Tawaf (Circumambulation of the Kaaba)
The ritual of walking seven times around the Kaaba counterclockwise as part of Hajj and Umrah.
Tawaf is the ritual of walking seven times around the Kaaba in Masjid al-Haram in Mecca in a counterclockwise direction. It is a pillar (rukn) of both Hajj and Umrah and can also be performed voluntarily as an independent act of worship.
Tawaf begins at the Black Stone (al-Hajar al-Aswad) in the eastern corner of the Kaaba. For each circuit, it is sunnah to point toward or kiss the Black Stone. During tawaf, pilgrims recite du'a and dhikr. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Tawaf around the House is like prayer, except that you speak during it" (Sunan al-Tirmidhi).
There are several types of tawaf: Tawaf al-Qudum (arrival tawaf), Tawaf al-Ifadah (the obligatory tawaf during Hajj), Tawaf al-Wada' (farewell tawaf), and Tawaf al-Nafl (voluntary tawaf). Wudu is a prerequisite for tawaf according to the majority of Sunni scholars. After tawaf, one prays two rak'ah behind Maqam Ibrahim (Abraham's Station).
Related terms
Taharah (Ritual Purity)
The state of ritual purity, which is a prerequisite for prayer.
Du'a al-Iftitah (The Opening Supplication)
A beautiful supplication recited during Ramadan nights, attributed to Imam al-Mahdi.
Mashhad (Imam Reza's City)
The sacred city in Iran with Imam Reza's shrine, Iran's most visited pilgrimage destination.
Kaaba (Allah's Sacred House)
The holiest building in Islam, in Mecca, toward which all Muslims face in prayer.
Salaf (The Pious Predecessors)
The first three generations of Muslims: sahabah, tabi'in, and tabi' al-tabi'in.
Dhul-Hijjah (The Month of Pilgrimage)
The twelfth and last month of the Islamic calendar, in which Hajj and Eid al-Adha take place.