The ablutions for the tawaf Required
The tawaf is performed in a state of purity, like the prayer. Before you begin, make sure you have your ablutions.
Tirmidhī 960 · Bukhari 305
The ʿumrah
Tawaf: the 7 rounds, explained simply
Stand on the line of the Black Stone, the Kaaba on your left. Seven circuits around the Kaaba, each starting from the line of the Black Stone and returning to it. The invocations of the tawaf are free: no supplication is fixed for any given circuit, your heart comes first.
Muslim 1218 · Bukhari 1613 · Abū Dāwūd 1889 · haj.gov.sa · Abū Dāwūd 1892Before entering the maṭāf.
The start, and every round.
The line of the Black Stone
Stand on the line of the Black Stone, the Kaaba on your left. You turn counterclockwise: each of the seven circuits starts on that line and returns to it. At every pass, turn towards the Stone, point to it and say the takbīr.
At each pass by the Black Stone
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Bismi-Llāhi wa-Llāhu akbar
In the name of Allah, and Allah is the greatest.
The takbīr is established from the Prophet ﷺ. The added “Bismillah” is reported from the practice of Ibn Umar, in al-Bayhaqi and at-Tabarani.
Bukhari 1613 · Abū Dāwūd 1889 · Bayhaqī · ṬabarānīThe uncovered shoulder, the brisk step Sunnah
Two sunnah gestures accompany this arrival tawaf, and only two. The second one applies to the first three circuits only.
For men. Idtiba: pass the middle of your cloth under your right armpit and throw both ends over your left shoulder, right shoulder uncovered, for the whole tawaf. Raml: walk briskly with short steps for the first three circuits; walk normally for the other four.
For women. Neither of these two gestures is asked of women. Walk normally and with dignity for all seven circuits; your clothing stays as modest as usual.
The two corners Sunnah
The Prophet ﷺ touched only two corners of the Kaaba. The Black Stone: kiss it if you can reach it, otherwise touch it with your hand and kiss your hand, otherwise simply point to it and say the takbīr. The Yemeni corner: touch it if you can reach it; no takbīr and no kiss are reported there. If it is out of reach, pass by without any gesture and without pushing, there is nothing on you.
Bukhari 1611 · Bukhari 1613 · Abū Dāwūd 1874 · haj.gov.saThe seven circuits Pillar
Seven circuits around the Kaaba, each starting from the line of the Black Stone and returning to it. The invocations of the tawaf are free: no supplication is fixed for any given circuit, your heart comes first. The cards shown here are recommended, sourced invocations. Between the Yemeni corner and the Black Stone, the Prophet ﷺ used to say “Rabbana atina”.
Muslim 1218 · Abū Dāwūd 1892 · haj.gov.saThe recommended invocations, segment by segment.
The invocations of the tawaf are free: no supplication is fixed for any given circuit, your heart comes first.
Between the Yemeni corner and the Black Stone
رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةًۭ وَفِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ حَسَنَةًۭ وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ
Rabbanā ātinā fī d-dunyā ḥasanatan wa fī l-ākhirati ḥasanatan wa qinā ʿadhāba n-nār
Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
Quran 2:201 · Abū Dāwūd 1892سُبْحَانَ ٱللَّهِ، وَٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، وَلَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ، وَٱللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Subḥāna Llāh, wa l-ḥamdu li-Llāh, wa lā ilāha illā Llāh, wa Llāhu akbar
Glory be to Allah, praise be to Allah, there is no deity but Allah, Allah is the greatest.
Muslim 2137سُبْحَانَ ٱللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ، سُبْحَانَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
Subḥāna Llāhi wa bi-ḥamdih, subḥāna Llāhi l-ʿaẓīm
Glory and praise be to Allah, glory be to Allah the Magnificent.
Bukhari 6682لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ ٱلْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ ٱلْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Lā ilāha illā Llāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu l-mulku wa lahu l-ḥamd, wa huwa ʿalā kulli shay’in qadīr
There is no deity but Allah alone, with no partner. His is the dominion, His is the praise, and He has power over all things.
Bukhari 6403ٱللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ ٱلْعَفْوَ وَٱلْعَافِيَةَ فِي ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْآخِرَةِ، ٱللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ ٱلْعَفْوَ وَٱلْعَافِيَةَ فِي دِينِي وَدُنْيَايَ وَأَهْلِي وَمَالِي، ٱللَّهُمَّ ٱسْتُرْ عَوْرَاتِي وَآمِنْ رَوْعَاتِي، وَٱحْفَظْنِي مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيَّ وَمِنْ خَلْفِي وَعَنْ يَمِينِي وَعَنْ شِمَالِي وَمِنْ فَوْقِي، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أُغْتَالَ مِنْ تَحْتِي
Allāhumma innī as’aluka l-ʿafwa wa l-ʿāfiyata fī d-dunyā wa l-ākhira. Allāhumma innī as’aluka l-ʿafwa wa l-ʿāfiyata fī dīnī wa dunyāya wa ahlī wa mālī. Allāhumma stur ʿawrātī wa āmin rawʿātī, waḥfaẓnī min bayni yadayya wa min khalfī wa ʿan yamīnī wa ʿan shimālī wa min fawqī, wa aʿūdhu bika an ughtāla min taḥtī
O Allah, I ask You for pardon and well-being in this world and the Hereafter. O Allah, I ask You for pardon and well-being in my religion, my worldly life, my family and my wealth. O Allah, conceal my faults, calm my fears, guard me from before me and behind me, from my right and my left and from above me, and I seek refuge in You from being taken unaware from beneath me.
Ibn Mājah 3871Mounis reports and sources, in order: the Quran, then the Sunnah. It never gives rulings: for jurisprudence, refer to the people of knowledge.
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Written from the certified corpus of Mounis · Mustapha Fenzar