Umrah Glossary — Umrah Terms and Saudi Vocabulary

Umrah Glossary — This glossary gathers the essential terms to know for planning and completing your Umrah, whether of Arabic, Islamic or Saudi administrative origin.

Religious and Ritual Terms

Ihram

State of sanctification and pilgrim dress. Two pieces of white seamless cloth for men.

Miqat

Geographical boundary from which ihram becomes mandatory when entering Makkah.

Tawaf

The 7 counterclockwise circumambulations around the Kaaba.

Sa’i

The 7 trips back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwa.

Tahallul

Exiting the ihram state through shaving or cutting of hair.

Talbiyah

Formula pronounced when entering ihram: “Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk…”

Niyyah

Intention — an act of the heart preceding any act of worship.

Rawdah

Blessed zone between the minbar and the Prophet’s tomb (ﷺ) in Masjid An-Nabawi.

Mahram

Male guardian accompanying a woman. Not required for e-visa since 2022.

Administrative and Technical Terms

Nusuk

Official Saudi platform for Umrah permits, hotel bookings and transport.

Tourist E-visa

Saudi electronic visa valid for 1 year, multiple entries, accessible in 24-72h.

PPIU

Umrah travel operator accredited by the Indonesian Kemenag.

Siskopatuh

Mandatory digital registration system for Indonesian pilgrims.

BRN

Booking Reference Number — Nusuk booking number required for Umrah visa.

HHR

Haramain High Speed Railway — high-speed train between Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah.

KAIA

King Abdulaziz International Airport — Jeddah’s international airport.

Additional Terms

BRN (Booking Reference Number)

Confirmation number generated by Nusuk when booking a certified hotel. May be required for certain types of Umrah visa.

Hajar Al-Aswad

The Black Stone, encased in the east corner of the Kaaba. Pilgrims point to it (or touch it when possible) at the start of each Tawaf circuit.

Maqam Ibrahim

Stone on which Prophet Ibrahim (as) stood when building the Kaaba. His footprints are engraved on it. Two rak’at are performed there after Tawaf.

Mas’a

The air-conditioned corridor linking Safa to Marwa in Masjid Al-Haram, where Sa’i (7 back-and-forth trips) is performed.

Talbiyah

Formula pronounced in ihram state: “Labbayk Allahumma labbayk…” — response to the call of Allah, recited from the Miqat until the start of Tawaf.

Zam-Zam

Holy water from the well that appeared miraculously for Hajar (ra) and Isma’il (as). Freely available in abundance in Masjid Al-Haram. You can take up to 5L in checked luggage.

Halq / Taqsir

Halq = complete shaving of the head (men, recommended). Taqsir = shortening of hair (women or men as an alternative). This concludes Umrah.

Saudi Tourist E-visa

Visa issued online at visa.visitsaudi.com for eligible nationalities (~100€, valid 1 year, multiple entries). Allows completion of Umrah outside the Hajj period.

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