Types of Hajj: Ifrad, Tamattu and Qiran
Hajj may be performed in three ways according to the intention made when entering ihram: Ifrad, Tamattu and Qiran. Pilgrims coming from beyond the miqat boundaries - such as those travelling from the Balkans - generally perform Tamattu or Qiran.
1. Ifrad Hajj
One enters ihram with the intention of Hajj alone and performs the rites of Hajj without an Umrah. No sacrifice of thanksgiving is required. In the Shafi'i school, Ifrad is considered the most virtuous form.
2. Tamattu Hajj
During the months of Hajj, one first enters ihram with the intention of Umrah and leaves ihram after completing it. On the day of Tarwiyah (8 Dhul-Hijjah), one enters ihram again with the intention of Hajj. Because the pilgrim "benefits" (tamattu) from a period without ihram between the two acts, a sacrifice of thanksgiving is obligatory. Today this is the most widely practised form due to its organisational convenience.
3. Qiran Hajj
Umrah and Hajj are intended together with a single ihram; after the Umrah, one remains in ihram until the days of Hajj and completes the Hajj in the same ihram. The sacrifice of thanksgiving is obligatory. Because it joins two acts of worship under the hardship of a single continuous ihram, Qiran is considered the most virtuous form in the Hanafi school.
Summary of Differences
- Number of ihrams: One in Ifrad and Qiran; two separate ihrams in Tamattu.
- Thanksgiving sacrifice: Obligatory in Tamattu and Qiran; not required in Ifrad.
- Hardship: In Qiran the ihram restrictions continue uninterrupted from Umrah to Hajj; in Tamattu one returns to normal dress in between.
Which type suits you depends on your health, the programme duration and the organiser's plan. On our tours, our religious guides provide guidance at every step, starting from the intention.
