Can a Hajj Tamattu‘ Pilgrim Perform The Arrival Tawaf After Completing Umra?
Shafi'i Fiqh
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
Can a Hajj Tamattu‘ pilgrim who has completed Umra and exited ihram perform the Tawaf of Arrival (Tawaf al-Qudum) upon entering the Sacred Mosque during the period before Hajj begins?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
The Hajj preceded by Umra (Hajj Tamattu‘) has no Arrival Tawaf (Tawaf al-Qudum) in the ritual sense applicable to Hajj. That tawaf belongs exclusively to the pilgrim performing the Ifrad (Hajj alone) or Qiran (Hajj & Umra simultaneously) Hajj formats. Any tawaf performed by the Tamattu‘ pilgrim in the interim period between Umra and Hajj is valid and recommended as the greeting of the House for pilgrims not in the Ihram state.
The Arrival Tawaf (Tawaf al-Qudum)
Tawaf al-Qudum is a confirmed sunna for the pilgrim who arrives at Mecca. It is recommended to begin with it upon first entering the Sacred Mosque (Masjid al-Haram), before anything else. Its basis is the Prophetic practice established in the hadith collections of Imams Bukhari and Muslim. Its underlying rationale is that tawaf is the greeting of the Ka‘ba itself, not merely of the mosque. [Shirbini, Mughni al-Muhtaj]
Who Performs The Arrival Tawaf?
Tawaf al-Qudum, as it applies to the pilgrim in Ihram (muhrim), is specific to a pilgrim who arrives in Mecca before ‘Arafa (Wuquf) while in an unbroken state of Hajj ihram from the Ihram border (miqat). That means the mufrid (Hajj alone) and the qarin (Hajj & Umra simultaneously). Their arrival at the Haram is precisely the occasion that gives rise to this tawaf. [Shirbini, Mughni al-Muhtaj]
The mutamatti (Hajj preceded by Umra) is not in this category. After completing Umra, they exit ihram and reside in Mecca in a non-Ihram (halal) state. When they re-enter ihram on the 8th of Dhu al-Hijja, they do so from within Mecca, not from outside it. The occasion of arrival that Tawaf al-Qudum is tied to has not arisen for them in the context of Hajj.
What Tawaf Can the Tamattu‘ Pilgrim Perform?
The recommendation of Tawaf al-Qudum is not confined to the pilgrim in Ihram (muhrim). The person who is in a non-Ihram (halal) state is also recommended to perform it upon entering Mecca. [Shirbini, Mughni al-Muhtaj]
In the interval between Umra and Hajj, the Tamattu‘ (Hajj preceded by Umra) pilgrim is in a non-Ihram (halal) state. Any tawaf they perform upon entering the Sacred Mosque is valid and recommended as the tawaf of arrival for the non-muhrim. It carries no Hajj ritual designation, but it is a sunna act of greeting the Ka‘ba, and fully rewarded as such.
When Does Tawaf al-Qudum Expire?
For those who must do it, Tawaf al-Qudum ends at Wuquf at ‘Arafa. It can be delayed until then without being missed, and leaving Mecca before that does not make it expire. [Shirbini, Mughni al-Muhtaj]
Allah (Most High) says: “And proclaim the Hajj to the people; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass.” [Quran 22:27]
Why the Tamattu‘ Pilgrim Has No Arrival Tawaf?
The governing principle here is that ritual acts of worship are defined by the conditions that give rise to them. Tawaf al-Qudum arises from arriving in Mecca in a continuous state of Hajj ihram. The Tamattu pilgrim does not meet this condition.
Practically, if you are performing Hajj Tamattu‘ and wish to perform tawaf between Umra and Hajj, do so with the intention of greeting the House as a halal person. It is a recommended and rewarding act. Do not designate it as Tawaf al-Qudum for Hajj, as that designation does not apply to your situation.
And Allah (Most High) knows best.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
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Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), who taught there.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Center and, for 6 years, the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen in Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has 15 years of teaching experience at some of Cape Town’s leading Islamic institutes. He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.
