Ifrad

Ifrad is a term in Islamic jurisprudence referring to performing Hajj by entering the state of ihram with the intention to perform only Hajj. It is one of the three traditional ways of performing Hajj in a given year, alongside Tamattu’ (performing Umrah followed by Hajj in the same season) and Qiran (combining Umrah and Hajj in a single ihram).

In practice, a pilgrim who adopts Ifrad enters ihram at the designated miqat with the intention of performing only Hajj. The Umrah rites are not undertaken in that same pilgrimage. The pilgrim completes the Hajj rites—such as Tawaf, Sa’i, and the standing at Arafat—and exits ihram after the Hajj is concluded. If circumstances change, some schools allow adjusting the plan, but the defining feature of Ifrad is the exclusive intention for Hajj in that pilgrimage.

Etymologically, Ifrad comes from the Arabic root farada, meaning to single out or devote to a specific act. In legal terms, it designates the act of single devotion to one primary rite, in this case Hajj, rather than combining or layering rites with Umrah.

Jurisprudentially, Ifrad is recognized as a valid mode of performing Hajj by the major Sunni schools and by other Islamic traditions as well. The practical differences among Ifrad, Tamattu’, and Qiran concern the sequencing and inclusion of Umrah rites, not the core obligation to perform the Hajj rites themselves. Variations may appear in recommended practices or procedural details, but the overall concept remains consistent across schools.