Short answer
In ihram you may not use perfume, cut hair or nails, hunt, have intercourse or foreplay, argue or sin. Men may not wear stitched clothing shaped to the body or cover their head and face; women wear normal clothes but must not cover the face with cloth touching it. Breaking a rule usually brings a penalty.
Ihram forbids perfume, removing hair, clipping nails, hunting land game, intercourse and touching with desire, and for men stitched clothing that fits the body, covering the head or face, and footwear covering the raised bone on top of the foot. Each violation carries a set penalty (dam or sadaqah), even if done by mistake.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- A man may cover his face. A woman must not wear gloves. A marriage contract made in ihram is invalid. Perfume or clothing used out of forgetfulness or ignorance carries no penalty.
- Hanbali
- In the relied-upon view a man may cover his face. A woman must not wear gloves. A marriage contract made in ihram is invalid. Perfume or clothing used out of forgetfulness or ignorance carries no penalty.
- Maliki
- A woman must not wear gloves. A marriage contract made in ihram is invalid.
Explanation
Ihram begins when you make the intention for Hajj or umrah and say the talbiyah. From that moment certain normal things become forbidden until you shave or trim at the end. The Prophet ﷺ was asked what a muhrim (person in ihram) may wear and listed what he may not: shirts, turbans, trousers, hooded cloaks and leather socks, or anything dyed with saffron or wars (a fragrant dye).
For everyone:
- Perfume on the body, clothes or food, including scented wipes and scented deodorant.
- Cutting, shaving or plucking hair anywhere on the body, and clipping nails.
- Hunting or disturbing land animals, and cutting plants of the Haram.
- Intercourse, kissing or touching with desire, and sexual talk.
- Arguing, swearing and all sin, which are worse in ihram.
For men: no stitched clothing tailored to the body (shirts, trousers, underwear, socks), no cap or anything covering the head or face, and footwear must leave the raised bone on top of the foot open, so sandals or flip-flops. A belt, money pouch, watch, glasses and an umbrella are fine.
For women: normal modest clothing, socks and shoes are allowed. She must not let a niqab or cloth rest on her face. Hanafi texts allow her gloves, though many teachers advise avoiding them.
In the Hanafi school a marriage contract in ihram is valid, based on the report that the Prophet married Maymunah while in ihram; the other three schools hold it invalid. The penalties for each violation are explained in What is dam?.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Baqara 2:197
ٱلْحَجُّ أَشْهُرٌۭ مَّعْلُومَٰتٌۭ ۚ فَمَن فَرَضَ فِيهِنَّ ٱلْحَجَّ فَلَا رَفَثَ وَلَا فُسُوقَ وَلَا جِدَالَ فِى ٱلْحَجِّ ۗ وَمَا تَفْعَلُوا۟ مِنْ خَيْرٍۢ يَعْلَمْهُ ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَتَزَوَّدُوا۟ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ ٱلزَّادِ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ ۚ وَٱتَّقُونِ يَٰٓأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَٰبِ ﴿١٩٧﴾
Hajj is [during] well-known months, so whoever has made Hajj obligatory upon himself therein [by entering the state of ihram], there is [to be for him] no sexual relations and no disobedience and no disputing during Hajj. And whatever good you do - Allah knows it. And take provisions, but indeed, the best provision is fear of Allah. And fear Me, O you of understanding.
Lists intimacy, sin and quarrelling as forbidden in ihram.
Quran, Surah Al-Maaida 5:95
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَقْتُلُوا۟ ٱلصَّيْدَ وَأَنتُمْ حُرُمٌۭ ۚ وَمَن قَتَلَهُۥ مِنكُم مُّتَعَمِّدًۭا فَجَزَآءٌۭ مِّثْلُ مَا قَتَلَ مِنَ ٱلنَّعَمِ يَحْكُمُ بِهِۦ ذَوَا عَدْلٍۢ مِّنكُمْ هَدْيًۢا بَٰلِغَ ٱلْكَعْبَةِ أَوْ كَفَّٰرَةٌۭ طَعَامُ مَسَٰكِينَ أَوْ عَدْلُ ذَٰلِكَ صِيَامًۭا لِّيَذُوقَ وَبَالَ أَمْرِهِۦ ۗ عَفَا ٱللَّهُ عَمَّا سَلَفَ ۚ وَمَنْ عَادَ فَيَنتَقِمُ ٱللَّهُ مِنْهُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌۭ ذُو ٱنتِقَامٍ ﴿٩٥﴾
O you who have believed, do not kill game while you are in the state of ihram. And whoever of you kills it intentionally - the penalty is an equivalent from sacrificial animals to what he killed, as judged by two just men among you as an offering [to Allah] delivered to the Ka'bah, or an expiation: the feeding of needy people or the equivalent of that in fasting, that he may taste the consequence of his deed. Allah has pardoned what is past; but whoever returns [to violation], then Allah will take retribution from him. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Owner of Retribution.
Hunting is forbidden in ihram and carries a penalty.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1542
Sahih... لا يلبس القمص ولا العمائم ولا السراويلات ...
"He does not wear shirts, turbans, trousers, hooded cloaks or leather socks."
The basis of the clothing rules for men in ihram.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1837
Sahih... تزوج ميمونة وهو محرم ...
"Ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet ﷺ married Maymunah while he was in ihram."
The Hanafi evidence that a marriage contract in ihram is valid.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Hajj, chapter on ihram. What the muhrim avoids in clothing, perfume, hair and hunting.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Hajj, chapter on ihram. Details on footwear, women's gloves and face covering.
- al-Majmu' (Nawawi), Kitab al-Hajj, prohibitions of ihram. The Shafi'i view on a man's face and women's gloves.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. 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.