Step by step guide to how to perform tawaf

Before starting tawaf

Entering the Masjid-al-Haram

  • As with any mosque enter the Haram with your right foot and it is Sunnah to say the following du’a:

بِسْمِ اللهِ وَ الصَّلاَةُ وَالسَّلاَمُ عَلَى رَسُوْلِ اللهِ

  • “Bismillahi wassalatu wassalamu alaa Rasoolillahi.”
  • Then say the following:

أَعُوْبِاللهِ الْعَظِيمِ، وَبِوَجْهِهِ الْكَرِيْمِ، وَسُلْطَانِهِ الْقَدِيمِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرِّجِيْمِ، اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِىْ أبْوَا بَ رَحْمَتِكَ

  • “A’outhu billahil-a’adtheem, wa bi waj’hihilka-reem, wasultaanihilqadeem, minashaytaanir-rajeem, Alhamdummaftahlee abwaabarahmatik.”
  • “In the name of Allah and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, I seek refuge in Allah the Great, and His Honourable face and His ancient authority from the accursed Shaytaan. Oh Allah open for me the doors of Your mercy.”

No Tahiyyatul-Masjid

  • If you plan to do tawaf, then you should proceed directly to perform it when entering the Haram. Tahiyyatul- Masjid is not to be performed when intending to do Tawaf. Tawaf takes place of Tahiyyatul-Masjid.Conversely if there is any fardh salah is eminent, then this should be performed before tawaf. Tawaf must be interrupted for fardh salah and recommended for janaza salah.

Avoid performing tawaf in groups and following and reciting behind a “leader”

    • The Prophet (pbuh) never led anybody or groups in tawaf, nor did he instruct his companions to do so.

Step by step guide to tawaf

1

  • Start at the Hajr-al-Aswad (black stone).
  • Kiss the stone if possible.
  • if not, touch it with your right hand (Istilam) and kiss your hand.
  • if this is not possible due to the crowd, then face the black stone from the tawaf line and gesture towards it with your right hand once. In this case do not kiss your hand.

2

  • Say Bismillahi wallahu akbar

    بِسْمِ اللهِ وَ اللهُ أَكْبَرُ

  • Proceed in an anti-clockwise

3

  • During tawaf suplicate, make dhikr, recite Qur’an you wish. Du’a in your langiage is acceptable.
  • Walk around the Hateem, but not through it. If you eneter Hateem, it will not be counted as one.
  • Keep moving forward
  • For the first three rounds of tawaf, men adopt ramal (rhythmic trot while shrugging the shoulders; marking time but moving ahead). Men walk normal in the remaining four rounds.
  • Please note, the adoption of ramal is required only in ‘Umra tawaf’ and ‘Welcome Tawaf’ (Tawaf-al-Qudoom).
  • Women walk normally in all 7 rounds.

4

  • Once you reach Rukn -al -Yamani Corner, touch it with your right hand (Istilam) and say Bismillahi wallahu akbar

    بِسْمِ اللهِ وَ اللهُ أَكْبَرُ

  • If you cannot touch the Yamani Corner due to the crowd or perhaps you are circuling the Ka’ba on the higher level of the Masjid, then continue with your tawaf. Do not kiss it or kiss your hand, also do not point to it or say anything

5

  • From the Yamani corner to the balck stone, it is sunnah to recite:

    رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَ فِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

    (“Rabbana aathina fiddunyaa hassanatan wa fill aakihirati hasanatan wa qinna athabannar”).

6

  • One you reach the Hajr-al-Aswad (the black Stone), you have completed one round

7

  • Continue and repeat the above steps again, either kiss, touch or gesture towards the Black Stone and say Allahu Akbar

    اللهُ أَكْبَر

    until completed all seven circuits.

  • At the end of the last circuit, do not kiss, touch or gesture the Black Stone

8

  • After completing all seven rounds, if this was a ‘Umrah tawaf’ or ‘Welcome Tawaf’ (Tawaf-al-Qudoom), at this point cover your right shoulder.
  • For other types of tawaf , your right shoulder should be covered anyway.

9

  • Now proceed towards the Maqaam Ibraheem reciting the following verse:

    وَاتَّخِذُوامِنْ مَقَامِ إبْرَاهِيْمَ مُصَلَّى

    (“Wattakhithu min Maqaami Ibraheema musallaa.”)(“And take the station of Ibrahim as a place of prayer.”)

  • Stand in a way so that the Maqaam Ibraheem is between you and the Ka’ba.
  • Pray 2 rakats salah. It is sunnah to recite Suratul-Kafirun after Suratul-Fatiha in the first rakah and Suratul-Ikhlas after Suratul-Fatiha in the second rakah.

10

  • Due to crowd or rush if it is not possible to perform 2 rakats at the Maqaam Ibrahim, then pray anywhere else in the Haram. It is acceptable.
  • Your tawaf is now complete.