْنَيْهِ، أَوِ انْكَسَرَ ظُفْرُهُ فَقَصَّهُ، فَلاَ شَيْءَ فِيْهِ

3) Wearing fitted, sewn clothes unless he does not find a lower garment and hence wears trousers; or if he does not find

الثَّالِثُ: لُبْسُ اْلمَخِيْطِ إِلاَّ أَنْ لاَ يَجِدَ إِزَارًا، فَيَلْبَسَ سَرَاوِيْلَ ، أَوْ لاَ يَجِدَ


640 For Allah (ST) says:

{…And do not shave your heads until the hady reaches the place of sacrifice...} (al-Baqarah 2: 196)

{وَلَا تَحْلِقُوا رُءُوسَكُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ الْهَدْيُ مَحِلَّ}


Clipping the nails was given the same ruling as shaving the hair because of the similarity between them and because of the interpretation of Ibn ‘Abbâs (rahuma) of this saying of Allah the Almighty:

{Then let them put an end to their unkemptness…} (al-Ḥajj 22: 29)

{ثُمَّ لْيَقْضُوا تَفَثَهُمْ}


The word in this verse that is translated as {unkemptness} was interpreted by Ibn ‘Abbâs (RAHUMA) to mean long hair and nails that will be shaved and clipped respectively, among other things. (Tafseer aṭ-Ṭabari) The four Imams considered the clipping of nails to be one of the forbidden acts of iḥrâm. (Z) did not.

sandals, so he wears leather socks. In these cases, there is no expiation due on him. 641

نَعْلَيْنِ، فَيَلْبَسَ خُفَّيْنِ، وَلاَ فِدْيَةَ عَلَيْهِ

4) Covering the head, and the ears are part of it.

الرَّابِعُ: تَغْطِيَةُ الرَّأْسِ، وَالأُذُنَانِ مِنْهُ

5) Applying perfume to his body or clothes. 642

اْلخاَمِسُ: الطِّيْبُ فِيْ بَدَنِهِ وَثِيَابِهِ

6) Killing game animals of the land, which are the wild animals that are permissible (to hunt). As for domestic animals, it is not forbidden [to kill them for food]. Regarding game from the sea, it is permissible. 643

السَّادِسُ: قَتْلُ صَيْدِ الْبَرِّ، وَهُوَ مَا كَانَ وَحْشِيًّا مُبَاحًا، فَأَمَّا الأَهْلِيِّ فَلا يَحْرُمُ، وصَيْدُ الْبَحْرِ مُبَاحٌ


641 See the discussion of this matter in the previous chapter.


642 See the discussion of this matter in the previous chapter.


643 This is based on the following verse:

{Permitted to you is the (the pursuit of) game of the sea and its food as a provision for you and for the wayfarers; but forbidden to you is the hunting of game on the land, as long as you are in a state of iḥrâm. And fear Allah, to whom you shall be gathered.} (al-Mâ’idah 5: 96)

أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ صَيْدُ الْبَحْرِ وَطَعَامُهُ مَتَاعًا لَّكُمْ وَلِلسَّيَّارَةِ ۖ وَحُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ صَيْدُ الْبَرِّ مَا دُمْتُمْ حُرُمًا ۗ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ

Those who are in iḥrâm may not even eat from the game if it was hunted for them. They may not eat from it either if it was hunted at their command or with their assistance, which is all forbidden for them. This is based on the following report:

7) Marriage, which is forbidden,644 but there is no expiation due for it.

السَّابِعُ: عَقْدُ النِّكَاحِ حَرامٌ، وَلاَ فِدْيَةَ فِيْهِ

8) Sexual intimacy short of intercourse. If one

الثَّامِنُ: الْمُبَاشَرَةُ

“The Prophet (SA) went out to perform Hajj, and we went with him.” The Prophet (SA) then sent a group, including Abu Qatâdah, and told them, “Follow the seashore until we meet again.” All of them except Abu Qatâdah then got into the state of iḥrâm. On the way, they saw a herd of zebras. Abu Qatâdah attacked them and killed a female zebra. They all ate from its meat but said, “We ate meat [of land game] while in the state of iḥrâm!” Then they carried the rest of the meat to the Prophet (SA) and said to him, “O Messenger of Allah, we got into the state of iḥrâm, and Abu Qatâdah had not yet done so, and we saw a herd of zebras…” The Prophet (SA) said to them, “Did any of you ask Abu Qatâdah to attack the herd or point it out to him?” They said, “No.” He said, “Then you may eat what is left of the meat.” (Ag – from the son of Abu Qatâdah, from his father)

عن ابن أبي قَتَادَةَ - رضي الله عنه - قال خَرَجَ رسول اللَّهِ حَاجًّا وَخَرَجْنَا معه قال فَصَرَفَ من أَصْحَابِهِ فِيهِمْ أبو قَتَادَةَ فقال خُذُوا سَاحِلَ الْبَحْرِ حتى تَلْقَوْنِي قال فَأَخَذُوا سَاحِلَ الْبَحْرِ فلما انْصَرَفُوا قِبَلَ رسول اللَّهِ أَحْرَمُوا كلهم إلا أَبَا قَتَادَةَ فإنه لم يُحْرِمْ فَبَيْنَمَا هُمْ يَسِيرُونَ إِذْ رَأَوْا حُمُرَ وَحْشٍ فَحَمَلَ عليها أبو قَتَادَةَ فَعَقَرَ منها أَتَانًا فَنَزَلُوا فَأَكَلُوا من لَحْمِهَا قال فَقَالُوا أَكَلْنَا لَحْمًا وَنَحْنُ مُحْرِمُونَ قال فَحَمَلُوا ما بَقِيَ من لَحْمِ الْأَتَانِ فلما أَتَوْا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قالوا يا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا كنا أَحْرَمْنَا وكان أبو قَتَادَةَ لم يُحْرِمْ فَرَأَيْنَا حُمُرَ وَحْشٍ فَحَمَلَ عليها أبو قَتَادَةَ فَعَقَرَ منها أَتَانًا فَنَزَلْنَا فَأَكَلْنَا من لَحْمِهَا فَقُلْنَا نَأْكُلُ لَحْمَ صَيْدٍ وَنَحْنُ مُحْرِمُونَ فَحَمَلْنَا ما بَقِيَ من لَحْمِهَا فقال هل مِنْكُمْ أَحَدٌ أَمَرَهُ أو أَشَارَ إليه بِشَيْءٍ قال قالوا لَا قال فَكُلُوا ما بَقِيَ من لَحْمِهَا.


Hunting game animals is forbidden in the Ḥaram, whether or not one is in iḥrâm, and it is forbidden for the one in iḥrâm, whether or not they are in the Ḥaram.


644 This is based on the saying of the Prophet (SA):

“The one in a state of iḥrâm shall not marry, conduct the marriage contract on behalf of or for someone else, or propose marriage.” (M – from ‘Uthmân ibn ‘Affân)

لَا يَنْكِحُ الْمُحْرِمُ ولا يُنْكَحُ ولا يَخْطُبُ

ejaculates (semen) as a result of that, he must offer a camel; if he does not ejaculate, then he must offer a sheep.645 His Hajj is valid.

لِشَهْوَةٍ فِيْمَا دُوْنَ الْفَرْجِ، فَإِنْ أَنْزَلَ بِهَا فَفِيْهَا بَدَنَةٌ، وَإِلاَّ فَفِيْهَا شَاةٌ، وحَجُّهُ صَحيحٌ

9) Intercourse. If it is before the first taḥallul (getting out of the state of iḥrâm), his Hajj is invalid, but he still must complete it (even though it is invalid) and perform Hajj the following year. In addition, he must offer a camel. If it is after the first taḥallul, a sheep is due, and he must go into iḥrâm from at-Tan‘eem so that he will be in iḥrâm to perform ṭawâf.646 If he has intercourse during ‘umrah, he spoils it, and a sheep is due. Nothing other than it would spoil the rites (of Hajj/‘umrah).

التَّاسِعُ: الْوَطْءُ فِي الْفَرْجِ فَإِنْ كَانَ قَبْلَ التَّحَلُّلِ الأَوَّلِ، فَسَدَ الْحَجُّ وَوَجَبَ الْمُضِيُّ فِيْ فَاسِدِهِ ، وَالْحَجُّ مِنْ قَابِلٍ، وَعَلَيْهِ بَدَنَةٌ. وَإِنْ كَانَ بَعْدَ التَّحَلُّلِ الأَوَّلِ، فَفِيْهِ شَاةٌ، وَيُحْرِمُ مِنَ التَّنْعِيْمِ؛ لِيَطُوْفَ مُحْرِمًا. وَإِنْ وَطِئَ فِي الْعُمْرَةِ، أَفْسَدَهَا وَعَلَيْهِ شَاةٌ، وَلاَ يَفْسُدُ النُّسُكُ بِغَيْرِهِ.

The ruling for the woman is like that of the man except that [what she wears in] her iḥrâm

وَالْمَرْأَةُ كَالرَّجُلِ، إِلاَّ أَنَّ إِحْرَامَهَا فِيْ


645 Also, if only madhy comes out, only a sheep or goat is required. (A/SM)


646 There is a consensus among the scholars that having intercourse during Hajj is a sin and that it spoils the Hajj. This is based on the saying of Allah the Almighty:

{The Hajj is (in) the well-known (lunar) months. Therefore, whoever intends to perform Hajj therein should not have sexual relations, commit sins, or dispute unjustly during the Hajj…} (al-Baqarah 2: 197)

{الْحَجُّ أَشْهُرٌ مَّعْلُومَاتٌ ۚ فَمَن فَرَضَ فِيهِنَّ الْحَجَّ فَلَا رَفَثَ وَلَا فُسُوقَ وَلَا جِدَالَ فِي الْحَجِّ}


See the discussion in the following chapter about what is required of them.

pertains only to her face, and she may wear sewn, fitted clothes. 647

وَجْهِهَا، وَلَهَا لُبْسُ الْمَخِيْطِ


647 Because the Messenger of Allah (SA) said:

“Prohibited women while in the state of iḥrâm from wearing gloves, face veils (niqab), and clothes dyed with turmeric or saffron. Otherwise, they can wear any kind of clothing they like, such as those dyed with yellow color or silk or jewelry or trousers or shirts or leather socks.” (D – from ‘Abdullâh ibn ‘Umar. Ibn Ḥajar: R)

نَهَى النِّسَاءَ فِي إِحْرَامِهِنَّ عَنْ الْقُفَّازَيْنِ وَالنِّقَابِ وَمَا مَسَّ الْوَرْسُ وَالزَّعْفَرَانُ مِنْ الثِّيَابِ، وَلْتَلْبَسْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مَا أَحَبَّتْ مِنْ أَلْوَانِ الثِّيَابِ مُعَصْفَرًا أَوْ خَزًّا أَوْ حُلِيًّا أَوْ سَرَاوِيلَ أَوْ قَمِيصًا أَوْ خُفًّا


If she desires, she may still cover her face, when needed, by pulling part of her head cover down. There are reports that some female Companions did that when men passed by.