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.
There is more than one kind of tawaf. Each has its own name and its own time.
The seven kinds of tawaf
- Tawaf al-Qudum: the arrival tawaf, done as soon as you reach the mosque. It is sunnah, and it is not done by someone doing Tamattu, or by someone who lives in Makkah.
- Tawaf al-Ziyarah: the tawaf of visiting, done between the 10th and 12th of Dhul-Hijjah. This one is a pillar of Hajj; Hajj is not complete without it.
- Tawaf al-Wada: the farewell tawaf, done just before leaving Makkah for good, for anyone who does not live in Makkah.
- The Tawaf of Umrah: done as part of Umrah; Umrah is not complete without it.
- A voluntary tawaf: done any time you like, just for extra reward.
- The greeting tawaf: like the two rakats you pray on entering any other mosque, entering Masjid al-Haram is greeted with tawaf instead.
- A vowed tawaf: done because someone promised Allah they would do it.
Tawaf al-Ziyarah is a pillar of Hajj and the Tawaf of Umrah is a pillar of Umrah: neither is complete without them. That is why a woman in her period was told by the Prophet ﷺ to do everything the pilgrims do except tawaf, until she is pure. The arrival tawaf, on the other hand, is sunnah, and the farewell tawaf is required of anyone who does not live in Makkah.
12| Part of tawaf | How important | What happens if you miss it |
|---|---|---|
| Doing the tawaf itself | Fard (a pillar) | Hajj or Umrah is not valid without it |
| Walking around the Hijr, not through it | Wajib | A sacrifice is owed |
| Having wudu during tawaf | Wajib | A sacrifice or gift of food is owed, depending on which tawaf |
| Covering your private parts and wearing clean clothes | Wajib | The tawaf is not correct without this |
| Walking, not riding, if you are able to | Wajib | A sacrifice is owed if skipped without a reason |
| Praying two rakats after tawaf | Fard | You should still pray them, though missing them is not paid for like other wajib acts |
| Ramal (the brisk walk) in the first three rounds | Sunnah | No payment owed, but a reward is missed |
| Doing the Tawaf of Arrival when you first reach Makkah | Sunnah | No payment owed, but a reward is missed |
During tawaf it is necessary to have wudu, to cover your private parts in clean clothes, to walk around the Hijr rather than through it, and to walk on foot if you are able. The Prophet ﷺ said tawaf is like prayer except that you may speak in it, so speak only good; he had it announced that no one may do tawaf naked; and only when he was ill, and when Umm Salamah was ill, was tawaf done riding.
1234The brisk walk (ramal) in the first three rounds and doing the arrival tawaf when you first reach Makkah are sunnah: nothing is owed for missing them, but a reward is lost. When the Prophet ﷺ arrived for Hajj or Umrah he walked briskly for three rounds and normally for four, then prayed two rak'ahs and went to Safa and Marwah.
1Tawaf is named differently depending on when and why it is performed. Seven kinds are recognised.
| Name | When performed | Ruling |
|---|---|---|
| Tawaf al-Qudum (also al-Tahiyyah, al-Liqa) | On first entering the Haram | Sunnah for an Afaqi Mufrid or Qarin; not performed by someone doing Tamattu or by a Makkan. (Imam Malik holds it obligatory.) |
| Tawaf al-Ziyarah (also al-Rukn, al-Wajib, Yawm al-Nahr) | From Fajr on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah to the end of the 12th | Obligatory: the rukn (pillar) of Hajj. Delaying it past this window makes a sacrifice necessary. |
| Tawaf al-Wada (also al-Rukhsah, al-Sadr, al-Ifadah, Akhir al-Ahd) | Any time after Tawaf al-Ziyarah, ideally just before leaving | Obligatory for an Afaqi (Mufrid, Qarin or Mutamatti alike), but not for a Makkan or for someone who only performed Umrah |
| Tawaf of Umrah | During Umrah | Obligatory; Umrah is not valid without it |
| Nafl tawaf | Any time | Voluntary, open to Afaqi and Makkan alike |
| Tawaf al-Tahiyyat al-Masjid | On entering Masjid al-Haram | Recommended: hadith describes tawaf as the greeting of this particular mosque |
| Tawaf al-Nadhr | Whenever vowed | Obligatory, because it was vowed |
Tawaf al-Ziyarah is the rukn (pillar) of Hajj and the Tawaf of Umrah is obligatory (fard) for Umrah; neither is valid without it. The Prophet ﷺ told Aisha, when she began menstruating, to do everything the pilgrims do except tawaf until she was pure, and the first thing he did on arrival was wudu and tawaf of the House. Tawaf al-Qudum is sunnah for an Afaqi Mufrid or Qarin, and Tawaf al-Wada is obligatory on an Afaqi but not on a Makkan or on one who performed only Umrah.
12| Act | Level | If it is left out |
|---|---|---|
| Performing the tawaf itself | Fard | Hajj (Tawaf al-Ziyarah) or Umrah is not valid at all |
| Walking around the Hijr (Hateem), not through it | Wajib | A sacrifice (damm) is owed |
| Being in a state of wudu during tawaf | Wajib | A sacrifice or charity is owed, depending on which tawaf it was |
| Covering the private parts, in clean clothing that fully covers them | Wajib | The tawaf is defective; put right as described in the penalties section |
| Walking on foot, without a valid excuse | Wajib | A sacrifice is owed if there was no excuse |
| Praying two rakats after tawaf | Fard (Hanafi) | They should still be prayed; unlike most wajib acts, no penalty is described for missing them |
| Performing Tawaf al-Ziyarah within the days of Nahr (10th–12th) | Wajib | A sacrifice is owed for delaying past this window |
| Performing Tawaf al-Wada for an Afaqi before leaving | Wajib | A sacrifice is owed if it is missed |
| Ramal (brisk walking) in the first three circuits of a tawaf followed by saʿy | Sunnah mu'akkadah | No penalty; a reward and a sunnah are missed |
| Idtiba (baring the right shoulder) during that same tawaf | Sunnah | No penalty |
| Istilam of the Black Stone at each circuit | Sunnah | No penalty; doing it only at the first and last circuit is also valid |
| Tawaf al-Qudum on first arrival, for an Afaqi Mufrid or Qarin | Sunnah mu'akkadah | No penalty, though many other sunnahs of the day are lost by skipping it without necessity |
According to Abu Lais, four acts of Hajj are singled out as especially emphasised sunnahs: Tawaf al-Qudum, ramal in tawaf, saʿy between Safa and Marwah, and staying overnight in Mina.
Being in wudu throughout tawaf, covering the private parts in clean clothing, keeping the Hijr (Hateem) inside the circuit, and walking on foot where there is no valid excuse are necessary (wajib); missing one incurs a sacrifice or charity as set out in the table. The Prophet ﷺ said tawaf around the House is like prayer except that speech is allowed in it, and that whoever speaks should speak only good; he had it proclaimed that no one may perform tawaf naked; and he performed tawaf mounted only when ill, as he permitted Umm Salamah to do behind the people when she complained of illness.
1234Ramal in the first three circuits and performing Tawaf al-Qudum on first reaching Makkah are sunnah; no penalty is owed for omitting them, though the reward is missed. Ibn Umar reported that when the Prophet ﷺ performed tawaf on arrival for Hajj or Umrah he walked briskly for three circuits and normally for four, then prayed two rak'ahs, then performed sa'i between Safa and Marwah.
1The seven named ṭawāfs differ in occasion and ruling, though the method described in the previous section applies, with the qualifications given there, to each of them.
| Name | Occasion | Ruling | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tawaf al-Qudūm (al-Taḥiyyah, al-Liqā) | Immediately on entering the Ḥaram | Sunnah for an Āfāqī Mufrid or Qārin | Not performed by a Mutamattiʿ or a Makkī; Imām Mālik holds it wājib. Where Sa'y will not follow it, ramal is not performed in it. |
| Tawaf al-Ziyārah (al-Rukn, al-Wājib, Yawm al-Naḥr) | From Fajr of the 10th of Dhū al-Ḥijjah to the close of the 12th | Farḍ: the rukn of Ḥajj | Delay beyond this window necessitates damm |
| Tawaf al-Wadāʿ (al-Rukhṣah, al-Ṣadr, al-Ifāḍah, Ākhir al-ʿAhd bi'l-Bayt) | Its first time is after Tawaf al-Ziyārah; its last extends through the whole stay, though performing it just before departure is preferred | Wājib for the Āfāqī (Mufrid, Qārin or Mutamattiʿ alike) | Not obligatory on a Makkī or on one who performed only ʿUmrah |
| Tawaf of ʿUmrah | During ʿUmrah | Farḍ (rukn of ʿUmrah) | None |
| Nafl ṭawāf | Any time | Mustaḥabb | Open to Āfāqī and Makkī alike, performed after the ṭawāf of ʿUmrah by one performing it |
| Tawaf al-Taḥiyyat al-Masjid | On entering Masjid al-Ḥarām | Mustaḥabb | The ḥadīth describes ṭawāf as this mosque's taḥiyyah in place of the two rakʿahs elsewhere |
| Tawaf al-Nadhr | Whenever vowed | Wājib | By force of the vow itself |
Tawaf al-Ziyarah is the rukn of Hajj and the tawaf of Umrah is the rukn of Umrah, each fard, without which the rite is invalid; delay of Tawaf al-Ziyarah beyond the days of Nahr necessitates damm. The Prophet's ﷺ instruction to Aisha in menses to do all that the pilgrims do except tawaf until pure marks tawaf out as the one rite that cannot be dispensed with, and Aisha's report that he began on arrival with wudu and then tawaf shows its precedence. Tawaf al-Qudum is sunnah for the Afaqi Mufrid or Qarin, and Tawaf al-Wada is wajib on the Afaqi alone.
12| Act | Level | Consequence of omission |
|---|---|---|
| The performance of ṭawāf itself | Farḍ (rukn) | Ḥajj or ʿUmrah is not valid |
| Including the Ḥijr within the circuit rather than crossing it | Wājib | Damm |
| Ṭahārah (wuḍūʾ) throughout the ṭawāf | Wājib | Damm or ṣadaqah, graded by which ṭawāf and by janābah vs. mere ḥadath, as set out in the penalties sections |
| Satr al-ʿawrah, in clean, sufficient clothing | Wājib | The ṭawāf is defective; the remedy is as set out for that specific defect |
| Performing ṭawāf on foot, absent a valid excuse | Wājib | Damm |
| Two rakʿahs after ṭawāf | Farḍ (Ḥanafī); sunnah per al-Shāfiʿī | To be prayed regardless; no kaffārah is described for a delay, even though performing them at a disliked hour is itself makrūh |
| Tawaf al-Ziyārah performed within the days of Naḥr | Wājib | Damm for delay beyond the 12th |
| Tawaf al-Wadāʿ for the Āfāqī | Wājib | Damm if omitted |
| Ramal in the first three ashwāṭ of a ṭawāf to be followed by saʿy | Sunnah mu'akkadah | No kaffārah |
| Iḍṭibāʿ during that same ṭawāf | Sunnah | No kaffārah |
| Istilām of the Black Stone at each shawṭ | Sunnah | No kaffārah; Istilām only at the first and last shawṭ also discharges it |
| Tawaf al-Qudūm on first arrival, for the Āfāqī Mufrid or Qārin | Sunnah mu'akkadah | No kaffārah, though foregoing it without necessity is sinful for the sunnahs it forecloses |
Al-faqīh Abū'l-Layth counts Tawaf al-Qudūm, ramal in ṭawāf, saʿy between Ṣafā and Marwah, and the nights spent in Minā among the four sunan mu'akkadah of Ḥajj specifically.
Taharah throughout the tawaf, satr al-awrah in clean and sufficient clothing, including the Hijr within the circuit, and performing the tawaf on foot absent a valid excuse are wajib, their omission entailing damm or sadaqah as graded in the table. The wujub of taharah and satr follows from the Prophet's ﷺ words that tawaf is like salah save that speech is permitted in it, and from his proclamation on the Day of Sacrifice that no one may perform tawaf naked; the wujub of walking is qualified by his own tawaf on a mount during the Farewell Hajj when ill, touching the Corner with a stick, and by his permitting Umm Salamah to circle riding behind the people on account of illness.
1234Ramal in the first three circuits and Tawaf al-Qudum itself are sunnah, carrying no kaffarah when omitted but forfeiting their reward. The sunnah is Ibn Umar's report that the Prophet ﷺ, in his arrival tawaf for Hajj or Umrah, performed ramal for three circuits and walked four, then prayed two rak'ahs, then performed sa'i between Safa and Marwah; where sa'i will not follow the tawaf, ramal is not performed in it.
1Performing several ṭawāfs consecutively and delaying the two rakʿahs of each until the end is disliked; Abū Yūsuf permits combining an odd number of ṭawāfs in this way as an exception.
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 929 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
Permissible Actions in the State of Ihram
3. Tawaf al-Ziyarah: Both of these acts are essential, but the standing is considered more significant, which is why performing sexual relations before the standing invalidates Hajj, whereas it does not invalidate before performing the Tawaf.
18. Performing Tawaf al-Ziyarah during the days of Nahr.
19. Including the Hijr (Hateem) during the Tawaf.
20. Performing Tawaf from the right side.
21. Performing Tawaf with Taharah (ablution).
22. Covering the private parts during Tawaf.
23. The clothes should cover the private parts fully and be clean during Tawaf.
24. If there is no excuse, performing Tawaf on foot.
25. Performing two Rak’ahs after the Tawaf.
26. Performing the Tawaf of departure for the person from Afaq (those coming from outside Makkah).
1. Performing Tawaf al-Qudum (the welcoming Tawaf).
2. Performing Raml (walking briskly) in Tawaf of the Ka'bah.
However, Ihram is a condition, and Tawaf is a pillar (Rukn).
In the Tawaf after which Sa’i is performed between Safa and Marwah, the corner of the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad) should be touched after the second Tawaf, as though seeking permission to perform the Sa’i between Safa and Marwah. However, in the Tawaf after which Sa’i is not performed, there is no need to touch the Black Stone after the second Tawaf.
1. Tawaf al-Qudum (also known as Tawaf al-Tahiyyah and Tawaf al-Liqa): This is performed immediately upon entering the Haram. However, if the Imam is leading the obligatory or funeral prayer, or if there is a missed obligatory prayer, Witr, or confirmed Sunnah [For example, there is only enough time that if one performs Tawaf, they would miss the Sunnah of Fajr and would only be able to pray the obligatory Fajr Salah.], these should be performed before the Tawaf. This Tawaf is Sunnah for Afaqi, Mufrid, and Qarin, but not for Mutamatti' or Makkans. According to Imam Malik, this Tawaf is obligatory. After performing this Tawaf, if Sa’i between Safa and Marwah is not performed, Raml should not be done.
2. Tawaf al-Ziyarah (also known as Tawaf al-Rukn, Tawaf al-Wajib, and Tawaf Yawm al-Nahr): This Tawaf is obligatory during Hajj, and its time is from the Fajr of the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah until the end of the 12th. If delayed, a penalty (Damm) becomes mandatory.
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.
4. Tawaf of Umrah: This Tawaf is obligatory during Umrah.
5. Nafl Tawaf: This is performed after the Tawaf of Umrah by those performing Umrah, whether Afaqi or Makki, at any time.
6. Tawaf al-Tahiyyat al-Masjid: This Tawaf is recommended for those entering the mosque, as the Hadith mentions that the greeting of the mosque is done through Tawaf.
7. Tawaf al-Nadhr: This is obligatory for those who have vowed to perform it.
Tawaf is preferable over Nafl prayers for Afaqi, but for Makkans, Nafl prayer is preferred over Tawaf. If a Tawaf al-Ka'bah or Sa'i between Safa and Marwah begins and the Takbeer for prayer is heard, or if a funeral prayer is announced, the Tawaf should be abandoned to perform the prayer, and the remaining Tawaf can be completed afterward.
For every Tawaf, performing two Rak'ahs (following Hanafi school) is obligatory, while Imam Shafi’i considers it Sunnah. It is recommended to offer these two Rak'ahs immediately after Tawaf behind Maqam Ibrahim. Then, the most appropriate places to offer the prayer are: inside the Ka'bah, the Hijr, under the Mizab, the inner part of Hijr, close to the Ka'bah, the surrounding area of the Ka'bah, the remaining Mataf, the Masjid al-Haram, and the entire Haram area. [It is also allowed outside the Haram, even in the pilgrim’s home, which is why it is said that this prayer is not restricted by time or place. However, outside the Haram, it is disliked]. It is also disliked during the times of sunrise, sunset, noon, and after the Fajr and Asr prayers until the sun rises or sets. If a person performs the Tawaf after the Fajr prayer or after the Asr prayer, the two Rak'ahs should be done after sunrise, before the Dhuha prayer, or after the Maghrib prayer before performing the Sunnah. Though the two Rak'ahs after Tawaf are obligatory, during these disliked times, it will carry the ruling of Makruh (disliked), and no penalty (Damm) applies for missing them. However, if it is performed after Fajr or after Asr, it will be done with dislike. If someone is reading and realizes this after starting, it is obligatory to stop, and it is better to redo the prayer afterward. According to Tahaawi, Fajr and Asr prayers are not disliked in the same manner as Janaazah prayer, and this view is also held by Imam Shafi'i.
It is permissible to ask about issues, inform, or engage in conversation during Tawaf, but it is best to avoid unnecessary talk and anything contrary to humility.
Performing multiple Tawafs together and offering the two Rak'ahs after each is disliked, but according to Imam Abu Yusuf, combining multiple odd-numbered Tawafs is allowed.
In Umrah and Tamattu’, the Tawaf al-Qudum is not performed, and Tawaf al-Rukhsah (farewell Tawaf) is not obligatory for those performing Umrah or Makkans.
Related
- The circling of visitation (Tawaf al-Ziyarah), the pillar of Hajj When the circling of visitation (Tawaf al-Ziyarah) is performed, why it is the pillar (rukn) of Hajj, and what follows it in Makkah before returning to Mina.
- The obligatory (fard), necessary (wajib) and sunnah acts of Hajj and Umrah, at a glance The five acts Hajj cannot be valid without, the thirty-one necessary (wajib) acts, the emphasised sunnahs, and what invalidates Hajj or Umrah outright.
- 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.
- 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).