Answered by Shaykh Yūsuf Badāt
Question:
If one is travelling by flight from the west such as Canada, to Saudi Arabia for an ‘Umrah trip and visit to Madīnah, however, they land in Jeddah and go directly to Madīnah. Do they need to be in the state of iḥrām, because Jeddah falls inside the miqāt boundary, or can they remain out of iḥrām, as they proceed to Madīnah directly from Jeddah?
Answer:
May Allāh bless your trip and accept all your devotional acts and prayers.
According to a large contingent of Islamic jurists, including the four great Imams of fiqh, if one passes the miqāt boundary for some work or visit outside the ḥaram (sacred area of Maccah), and the intent is the work or visit, then it is permissible for such a visitor to complete the work and visit without dawning iḥrām.
Thereafter once the work or visit is complete, one can make the intention of ‘Umrah dawning iḥrām from the place of work or visit where they are, and its associated miqāt boundary. This person is not required to go back to the miqāt boundary associated with their country of origin. Thus, if one intends to head directly to Madīnah from Jeddah, iḥrām is not required.
This pilgrim will cross the miqāt boundary by entering Jeddah, however, iḥrām is not required because the intention is to exit the miqāt boundary (by going to visit Madīnah, which is outside another miqāt boundry) without heading directly to Makkah. (See: Rad al Muhtār, Tuḥfat al Muḥtāj, Sharḥ Muntahā’ Alirādāt, Sharḥ al-Khurashī, Majmu’ al Fatāwā)
And Allāh Knows Best
