Tawaf: Difference between revisions

There is no tawaf al-nisa' in Sunni [[jurisprudence]].

[[File:Tawaf in Masjid Al-Haram around Kaba.jpg|350px|thumbnail|Performing Tawaf in [[al-Masjid al-Haram]] around [[Ka'ba]]]]

The word "tawaf" means to surround something or to turn around something on foot. "Ta'if" (Arabic:{{ia| طائف}}; the subject-adjective form) refers to someone who turns around the house. In the terminology of jurisprudence, "tawaf" refers to the circumambulation around the Ka'ba.

In jurisprudence, "tawaf" around the Ka'ba is an obligatory ritual of [[hajj]]. The pilgrim should circumambulate around the Ka'ba seven times with certain conditions: one should start in each turn (shawt) from the [[Black Stone]] (al-Hajar al-Aswad) and finish with it. Tawaf consists in seven "shawt"s (circles).

Tawaf traces back to the period of the Prophet [[Adam (a)]]. When he was banished from the [[heaven]], he went to the Ka'ba and circumambulated around it just as [[angel]]s circumambulate around the [[Divine Throne]] ('Arsh). Tawaf was a tradition throughout the history and was an essential part of hajj. Even in the age of [[Jahiliyya]] before the emergence of Islam, people who entered [[Mecca]] or wanted to depart from Mecca, the first thing they did was the tawaf of the Ka'ba. They took it to be the most important way to become close to [[God]]. In that period, there was no specific time and place for tawaf; they went to a temple with idol inside, and circumambulated around it seven times: poor people did this with naked foot, and rich people did it with shoes on.

Tawaf and some of its rulings are mentioned in the [[Qur'an 2]]:125,{{Enote|And [remember] when We made the House a place of reward for mankind and a sanctuary, [declaring], "Take the venue of prayer from Abraham's Station." We charged Abraham and Ishmael [with its upkeep, saying], "Purify My House for those who go around it, [for] those who make it a retreat and [for] those who bow and prostrate." (Qur'an 2:125)}} and [[Qur'an 22]]:26{{Enote|When We settled for Abraham the site of the House [saying], Do not ascribe any partners to Me, and purify My House for those who go around it, and those who stand [in it for prayer], and those who bow and prostrate. (Qur'an 22:26)}} and also in Qur'an 22:29{{Enote|Then let them do away with their untidiness, and fulfill their vows, and go around the Ancient House. (Qur'an 22:29)}}. These verses imply that tawaf was an old worship common in the period of the Prophet [[Ibrahim (a)]].  

In Qur'an 2:158,{{enote|Indeed Safa and Marwah are among Allah's sacraments. So whoever makes hajj to the House, or performs the umrah, there is no sin upon him to circuit between them. Should anyone do good of his own accord, then Allah is indeed appreciative, all-knowing. ([[Quran 2]]:158)}} running between [[Safa]] and [[Marwa]] is also called 'tawaf'. In some other verses, tawaf cognate words is used in its literal meaning (that is, turning around something).

Many virtues have been attributed in [[hadith]]s to tawaf. [[Imam Ali (a)]] said: "God has put 120 mercies around the Ka'ba, sixty of which are specific to people who circumambulate around it, forty for worshippers there, and twenty for those who look at the Ka'ba. The same hadith has been cited in [[Suuni]] sources as attributed to the [[Prophet (s)]]. Here are other virtues of tawaf:

* Tawaf prevents divine [[reward and punishment|punishments]].

According to some hadiths, tawaf consists of seven turns because, in the story of the Prophet Adam (a), angels had to ask for divine forgiveness and worshipped for 7,000 years. So each shawt is equivalent to 1000 years.

The latter is practiced in all types of hajj and [['umra]], except [['umrat al-tamattu']]. The difference between these kinds of tawaf is only with respect to one's [[intention]]s (the actions are the same).

* In hajj, it is the seventh action done after [[Halq and Taqsir |halq or taqsir]] (shaving or shortening of hair and nails) on [[Dhu l-Hijja 10]] with migration from [[Mina]] to [[Mecca]]. It can also be done after the return from Mina ([[Dhu l-Hijja 12]]), but it is recommended to be done on the Day of [[Eid al-Adha]]. This tawaf is done in clothes other than ihram, because after halq or taqsir, the pilgrim should take off his or her ihram clothes. This is called tawaf al-ziyarah (tawaf of pilgrimage) because after the practices of Mina on Eid al-Adha, the pilgrim goes back to Mecca to visit the Ka'ba and practice tawaf, and then returns to Mina to practice the rest of the rituals. After this tawaf, wearing a perfume -which was [[forbidden]] after ihram- becomes permissible for the pilgrim.

{{Main|Tawaf al-Nisa'}}

Although tawaf al-nisa' is [[obligatory]], the hajj or 'umra will not be invalid by refraining from doing it. However, one would not be permitted to have enjoyment with his wife unless he (or his representative) practices tawaf al-nisa' and its prayer.

*The tawaf begins and ends with the Black Stone that is now marked on the ground with black marbles from this rukn (corner).

*Just like [[prayer]], one should have [[tahara]] during the tawaf, and no [[ghusl]] should be obligatory for the person. One's clothes should also be ritually pure.

*During the tawaf, one's left shoulder should be directed to the Ka'ba.

*Men should be [[Circumcision|circumcised]] before the tawaf.

*After each tawaf, one should say two rak'as of prayers. In obligatory tawafs, the prayers should be said behind [[Maqam Ibrahim]], and in recommended tawafs, it can be said anywhere in al-Masjid al-Haram.

*Tawaf can also be done while riding a vehicle. It is reported that when there was flood in al-Masjid al-Haram, some people practiced the tawaf while swimming.

There is disagreement among scholars of [[jurisprudence]] about the confines of the tawaf. Some people take it to be cloaser than [[Maqam Ibrahim]] to Ka'ba, which is thirteen meters radius from the Ka'ba, and some take it to include the whole area of [[al-Masjid al-Haram]]. [[Hijr Isma'il]] is outside of the confines of tawaf so people should circumambulate around it, not through it.

According to the former view, the confine of the tawaf around Hijr Isma'il is about three meters. When there is too much population for tawaf and it is difficult to practice it in this limited area, these scholars require that the shortest distance be observed.

If we take the confines of tawaf to be the whole area of al-Masjid al-Haram or take it as permissible to practice the tawaf in areas more distant from Maqam Ibrahim (a) because of large populations, then the question arises that is it valid to do it on the second floor of al-Masjid al-Haram or the two-floor temporary metal constructions in the courtyard of the mosque?

* The material for this article is mainly taken from {{ia|[[:fa:طواف|طواف]]}} in Farsi Wikishia.