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
Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Jurisprudence)
Islamic legal theory that defines the methods for deriving legal rules from the sacred sources.
Taslim (Concluding Greeting)
The concluding peace greeting that marks the end of the prayer.
Rajab (The Venerable Month)
The seventh Islamic month, filled with special prayers and worship.
Witr (Odd-Numbered Prayer)
A strongly recommended prayer with an odd number of rak'ah, prayed after Isha.
Muharram (The Sacred Month)
The first and one of the four sacred months in the Islamic calendar.
Sunnah Mu'akkadah (Emphasized Sunnah)
Voluntary prayers that the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed regularly and rarely omitted.