Tawaf al-Qudum (Arrival Tawaf)
Tawaf al-Qudum
Overview
Tawaf al-Qudum is the 'arrival' circling of the Ka'bah made by an Ifrad or Qiran pilgrim on first reaching Makkah, as a greeting to the Sacred House. It is a sunnah; a Tamattu' pilgrim's arrival tawaf is instead the tawaf of his 'Umrah.
Du'a
At the Black Stone (start of each circuit)
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Allahu akbar
Allah is the greatest.
Facing or pointing to the Black Stone at the start of each of the seven circuits (touch or kiss it only if you can without harming others).
Source · Sahih al-Bukhari 1613
Grade · Sahih (Sahih al-Bukhari).
Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Rabbana atina fi-d-dunya hasanah wa fi-l-akhirati hasanah wa qina 'adhab an-nar
Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
Recited in the stretch between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone on each circuit. No other fixed per-circuit du'a is established — otherwise supplicate freely with any du'a.
Source · Qur'an 2:201; Sunan Abi Dawud 1892
Grade · The words are Qur'an 2:201; the report that the Prophet (ﷺ) recited them between the two corners (Sunan Abi Dawud 1892) is graded Hasan by al-Albani.
Qur'an
No ayah specifically commands the arrival tawaf. The general Qur'anic command to circumambulate the House is Surah al-Hajj —'ثُمَّ لْيَقْضُوا تَفَثَهُمْ وَلْيُوفُوا نُذُورَهُمْ وَلْيَطَّوَّفُوا بِالْبَيْتِ الْعَتِيقِ'('Then let them end their untidiness, fulfil their vows, and perform tawaf around the Ancient House') — but this is generally applied to Tawaf al-Ifadah, not specifically to Tawaf al-Qudum.
'ثُمَّ لْيَقْضُوا تَفَثَهُمْ وَلْيُوفُوا نُذُورَهُمْ وَلْيَطَّوَّفُوا بِالْبَيْتِ الْعَتِيقِ'Reference · Qur'an 22:29
Hadith
Ramal within the arrival tawaf: narrated Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) — whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) came to Makkah for Hajj or Umra he would go to the Black Stone corner and start there, circumambulating the Ka'bah seven times, 'hastening (ramal) in the first three rounds and walking in the last four.' Reason/origin of ramal: narrated Ibn Abbas (RA) — the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered ramal so the polytheists, who claimed the fever of Yathrib had weakened the Muslims, would see their strength. Idtiba': narrated Ya'la ibn Umayyah (RA) — the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performed tawaf making idtiba' with a green Yemeni cloak (its middle under his right armpit and its ends over his left shoulder).
References · Sahih al-Bukhari 1767 · Sahih al-Bukhari 1602 · Sahih Muslim 1266 · Sunan Abi Dawud 1883 · Jami' at-Tirmidhi 859
Grade · Sahih al-Bukhari 1767: Sahih (al-Bukhari; the raml report), Sahih al-Bukhari 1602: Sahih — muttafaq 'alayh (the reason-report for raml), Sahih Muslim 1266: Sahih — muttafaq 'alayh (the reason-report for raml), Sunan Abi Dawud 1883: Hasan (al-Albani; the idtiba' report of Ya'la ibn Umayyah (RA)), Jami' at-Tirmidhi 859: Da'if (Darussalam) via this route; idtiba' as a sunnah is well-established by corroboration
How to perform the tawaf
7 circuits · counter-clockwise
Ka'bah on your left. Hijr Isma'il — circle outside it.
Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone, say 'Rabbana atina fi-d-dunya hasanah...'. The brisk pace (raml) of the first three circuits is for men, in the tawaf that is followed by sa'i.
Applies to
Ifrad and Qiran pilgrims (any pilgrim arriving in Makkah in ihram for Hajj). Not applicable to Tamattu': the Mutamatti's arrival tawaf is the tawaf of his Umrah (a pillar of that Umrah), which takes its place.
If missed
Majority (Hanafi, Shafi'i, Hanbali): no penalty; it is a sunnah and the Hajj remains valid. Maliki: deliberate omission by one able to perform it requires a dam (sacrifice). Omitting only the ramal or idtiba' inside the tawaf carries no penalty in any school. Its window ends once the pilgrim stands at Arafah, so a pilgrim who reaches Makkah only after Arafah does not perform it.
Related conditions & rulings
Timing & place
From arrival in Makkah (while in ihram) until the pilgrim stands at Arafah on 9 Dhul-Hijjah. It is performed as a greeting of the Sacred Mosque on first reaching it; if the pilgrim only reaches Makkah after Arafah, it lapses.
Masjid al-Haram — seven circuits around the Ka'bah, beginning and ending at the Black Stone corner.
Common mistakes
- •Performing ramal in all seven circuits instead of only the first three
- •Women attempting ramal or idtiba'
- •Forcing ramal in dense crowds and harming others (ramal is dropped when it cannot be done without pushing)
- •Keeping the right shoulder bared (idtiba') during the two rak'ahs and the rest of the rites — idtiba' is only during this tawaf, after which both shoulders are re-covered
- •Adopting idtiba' from the moment of entering ihram rather than only during the tawaf
- •A Mutamatti' thinking he owes a separate Tawaf al-Qudum in addition to his Umrah tawaf
Across the madhabs
Divergence on the arrival tawaf itself. Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali classify Tawaf al-Qudum as a Sunnah with no penalty if omitted. Maliki classify it as obligatory (wajib): deliberate omission by a Mufrid/Qarin who was able to perform it before standing at Arafah requires a dam (blood sacrifice). All four agree it does not apply to a Mutamatti', whose arrival tawaf is the tawaf of his Umrah. Separate sub-point on Idtiba': treated as a recommended sunnah for men by Hanafi/Shafi'i/Hanbali, whereas the Maliki school does not regard idtiba' as a recommended act.
Notes
Ramal and idtiba' attach to whichever tawaf is followed by sa'i; a Mufrid/Qarin who does not make sa'i immediately after the arrival tawaf may perform ramal/idtiba' instead in the later tawaf that precedes his sa'i. The istilam of the corners, dhikr and du'a are the same as in any tawaf, and the two rak'ahs of tawaf follow the arrival tawaf as they follow any tawaf.