Labbayk Allahumma labbayk. Labbayka la sharika laka labbayk. Innal-hamda wan-ni‘mata laka wal-mulk. La sharika lak.
Here I am at Your service, O Allah, here I am. Here I am; You have no partner. All praise, blessing and dominion belong to You. You have no partner.
Context and use
Our source is Sahih Muslim 1184a. Read the attribution notes below and consult your qualified pilgrimage teacher about your own rites.
Sunni school differences
Dar al-Ifta’s Umrah overview describes entering ihram through intention according to the majority, while attributing to Hanafi scholars a requirement for intention together with dhikr or an equivalent act. Talbiyah is one form of that dhikr. Ask a qualified teacher how this applies to your circumstances; a difference about entering ihram should not be mistaken for a complete account of each school’s recitation rules.
Immediate text and meaning
Talbiyah expresses a pilgrim’s response to Allah: readiness to answer His call, worship Him alone, and acknowledge that praise, blessings and sovereignty belong to Him. The recurring phrase labbayk conveys answering and being at His service. The denial of partners appears twice in the transmitted formula. See the parallel report in Sahih al-Bukhari 1549.
The source card above gives the Arabic, a reading aid and an English meaning. Read the meaning alongside the Arabic rather than treating the transliteration as a complete pronunciation lesson. If you are learning, practise one phrase at a time with a competent Arabic reader before joining the phrases together.
Exact source and context
Sahih Muslim 1184a, narrated from Abdullah ibn Umar, gives the Prophet’s Talbiyah and then separately records Ibn Umar’s additional words. Our source card keeps the reported Prophetic formula separate from those additions.
When comparing booklets or recordings, check who each wording is attributed to. A longer version needs its own attribution. The collection reference identifies the report.
Supported usage
Talbiyah belongs to the pilgrimage setting of Hajj and Umrah, in connection with entering and remaining in ihram. Ihram is the sacred state associated with the pilgrimage intention, rather than simply a name for clothing. Dar al-Ifta’s overview of Umrah rulings explains the role of intention and dhikr, including Talbiyah, and identifies a Hanafi distinction summarised above.
Before travelling, ask your qualified pilgrimage teacher when to begin and stop Talbiyah for your particular rites, and what guidance to follow about voice and recitation. Keep those instructions with your itinerary. This text-and-meaning page does not give a complete sequence of pilgrimage rites or a ruling for an individual mistake.
Reader questions
Is Talbiyah a Quran verse?
Our selected formula comes from the hadith report in Sahih Muslim 1184a.
Why do some versions have extra words?
That report separately attributes additions to Ibn Umar. Check the attribution of the version you have.
Is a fixed total number required?
Muslim 1184a does not prescribe a total such as 33 or 100 repetitions. A recommendation about repetition needs a separate source.
Can I use the English meaning while learning?
Use it to understand what you are saying. For advice about what fulfils a pilgrimage requirement when you cannot yet recite Arabic, ask a qualified teacher who knows your circumstances and the school you follow.
Preparing for pilgrimage
Make a small preparation checklist: learn the wording and meaning; have your pronunciation checked; identify your miqat with your organiser; and record the instructions for beginning and ending Talbiyah for your journey. If you receive different answers, ask which school or source each answer follows and have the difference explained before acting.
Continue with the related guides below on pronunciation, tawaf, Safa and Marwah, and general dua etiquette. They address different parts of preparation and worship, so read each in its own setting. Use the source links to compare the quotations, and report proposed corrections to the editor.