Meaning of Tawaf
Linguistically, the word is derived from the Arabic verb “taafa” (Arabic: طاف), which means “to walk around” or “to encircle something”. Its technical meaning is to perform seven anti-clockwise circuits of the Kaaba. One complete circuit of the Kaaba is known as a “shawt” (Arabic: شوط).
Virtues of Tawaf
Abdullah ibn Abbas I narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said:
120 mercies descend daily upon the House of Allah, 60 of which are for those who are performing Tawaf, 40 for those who are performing salah, and 20 for those who gaze at the House of Allah.1
Abdullah ibn Umar I narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:
Whoever circles the Kaaba seven times (Tawaf) and prays two rak’ahs will have a reward as if he has freed a slave. A man does not raise his foot and bring it back down except that ten good deeds will be written for him, ten bad deeds will be erased, and he will be raised by ten degrees.2
Abdullah ibn Abbas I narrates:
Whomsoever makes 50 Tawafs of the Kaaba (ie. fifty by seven rounds), will be free of all his sins, just as the day his mother gave birth to him.3
Significance of Tawaf
The Tawaf is an act of devotion intended to spiritually bring the pilgrim closer to Allah. It is the only principal rite of Hajj and Umrah not associated directly with acts of worship performed by the Prophet Ibrahim S in ancient times. There are several interpretations that attempt to establish the significance of Tawaf:
Al-Bayt al-Ma’mur
One such interpretation is that when pilgrims perform Tawaf around the Kaaba, they are doing so in tandem with the angels that circumambulate al-Bayt al-Ma’mur (the Frequented House) in the celestial realm. Allah says:
وَالطُّورِ ❁ وَكِتَابٍ مَّسْطُورٍ ❁ فِي رَقٍّ مَّنشُورٍ ❁ وَالْبَيْتِ الْمَعْمُورِ ❁
By the mount. And [by] a Book inscribed. In parchment, spread open. And [by] the frequented House.
[Surah at-Tur, 52:1-4]
Ibn Kathir V writes the following regarding al-Bayt al-Ma’mur in his Tafsir:
In the two Sahihs it is confirmed that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said in the Hadith about al-Isra, after ascending to the seventh heaven: ‘Then, I was taken to al-Bayt al-Ma’mur. It is visited every day by seventy thousand angels who will not come back to visit it again.’ The angels worship Allah in Al-Bayt Al-Ma’mur and perform Tawaf around it just as the people of the earth perform Tawaf around the Kaaba. Al-Bayt al-Ma’mur is the Kaaba of those who reside in the seventh heaven. During the Isra journey, the Prophet ﷺ saw Ibrahim S, who was reclining with his back on al-Bayt al-Ma’mur. It was Ibrahim who built the Kaaba on earth, and surely, the reward is compatible with the action. Al-Bayt al-Ma’mur is parallel to the Kaaba; every heaven has its own house of worship, which is also the direction of prayer for its residents. The house that is located in the lower heaven, is called Bayt al-Izzah. And Allah knows best.
Cosmologically, the Kaaba is regarded as a reflection of al-Bayt al-Ma’mur in the seventh heaven, and the pilgrims’ Tawaf reflects that of the angels.
This was the first Umrah for me, my wife and father. We went with a lot of prayers and hopes. Brother Ahmed and Sheikh Omar took very good care of us and were there every step of the way and we Inshallah had a very good Umrah and the best time ever of any trip so far! The learning was excellent! The price was right.