The Miqat boundary

The Miqat boundary is where pilgrims intending to perform Hajj or Umrah pilgrimage must enter the state of ihram before crossing into. This involves performing ritual cleaning and wearing prescribed clothing.

• There are five Miqats which surround Makkah. Four of them were established by the Prophet (ﷺ), the other by Umar (رضي الله عنه) during his Caliphate.
• Abdullah bin Abbas (رضي الله عنه) said, “The Messenger of Allah designated Dhul Hulaifah as the Miqat for the people of Al-Madinah, Al-Johfa for the people of Ash-Sham, Qarn for the people of Najd, and Yalamlam for the people of Yemen.” [Bukhari]

The Dhul Hulaifah Miqat

• It’s located around 10km south-west from Masjid-e-Nabwi in Madinah and 450km north of Makkah.
• Dhul Hulaifah serves as the Miqat for those who live in Madinah and for those who approach Makkah from that direction.
• The area is also known as Abyaar Ali.

The Dhat Irq Miqat

• It’s located 94km north-east from Makkah, serving as the Miqat for the people of Iraq, Iran and those travelling to Makkah from that general direction.
• Dhat Irq Miqat was established during the Caliphate of Umar (رضي الله عنه), after Basra and Kufa were conquered.
• The area is named after a large mountain in the region called Irq Aswad.

The Qarn al-Manazil Miqat

• It’s located 75km east of Makkah, in the village of As-Sayl al-Kabir.
• Qarn al-Manazil is the Miqat for the people of Najd and those coming from Taif and Riyadh.
• When the Prophet (ﷺ) was persecuted by the people of Taif in the 10th year of his mission, it was in this area that the angel Jibraeel (عليه السلام) appeared before him.

The Yalamlam Miqat

• It’s located 92 km south of Makkah.
• Yalamlam serves as the Miqat for the people of Yemen and those coming from a southerly direction. In the past it was used by people from the Indian sub-continent who would travel by ship.
• The area is also known as Sa’diyyah.

The Al-Johfa Miqat

• It’s located around 183km north-west of Makkah.
• Al-Johfa serves as the Miqat for the people who come from the direction of Syria, Egypt, Turkey and other countries from that region.
• When the Prophet (ﷺ) set out from Madinah to conquer Makkah, his uncle Abbas (رضي الله عنه) met him at Al-Johfa.

References: The History of Makkah Mukarramah – Dr. Muhammad Ilyas Abdul Ghani