Visiting Madinah on Your Hajj Trip: Before or After?
Visiting Madinah is not one of the rites of Hajj, and your Hajj is complete without it. It is still a journey of great merit, because prayer in the Prophet's Mosque is highly rewarded, and nearly every Hajj package includes several days there. The open question is when: before the days of Hajj or after them.
In short, before suits pilgrims who want to arrive gently and enter ihram at an easy miqat. After suits those who want to get to the rites first and recover in a calmer city. Often your package fixes it for you. This guide explains the trade-offs so that you can choose a package with open eyes and plan the days well.
Is Madinah part of Hajj?
No. The rites of Hajj all take place in and around Makkah: the Haram, Mina, Arafah and Muzdalifah. Scholars agree that visiting Madinah is a separate act. It is recommended at any time of year, and it is not a condition or a completion of Hajj. A pilgrim who goes home without visiting Madinah has a valid Hajj.
Pilgrims go because the opportunity may never come again. The Prophet's Mosque is one of the three mosques to which Muslims are encouraged to travel, and a prayer there carries great reward. For most people flying across the world, a Hajj trip is the natural time to visit.
Before or after: side by side
| Factor | Madinah before Hajj | Madinah after Hajj |
|---|---|---|
| Ihram | No ihram on the flight. You enter ihram at Dhul Hulayfah when leaving for Makkah. | If you fly to Jeddah and go to Makkah, the widely held view is that ihram is needed before the miqat on the plane. |
| Jet lag | You adjust in a calm city before the hard days. | You adjust in Makkah, which is more crowded. |
| Energy in Madinah | Fresh and healthy | Often tired, and many pilgrims have a cough or a cold |
| State of mind | Anticipation. Some find it hard to settle before the main event. | Relief and gratitude. Many describe it as the sweetest part of the trip. |
| Crowds in Madinah | Busy in the weeks before Hajj as groups arrive | Busy straight after Hajj, thinning as groups fly home |
| Risk to the Hajj itself | You must reach Makkah in good time, and the transfer adds one more moving part. | None. The rites are already done. |
| Flights | Fly into Madinah, and home from Jeddah | Fly into Jeddah, and home from Madinah |
Madinah before Hajj
Going to Madinah first gives the gentlest start, and it is the simpler option for ihram. You land in ordinary clothes and spend your first days between the hotel and the Prophet's Mosque, which is flat, shaded in its courtyards and close to most hotels. You then travel to Makkah as a group.
On the way out of Madinah you stop at Dhul Hulayfah, also called Abyar Ali, which is the miqat for the people of Madinah and for anyone travelling from there. Pilgrims performing Tamattu enter ihram for Umrah there. They perform the Umrah on reaching Makkah, leave ihram, and enter ihram again for Hajj on the 8th. See types of Hajj and ihram rules and restrictions. If you are performing Ifrad or Qiran, the intention differs, and your group's scholar will guide you.
Points to watch:
- The miqat at Dhul Hulayfah is the farthest from Makkah, so you will be in ihram for the whole road journey of several hours. Bathe and prepare at the hotel.
- Make sure the package leaves enough days in Makkah before the 8th for Umrah and rest. A plan that reaches Makkah on the 6th or 7th is tight.
- Roads and the train are at their busiest in the days just before Hajj.
Madinah after Hajj
Going to Madinah afterwards means the most important part is done before anything can go wrong. Whatever happens next, your Hajj is complete, in sha Allah. Madinah then becomes a place to rest, to reflect and to give thanks.
The cost is physical. By 13 Dhul Hijjah most pilgrims are worn out. Coughs and colds are so common that pilgrims call it the "Hajj cough". Feet are blistered and sleep has been short for a week. Some pilgrims spend their first Madinah days in bed.
Points to watch:
- Rest for a day or two in Makkah before travelling, if your package allows it. Perform the farewell Tawaf as your last act in Makkah, as your scholar advises.
- Groups leave Makkah in waves after Hajj, and coaches can be delayed for hours. Keep water, snacks and any medication in your hand luggage.
- Bring any medicines you may need, and see a pharmacy or the group doctor early if you feel ill. See Hajj health and fitness preparation.
- If your flight home leaves from Madinah, check baggage allowances for Zamzam water and gifts before you shop.
How many days, and the "forty prayers"
Most packages give Madinah between three and eight days. There is no required length. Even a short visit allows you to pray in the mosque, give salam to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and visit the main sites.
You may hear that pilgrims should complete forty consecutive prayers in the Prophet's Mosque, which takes eight days. This comes from a narration that many hadith scholars consider weak, though some accept it. It is not a requirement of Hajj or of the visit. Some national schemes still plan eight days in Madinah because of it. If your stay is shorter, you have not missed an obligation. Ask your scholar if it matters to you.
For how Madinah fits into the overall length of the trip, see how long Hajj takes.
What to do in Madinah
Make the five daily prayers in the Prophet's Mosque the centre of your stay, and fit everything else around them.
- Pray in the mosque. Arrive early. It fills before each prayer during the Hajj season.
- Visit the Rawdah. Entry to the Rawdah is managed by permit through the Nusuk app, with separate times for men and women. Slots are limited in the Hajj season. Check the app as soon as you know your Madinah dates, and ask your provider whether they arrange group slots.
- Give salam to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and to his two companions, Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them. Do so with calm and good manners. See Hajj etiquette and adab.
- Visit al-Baqi, the cemetery beside the mosque. Visiting hours are limited. Access for women has been restricted, so check what currently applies.
- Pray at Masjid Quba. The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to visit it regularly, and praying there is a well established Sunnah.
- Visit Uhud and the martyrs' cemetery, and Masjid al-Qiblatayn. These are visits of history and reflection. No special rites are attached to them.
Most providers run a half-day ziyarat tour by coach. At all of these places, keep to what is established: greet, make dua for the deceased, reflect. Avoid practices that scholars warn against, such as seeking blessings from walls or graves.
Getting between Makkah and Madinah
The two cities are several hundred kilometres apart. Hajj groups usually travel by coach, which takes most of a day once loading, checkpoints and rest stops are included. The Haramain high-speed train also links the cities and is much faster. During the Hajj season, seats are limited and are often allocated through providers, so ask yours whether the train is an option. See getting around during Hajj and money and transport during Hajj.
For elderly pilgrims, a long coach day straight after Hajj is hard. Ask about train seats, or a rest day before the transfer. See Hajj with elderly parents.
Questions to ask before you book
- Does the package include Madinah, and for how many nights?
- Is Madinah before or after Hajj, and which airports do we use?
- If before: what date do we reach Makkah, and how many days are there before the 8th?
- If after: how many rest days in Makkah come before the transfer?
- How do we travel between the cities: coach or train?
- How far is the Madinah hotel from the mosque?
- Does the group arrange Rawdah permits, or does each pilgrim book on Nusuk?
- Is a ziyarat tour included?
On Nusuk Hajj, each package lists its itinerary, so you can compare these points directly. See how to choose a Hajj package and understanding Nusuk Hajj package tiers. The cost calculator shows how extra nights change the total.
If you are not sure which official booking route applies to you, tell us where you are starting from and we will point you to the right steps. It is free, and we do not sell Hajj.