Explanation of the pilgrim’s saying, “O Allah, my place of release is where You have detained me,” its benefit, and clarification of whether there is a specific prayer for entering the state of ihram

Here, one must combine this, and this is a very important benefit that most pilgrims and those performing 'Umrah are unaware of. When one responds to the call for 'Umrah and says, “Labbaik Allahumma bi-'Umrah,” it is obligatory—and this is for one’s religious and worldly benefit—to say, “O Allah, my place of release is where You have detained me.” “O Allah, my place of release is where You have detained me.” What does this phrase mean? First, and what is its significance and benefit? Second? Its meaning is: “O Allah, my place of release, meaning my release from my 'Umrah and my ihram, is where You have detained me by Your firm decree, which I have no means to overturn. For example, a person is weak; it is possible that he may be struck by an illness, or be surprised by a sickness, such that he cannot continue his 'Umrah. It is possible—may Allah forbid—that his car breaks down, or his hand or leg is broken. All of this is possible, such that he is unable to continue his 'Umrah. If he does not intend this intention, if he does not say, “O Allah, my place of release is where You have detained me,” then the one who abandons his 'Umrah against his will owes a sacrificial animal, he owes a hady, and he owes an 'Umrah in the following year. Even if he has performed 'Umrah dozens of times, it is obligatory for him to perform 'Umrah after this incident. However, if he says, “O Allah, my place of release is where You have detained me,” it is as if he did not intend the 'Umrah and as if he did not move for the 'Umrah; because he called upon Allah the Exalted and made this condition upon the grace of Allah: I am in 'Umrah until where You detain me and prevent me, so I am released. This is something that every person performing 'Umrah and every pilgrim must record this phrase in his memory and never forget it for as long as he lives, because of the very important benefit that follows from it, as you have seen. When the pilgrims depart after this talbiyah, they do not walk until they have prayed two rak'ahs. But we must know that these two rak'ahs are not the prayer of ihram; rather, they are specific to that miqat and that location, namely the Wadi 'Aqiq, which is below the mosque. There is no specific prayer for ihram. However, what occurred with the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was that he entered ihram after the midday prayer. So if it is easy for a person to pray the midday prayer there in the mosque with the congregation, or if it is not easy for him with the congregation because he is a traveler, so he prays the midday prayer and enters ihram for 'Umrah after the prayer, then that is good. But to intentionally pray two rak'ahs with the intention of the sunnah of ihram, there is no specific sunnah for ihram. However, in that place, at Dhul-Hulaifah, in the Wadi Dhul-Hulaifah, it is prescribed to pray two rak'ahs for the specific place, not for the specific ihram, as it came in Sahih al-Bukhari from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Jibril came to me and said: So there, specifically at Dhul-Hulaifah, it is recommended to pray two rak'ahs because it is a blessed valley, as Jibril informed our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon them both). After that, they depart while reciting the talbiyah.