Tawaf (طواف) is one of the Islamic rituals of pilgrimage. During the Hajj and Umrah, Muslims are to circumambulate the Kaaba (most sacred site in Islam) seven times, in a counterclockwise direction.[1] The circling is believed to demonstrate the unity of the believers in the worship of the One God, as they move in harmony together around the Kaaba, while supplicating to Allah.
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The circle begins from the Black Stone(Hajre-Aswad) on the corner of the Ka-bah. If possible, Muslims are to kiss or touch it, but this is often not possible because of the large crowds, so it is acceptable for them to simply point or hold up their hand to the Stone on each circuit. They are also to make the Takbeer prayer (Allahu Akbar) each time they approach.
For men, it is recommended to make the first three circuits at a hurried pace, followed by four times, more closely, at a leisurely pace.
At the end of the circling, Muslims go to the Station of Ibrahim to pray two NAF'L prayerrak'ahs, and then drink water from the sacred Well of Zamzam, before proceeding to the next ritual of the Hajj, the S'ay.
Muslims are generally advised to "Make Tawaf" at least twice—once as part of the Hajj, and again as their final activity before leaving Mecca.[2]
There are several types of tawaf that can be performed:
Attempts have been made to establish a connection between the act of tawaf and orbiting motions of heavenly bodies. It has been proposed, for example, that the act of tawaf closely resembles the shape of a galaxy when viewed from above (Muhammad Eusha, "Scientific Significance of Circling the Kaba", The Daily Sun, 11th February)[3]. But this view has not been verified by qualified ulama.