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The term ‘Tawaf’ is derived from the Arabic verb ‘Taafa’, which means ‘to encircle something’ or ‘to walk around something’. In the Islamic context, Tawaf refers to taking rounds or encircling the Holy Ka’abah seven times in an anti-clockwise direction as part of Umrah or Hajj, starting from Hajr-al-Aswad (the black stone). It’s among the most significant obligations of both Hajj and Umrah, without which the greater and minor pilgrimage would be incomplete. When performing Tawaf, pilgrims recite Takbir and various other supplications based on the Sunnah of the Prophet SAW.

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- A practice of worship/an act of devotion that brings the pilgrim closer to Allah.
- Al-Bayt Al-Ma'mur: pilgrims perform Tawaf in tandem with the angels that circumambulate Al-Bayt Al-Ma’mur or ‘the Flourishing House’, the heavenly counterpart of the Holy Ka’abah, all the time. This means that the angels perform Tawaf around Al-Bayt Al-Ma’mur to worship Allah just as Muslims perform Tawaf around the Holy Kaaba in Masjidil Haram.
- The Circular Motion of the Universe: the act of Tawaf is also a reflection of the orbiting motions of the heavenly bodies of this universe.

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Tawaf is an act of worship and regardless of the type of worship we perform, we do not ask why there are to be performed in a certain fashion. We simply perform them because God commanded us and in a way prescribed and taught by the Holy Prophet SAW.

We believe that Allah Ta’ala possesses infinite wisdom, which is why He never orders anything unwise, but we don’t necessarily need to know the science behind every command.

The purpose of Tawaf is to represent the notion that our lives should revolve around remembering and staying obedient to Allah Ta’ala. By performing Tawaf, we reinforce the centrality of the spiritual focus that we face while performing the daily prayers.

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To sum it up, Tawaf is a mandatory step in Umrah and certain types of Hajj. It basically refers to the act of circumambulating the Holy Ka’abah in Masjid al-Haram in reverence to God. The importance of Tawaf can be judged by the fact that it connects you with Allah, reflects every orbiting matter in this universe, forms a necessary step in greater and lesser pilgrimage, and more.

Performing Tawaf is not complicated, but make sure you are aware of the prerequisites such as Ihram in certain types of Tawaf, purity requirements, and the dos and don’ts of performing the ritual. Also, there are five different types of Tawafs.

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1. Tawaf Al-Qudum
- Tawaf Al-Qudum is the initial, greeting Tawaf performed by any Muslim who decides to perform Hajj Al Qiraan or Hajj Al-Ifraad.

2. Tawaf Al-Umrah
- This type of Tawaf is carried out by those heading to perform Hajj Al-Tamattu or a standalone Umrah outside of the Hajj Season.

3. Tawaf Al-Ziyarah
- Also known as Tawaf-al Ifadah, Tawaf-al Ziyarah is performed on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah by Hajj pilgrims, prior to returning to Mina to carry out Rami Al-Jamarat (Stoning the satan).

4. Tawaf Al-Widah
- Tawaf al-Widah is performed by Qiraan, Ifrad, and Tamattu Hajj pilgrims right before leaving Makkah after the completion of their Hajj.

5. Nafl Tawaf
- Like Nafl Salah, this type of Tawaf is a voluntary tawaf that anyone can perform as many times as they like, any time.