What is The Farewell Tawaf in Hajj – Tawal Al Wida

If the pilgrim leaves Mina and it is easy for him to pass the night at Al Muhassab and then depart, it is meritorious but not obligatory. It is only an act of emulating the Messenger of Allah(PBUH). But observing this may not be accessible due to the widespread crowdedness of buildings.

When the pilgrim is ready to leave Makkah, he should not leave until he has performed the farewell Tawaf. This is due to the narration of Ibn Abbas.

“The people were commanded (by the Holy Prophet) to perform the last circumambulation around the House, but menstruating women were exempted.” [Al Bukhari and Muslim]

Suppose a pilgrim stays back after performing the farewell Tawaf due to some business transactions or any other purpose. In that case, he will have to repeat the Tawaf whenever he is ready to leave unless he wants to purchase some needs for himself or his family for the journey or enter a house to take his belongings or put them together with other things that indicate readiness for departure. If a pilgrim leaves Makkah without performing the farewell Tawaf, he must come back to perform it if he has not gone far or if it is still possible for him to come back and he has no fear concerning his life or properties or missing his company or a flight. If he cannot return to perform the farewell, he must make expiation for abandoning an obligatory act of Hajj. However, the woman in the menstrual or postnatal period is exempted from performing the farewell Tawaf.

Pilgrims circle the Kaaba in Masjid al-Haram

If the pilgrim delays tawaful- Ifadah till when he is ready to leave Makkah, it suffices to farewell Tawaf. But if by that Tawaf, he intends the farewell Tawaf then it does not cover TawafulIfadah. However, the best thing is to perform TawafulIFadah at its time and farewell Tawaf separately when the pilgrim is about to leave Makkah.

After performing the farewell Tawaf if it is easily possible for the pilgrim to stand at Al- Multazam (the space between the corner in which the Black stone is located and the door of the Kabah), it is desirable while standing at Al – Multazam the pilgrim touches the wall with his chest face arms and stretches out palms He makes supplication such as follows:

“Allah! I am your slave, son of Your male slave and female slave. You brought me here on the back of your creature that you made subservient to me, and you made it easy for me to travel in your land until you brought me through your favor to your House and helped me complete my Hajj rites. If you are pleased with me, increase me in that pleasure and if you are not, bestow your pleasure on me before I depart from your house. It is time for me to leave if you permit me to leave. But I am not leaving in search of any alternative to You or your House. Allah, grant me health in my body, protect me in my religion, bless me with obedience to you as long as you keep me alive, and combine the goodness of this world and that of the Hereafter. Indeed you have power over all things.”

He asks Allah for whatever he wants and invokes blessings upon the prophet (PBUH). He then goes to the place of Zamzam water and drinks from it one last time before departing.

The woman in the menstrual or postnatal period stands outside the mosque.

This is due to the narration:

“ I do not permit a menstruating woman or a person who has engaged in sexual intercourse ( and has not taken a bath) to be in the mosque.”

She only stays outside the mosque and makes the above supplication. According to the authentic report recorded by Al-Bukhari and Muslims, the mother of the faithful Safiyyah saw her menses before performing the farewell tawaf while she was with the messenger of Allah (PBUH) during the farewell pilgrimage. The prophet (PBUH) inquired, “Is she going to delay us?” He was told, “ She has already done TawafulIFadah.” She was exempted. This is the actual proof of exemption of a woman in the menstrual or postnatal period from performing farewell Tawaf.

Mina to throw pebbles at the Jamarat and then depart from there. This is due to the prophet’s injunction.

“None amongst you should depart until his last action is circumambulation around the House.”

If the pilgrim has not left Mina before the sun sets on the 12th day of Dhul- Hijjah, then he must pass the additional night there and throw the pebbles on the following day. He can then make his farewell circumambulation.

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