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
Salawat (Blessings Upon the Prophet)
Blessings and peace upon the Prophet Muhammad and his family.
Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence)
The Islamic legal science that derives practical rules from the Quran and Sunnah.
Najasah (Ritual Impurity)
Impure substances that must be removed before prayer according to Islamic law.
Shafa'ah (Intercession)
The Prophet's and the Imams' intercession with Allah for the believers on the Day of Judgment.
Shahadah (Declaration of Faith)
The first pillar of Islam: the testimony that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger.
Wilayah (Divine Authority)
The concept of divine authority and leadership in Shia Islam.