Does a Hotel Stay After Tawaf al-Wada Invalidate It?

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick

Question

Is my Tawaf al-Wada valid if I performed it after Asr and stayed in the hotel until departing the next morning without returning to the Haram? Do I need to offer an expiation if it is invalid?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

In the Shafi‘i School, the relied-upon view is that Tawaf al-Wada is obligatory (wajib). However, there is an alternative view which regards it as a Sunna (recommended act), and this is considered the weaker position within the school, though still valid.

As for the specific situation you mentioned, a prolonged non-essential stay after performing Tawaf al-Wada would invalidate the tawaf according to the strict view. According to this view, you must return to Mecca and perform the tawaf again, provided you are within 81 km (50 miles) of the city. You would not be obligated to return if you are farther than this distance (which is likely the case). Still, you would need to offer an expiation dum (slaughter an animal – and distribute in the Sacred Lands), as an expiation for not performing the farewell tawaf properly. [Misri, ‘Umdat al-Salik]

Given the retrospective nature of your question, it would be advisable to adopt the weaker view, which regards Tawaf al-Wada as Sunna rather than obligatory. This aligns with the principle of “adopting the easier view”, which is employed in cases where adhering to the stricter opinion would cause unnecessary hardship or difficulty, especially in retrospective cases. This principle makes Islamic law more accessible and practical for individuals, especially when there is room for differing interpretations or opinions.

Thus, based on this principle, you can follow the weaker view that Tawaf al-Wada is Sunna, and as long as you performed it and had no other significant lapse, you would not need to return to Mecca or offer an expiation.

And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

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), where he taught.

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 Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.

Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town. 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.