If a person lives inside the boundary set by the mawāqīt, he must assume iḥrām from his own home for both Hajj and ʿumrah. Anyone from Mecca who is going to perform Hajj enters iḥrām in Mecca itself; they are not required to go out to a mīqāt for that purpose. For ʿumrah, however, they must leave the sanctuary and assume iḥrām at the nearest point outside the ḥaram.

Whoever’s route does not cross any of the specified mawāqīt must enter iḥrām as soon as he knows that he is parallel to the nearest one. ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “See which point on your route lies level with it.” Recorded by al-Bukhārī.

The same applies to someone travelling by air: he must enter iḥrām when the aircraft comes in line with one of these mawāqīt. He should therefore prepare by bathing and cleaning himself before boarding; once the plane reaches the mīqāt, he makes the intention for iḥrām and recites the talbiyah while still in the air. He is not allowed to delay iḥrām until the plane lands at Jeddah airport and then assume iḥrām from Jeddah or Bahrah, as some pilgrims do, for Jeddah is not a mīqāt for entering iḥrām except for its residents or for someone who begins Hajj or ʿumrah from there. Whoever assumes iḥrām from Jeddah without falling into one of those categories has neglected an obligation—entering iḥrām at the mīqāt—and must offer a compensatory sacrifice.

Many people fall into this error, so it must be pointed out. Some think that bathing is indispensable for iḥrām and say, “I cannot bathe on the plane,” and similar excuses. Such people must understand that iḥrām is simply the intention to begin the rites while avoiding the prohibitions of iḥrām as far as one is able.