The farewell circling of the Kaaba (Tawaf al-Wada)
The last rite before leaving Makkah: who must perform it, how it differs from other circlings (tawafs), and the parting at the Multazam.
Before finally leaving Makkah, a pilgrim from outside the city does one more tawaf, the Farewell Tawaf, called Tawaf al-Wada.
| Who | Must they do it? |
|---|---|
| A pilgrim from outside Makkah, after Hajj | Yes |
| Someone who only did Umrah | No |
| A woman on her period | No |
| A woman bleeding after childbirth | No |
| Someone who lives in Makkah | No |
How to do the Farewell Tawaf
- Do the seven circuits like any tawaf, but without Ramal (brisk walking) or Idtiba (baring the shoulder).
- Drink Zamzam water afterwards, and pour some over your head, face and body.
- Go to Multazam, the wall between the Kaʿbah's door and the Black Stone, and press your chest and cheek against it, holding onto the cover of the Kaʿbah.
- Cry, ask for forgiveness, and make dua there.
- Kiss the doorframe if you can, touch the Black Stone one last time, and look at the Kaʿbah with love before you go.
- Walk backward, without turning your back to the Kaʿbah, until you leave through the Gate of Farewell.
- Give some charity to someone in need before you leave Makkah.
Tawaf al-Wada (also called Tawaf al-Rukhsah, al-Sadr, al-Ifadah, or Akhir al-Ahd bi'l-Bayt) is the last rite of Hajj, performed just before leaving Makkah for good.
| Pilgrim | Ruling |
|---|---|
| An Afaqi (non-resident), whether Mufrid, Qarin or Mutamatti | Obligatory |
| Someone who performed only Umrah | Not obligatory |
| A woman menstruating at the time of departure | Not obligatory |
| A woman in post-natal bleeding at the time of departure | Not obligatory |
| A resident of Makkah | Not obligatory |
The method of Tawaf al-Wada
- Perform the seven circuits without Idtiba or Ramal, unlike a tawaf that will be followed by saʿy.
- Afterwards, drink Zamzam water and pour some over the head, face and body as a source of blessing.
- Go to Multazam, the wall between the Kaʿbah's door and the Black Stone, press the chest and right cheek against it, reach the right hand towards the doorframe, and hold the covering of the Kaʿbah as a servant clings to a master's garment.
- Weep, seek forgiveness, and recite dua, istighfar, the kalimah, and salutations on the Prophet ﷺ.
- Kiss the doorframe, make further dua as desired, and perform Istilam of the Black Stone one last time.
- Look at the Kaʿbah with longing, weeping at the separation, and leave walking backward, without turning one's back to it, through Bab al-Wada, the Gate of Farewell.
- Give some charity to the needy at the time of departure.
Tawaf al-Wada is wajib for every Afaqi pilgrim, regardless of the type of ihram observed, but not for a Makkan or for someone who came only for Umrah.
1A woman in menstruation or post-natal bleeding does not perform Tawaf al-Wada at all, since it would require entering the mosque while impure, and instead leaves Makkah through the gate of the Haram without it.
1Tawaf al-Wadāʿ (also al-Rukhṣah, al-Ṣadr, al-Ifāḍah, Ākhir al-ʿAhd bi'l-Bayt, ṣadr and ifāḍah both carrying the sense of 'return') closes a pilgrim's stay, its earliest time following Tawaf al-Ziyārah and its latest extending through the whole of the stay, though performing it immediately before departure is preferred.
| Pilgrim | Ruling |
|---|---|
| An Āfāqī: Mufrid, Qārin, or Mutamattiʿ | Wājib |
| One who performed only ʿUmrah | Not obligatory |
| A woman in ḥayḍ at departure | Not obligatory, waived entirely |
| A woman in nifās at departure | Not obligatory, waived entirely |
| A Makkī | Not obligatory |
The method of Tawaf al-Wadāʿ
- Seven ashwāṭ are performed without iḍṭibāʿ or ramal, this tawāf not being followed by saʿy.
- Zamzam is drunk afterward, and poured over the head, face and body for its blessing.
- At al-Multazam, between the door of the Kaʿbah and the Black Stone, the chest and right cheek are pressed to the wall, the right hand extended to the doorframe, the kiswah held as a servant clings to a master's garment in seeking pardon.
- Weeping, istighfār, duʿā, the kalimah ṭayyibah, and ṣalawāt on the Prophet ﷺ follow.
- The doorframe is kissed, further duʿā made, and a final Istilām of the Black Stone performed.
- The pilgrim looks upon the Kaʿbah with longing, weeps at the parting, and withdraws walking backward, the back never turned to it, through Bāb al-Wadāʿ.
- Charity to the needy at the moment of departure closes the rite.
Tawaf al-Wadāʿ is wājib upon every Āfāqī pilgrim without distinction of iḥrām type, and is not obligatory upon a Makkī nor upon one who came for ʿUmrah alone.
A woman in ḥayḍ or nifās does not perform Tawaf al-Wadāʿ under any circumstance, entry to the mosque in that state being forbidden to her; she departs through the gate of the Ḥaram without it, and no kaffārah attaches to its omission in her case.
This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 352 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
Permissible Actions in the State of Ihram
For a non-local (Afaqi) pilgrim—whether performing Ifrad, Qiran, or Tamattu—the Farewell Tawaf (Tawaf al-Wada) is obligatory.
However, it is not obligatory upon the following:
- Those performing Umrah only.
- Women experiencing menstruation.
- Women in postnatal bleeding.
- Locals (non-Afaqis).
Perform this Tawaf (Tawaf al-Wada) without Idtiba (exposing the right shoulder) or Ramal (walking briskly with short steps), as previously mentioned. Upon finishing, drink the water of Zamzam, then pour it over your head, face, and the rest of your body as a source of blessings.
After this, proceed to Multazam (the area between the door of the Kaaba and Hajr al-Aswad). Stand there and place your chest and right cheek against the wall of the Kaaba. Extend your right hand towards the doorframe and, as a servant clings to the garment of their master pleading for forgiveness, hold the cover of the Kaaba with your hand. While doing so, cry and ask for forgiveness, recite Istighfar (seeking forgiveness), supplications, Kalima Tayyiba (words of monotheism), and Salat upon the Beloved Prophet ﷺ.
Thereafter, kiss the doorframe, make further supplications as desired, and perform the Istilam (touching or gesturing towards the Hajr al-Aswad). Finally, look at the Kaaba with longing, weep over your separation from it, and walk backward (without turning your back toward it) as you leave through Bab al-Wada (the Gate of Farewell).
However, for a woman in menstruation or postnatal bleeding, Tawaf al-Wada is not required. She may offer her farewell by leaving from the door of the Haram without performing the Tawaf.
Lastly, at the time of departure, give some charity to the needy as a gesture of kindness.
3. Tawaf al-Wada' (also called Tawaf al-Rukhsat, Tawaf al-Sadr Tawaf al-Afāzah, and Tawaf al-Akhir al-Ahd al-Bayt), [Sadr with fath of (ص) and (د) mean “ to return” and the meaning of "Afazah" is also "to return"]. This Tawaf is obligatory for Afaqi, whether Mufrid, Qarin, or Mutamatti', but not for Makkans or those performing Umrah. Its first time is after Tawaf al-Ziyarah, and its last time is the entire duration of one’s stay, but it is preferred to perform it just before leaving.
Terms on this page
Related
- The seven kinds of circling the Kaaba (tawaf), and its obligatory, necessary and sunnah acts The seven named circlings (tawafs) of Hajj and Umrah, their timing, and which of the acts of circling are obligatory (fard), which necessary (wajib), and which sunnah.
- How a woman's pilgrim's state (ihram) differs from a man's The points where a woman's pilgrim's state (ihram), circling (tawaf), walk between Safa and Marwah (saʿy), and hair-cutting differ from a man's, and what menstruation or post-natal bleeding change.
- How to circle the Kaaba (tawaf), step by step The full method of circling the Kaʿbah seven times, from the intention at the Black Stone to the two units (rakats) at the Station of Ibrahim (Maqam Ibrahim) and drinking Zamzam water.
- Hajj, Umrah, and the three ways of combining them How Hajj and Umrah differ, and the three recognised ways of performing them together: Hajj alone (Ifrad), Umrah then Hajj (Tamattu') and both together (Qiran).