Why ihram clothing?

Why do men have to wear an ihram?

The men wear ihram clothing because it is obligatory and the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. The wisdom behind it is to create equality between the pilgrims. Because all the men wear ihram, you no longer see any difference in clothing. The difference between rich and poor is no longer visible. Everyone has an equal status: namely servant of Allah ﷻ. Everyone comes to worship Allah ﷻ.

You may have seen on images that men sometimes uncover their right shoulders while wearing the ihram. It is recommended to do this during the first tawaf, for the first 3 laps around the Kaaba. When the Prophet ﷺ and companions returned to Mecca, rumors started circulating among the disbelievers that the Muslims were weakened by an illness from Medina. The Prophet ﷺ therefore ordered the companions to uncover their right shoulders. This way, the disbelievers could see (while the Muslims were doing tawaf) that they were indeed strong and healthy.

During the Umrah you wear the ihram for about half a day. The Hajj lasts longer, in which you wear the ihram for about two and a half days. On the day of 10 Dhul Hijjah (sacrifice festival) you may take off the ihram if you have performed certain rituals.

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