Al-Juhfa is a large village northwest of Makkah. It got its name because a flood once carried away its people. There is a mosque there that was built by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Al-Juhfa is an important place called a miqat — a boundary where people from Egypt, the Levant, and Maghreb must enter the state of ihram before doing Hajj or Umrah.

Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (PBUH) set different miqats for different regions:

• Dhul-Hulaifa for the people of Madinah

• Al-Juhfa for the people of the Levant

• Qarn al-Manazil for the people of Najd

• Yalamlam for the people of Yemen

These are the official places for entering ihram for pilgrims coming from these areas. People who live closer can start ihram from wherever they begin their journey, even the people of Makkah from Makkah itself.