What is "ihram"

Ihram \Ih*ram"\, n. The peculiar dress worn by pilgrims to Mecca.

n. 1 (context Islam English) The state of ritual purity and dedication of a Muslim hajj pilgrim to Mecca. 2 (context Islam English) The clothing worn on such a pilgrimage; one length of cotton cloth around the loins and another thrown over the left shoulder.

Ihram (إحرام iḥrām, from the triconsonantal root Ḥ-R-M) is, in Islam, a sacred state which a Muslim must enter in order to perform the major pilgrimage ( Hajj) or the minor pilgrimage ( Umrah). A pilgrim must enter into this state before crossing the pilgrimage boundary, known as Miqat, by performing the cleansing rituals and wearing the prescribed attire.