Tawaf: Difference between revisions

* To perform tawaf out of [[Hijr of Isma'il]] (a);

* Tawaf should be performed between the distance of Holy Ka'ba and [[Maqam Ibrahim]] (a).

It is obligatory to start tawaf from Hajar al-Aswad. It may start from any point in front of it. There is a line on the floor of Masjid al-Haram marking the start of tawaf. Moreover, it is not compulsory to commence tawaf [exactly] from the beginning point of Hajar al-Aswad and all parts of body passes by all parts of Hajar al-Aswad. Rather, if one starts his/her tawaf from the beginning —as judged by common view— of Hajar al-Aswad, it is sufficient. However, he/she should finish tawaf from the point of beginning i.e. if he/she starts tawaf from the middle of Hajar al-Aswad, he/she should finish it in the middle of it. It is no problem in entering tawaf place before Hajar al-Aswad provided that they intend their tawaf to start from Hajar al-Aswad.

It is not obligatory to stop in the front of Hajar al-Aswad after completing each round and then start the next round. A person may complete the seven rounds without stopping and should finish his/her seventh round from the very point from where he/she started tawaf. However, on the basis of caution, one may at the end of the last round go a bit further so as to gain certainty that start and end of tawaf is at same point. One should start tawaf from the front of Hajar al-Aswad like other Muslims without any hesitation or obsessive exactitude. It is not necessary to stop in front of the Hajar al-Aswad after completing each round.  

 

It is obligatory to perform tawaf from the left side, i.e. the holy Ka'ba should be at the left side of the pilgrim. This rule is said in order to specify the direction of the movement. The criterion for the Holy Ka'ba to be on the left side is its meaning in the common view and not its exact meaning logically. So, if a person diverts a little while crossing by Hijr of Isma'il (a) or the four corners of the holy Ka'ba, his/her tawaf would be valid, and there is no need to tilt one's shoulder so that the holy Ka'ba would be situated exactly on his/her left hand side. If a person covers a distance while turning towards the Holy Ka'ba for kissing it during tawaf or a person has his/her face or back unintentionally towards the Holy Ka'ba due to crowd, or if a person turns his/her right side towards the holy Ka'ba, the tawaf is invalid and the person should cover such distance in normal mode again.

 

While performing tawaf, it is obligatory to be out of Hijr Isma'il (a) so that Hijr of Ismail (a) would be inside the circle of tawaf. If a person performs his tawaf from the inside of the place of Hijr Isma'il (a) or on its wall, his/her tawaf is void and tawaf must be repeated. If he/she does so in one of the rounds of tawaf, only this round of tawaf is void. If a person performs tawaf from inside the Hijr purposely, such a person is ruled the same as the person who neglects the tawaf purposely. If he/she performs tawaf from inside of the Hijr inattentively, he/she is like the person who has neglected the tawaf inattentively.  

 

It is obligatory to perform tawaf outside the holy Ka'ba and out of "[[shadhrawan]]", which is connected to the walls of Ka'ba at the bottom. Placing one's hand on the wall of the Hijr Isma'il (a) and the holy Ka'ba during tawaf is no problem.  

 

According to the popular viewpoint, tawaf should be performed between the Ka'ba and the Maqam Ibrahim (a) and with regards to the other sides of Ka'ba, the tawaf should be performed by maintaining the same distance. However, the stronger viewpoint is that performing tawaf within this distance is not a condition. One may perform it — beyond this limit — in all the parts of the Masjid al-Haram especially when the crowd prevents the pilgrim to perform tawaf in this area. However, in case it is not crowded, it is better to perform tawaf within this area. It is not remote to say it is valid although it is against caution to perform tawaf above the land of the Masjid al-Haram [new construction] up to the parallel areas of the wall of the holy Ka'ba so that it is called circling around the holy Ka'ba. Whenever a person is unable to perform tawaf in the courtyard of the Masjid al-Haram and is compelled to perform tawaf on the second floor, on the basis of obligatory caution this person must perform tawaf in the 2nd floor by himself and appoint a representative who performs tawaf on his behalf in the yard of the mosque. In this way, he should perform prayer on the second floor and his representative should perform prayer in the courtyard of the mosque. If he can offer the prayer in the yard, this prayer would be sufficient for him.

 

It is obligatory to perform seven rounds of tawaf.

 

Tawaf is one of the elements of 'umra and if a person neglects it purposely until the end of its time, his 'umra will be void and there is no difference whether he is aware of the ruling or not.

 

It is not obligatory to perform tawaf immediately after arriving in the holy city of Mecca. One can delay it unless the time becomes too short to perform normal [[wuquf at 'Arafat]] (which starts from the noon on the [[9th of Dhu l-Hijja]] until sunset on the same day). There should be enough time for pilgrim so that he may perform other ritual after performing tawaf, becomes muḥrim for hajj and goes to [['Arafat]] on time.

 

If 'umra of a person becomes invalid, by obligatory caution, change their hajj al-tamattu' to hajj al-ifrad and to perform al-'umra al-mufrada after hajj al-ifrad. The next year, they perform 'umra and hajj al-tamattu' if they were obligatory for them. If a person forgets the tawaf but remembers it before expiration of its time, he/she has to perform it with its prayer followed by sa'y.

 

If a person forgets the tawaf and he remembers it after the end of its time, he should perform it with its prayer at any possible time. However, if he remembers it after returning to his native country, then the person should return to Mecca and perform tawaf followed by its prayer. If this task requires extraordinary hardship, then a representative should be hired for this task. Performing sa'y is not obligatory after performing missed tawaf and its prayer.  

 

For a person who neglects tawaf deliberately or forgetfully and one who has not performed some part of tawaf unintentionally, things will not become halal until they perform tawaf themselves or their representatives perform it on their behalf. If a person cannot perform the tawaf even with assistance, within its time frame due to a disease, fracture or other health reasons, they carry him circling around Ka'ba if possible, or else he/she should hire a representative.  

 

If a person after finishing tawaf and returning, i.e. after going out of tawaf place — doubts about the rounds taken during tawaf, the doubt should be ignored and tawaf is valid. But if a person doubts during the course of tawaf about the number of rounds and is doubtful whether he/she has performed seven rounds or less, his/her tawaf is invalid and he/she should perform tawaf again.