Salam In 1994, I went for umra on my way back to Pakistan from Sweden. My flight was landed in Jeddah in the early morning (before sunrise)and one of my friends working there picked me up from airport to his home in Jeddah. I stayed in his home till Esha and then borrowed his Ihram (as I dont have any) to perform Umrah. I went to Mekkah, performed Umra and left my ihram after getting my hair shortened from whole head. Next morning, I went to Madina, stayed there for 4-5 days and then went to Mekkah from Madina and perform an Umra again. But this time I didnot shortened my hairs from the whole head and just shortened them from a very small portion of my head (say 1 inch) and then came out of my ihram (I saw some people doing this so I thought this could also be sufficient as I dont know the exact ruling about it). Next morning, I went to Meeqaat (Aysha Mosque), took ghusal there and wore ihram again to perform Umrah. Again I didnot shaved or shortened my hairs from the whole head and just cut hairs from a very small area of my head to came out of ihram. Now I want to know that do I have to sacrifice a goat for each of my Umrah (03 animals for 03 Umrahs) under the conditions I have explained above (because most people in Pakistan have this opinion)? Please let me know about the factual position and please answere my questions in detail according to all fiqhas giving references. Jazk Allah

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

First of all, it should be mentioned that if you had intended to perform ‘Umrah when you first went from Sweden to Jeddah, then you were obligated to assume the state of Ihraam from the Meeqaat by which the plane passed and it was not permissible for you to delay assuming the state of Ihraam until you arrived at Jeddah. Hence, you are obligated to offer a sacrifice which should be slaughtered (in Makkah) and distributed among the poor in Makkah as you neglected one of the obligations of ‘Umrah which is assuming the state of Ihraam from the Meeqaat.

However, if you had not intended to perform ‘Umrah when you went to Jeddah, and when you were in Jeddah you had the intention to perform ‘Umrah, then you were right to assume the state of Ihraam from Jeddah, and in this case, you are not required to do anything.

As regards shortening a small portion of your hair in the two consecutive ‘Umrahs, then if you had shortened or shaved three hairs – as it appears from the question that you did so – then you became out of the state of Ihraam according to many jurists . The Fiqh Encyclopedia reads: “…The obligatory amount (of the hair shaved or shortened to terminate the state of Ihraam) is shaving or shortening the hair of the entire head according to the Maaliki and Hanbali Schools, and at least a quarter of the hair of the head according to the Hanafi School, and at least three hairs according to the Shaafi’i School.”

However, in the future, you should shave or shorten hair from all parts of your head as a way of avoiding the difference of opinion among the scholars and following the Sunnah. For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 115567 and 84306.