The Umrah is a sort of Islamic pilgrimage to mecca that involves the circumambulating (Tawaf) of the Kabah. One has to do Tawaf around the Kaabah 7 times in the clockwise direction to perform the right Umrah. There are 7 types of Tawaf as mentioned by the authentic sources and are verified by almost all the scholars. This Umrah Guide will help you know the types of Tawaf and the different instructions applied to them.

Among the many types of Tawaf, the most renowned are:

Tawaf-ul-Qudoom:-

Known as the welcome Tawaf; Tawaf-ul-Qudoom is a type of Tawaf that is performed by an individual when he arrives in the mecca for Hajj, Umrah, or any business matters.

If a person is Afaaqi (the one who lives outside of Mecca) and has performed Hajj Ifrad or Hajj Qiran, then this Tawaf will be the Sunnah. However, if he has come to perform Hajj Tammatu or Umrah, then it is not Sunnah for him to do Tawaf-ul-Qudoom. This case is applied for the non-residents of Mecca, as with the residents, the case is different.

Tawaf Al Wada

Tawaf Al Wada is also known as the farewell tawaf and is performed at the end of Hajj. It is the final virtue of Hajj and is Wajib.

According to Tawaf Al Wada or the farewell tawaf, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is reported to have said:

“Let none of you leave Mecca before making a Tawaf around the Ka’abah, as the last of Hajj rites”

Note: – The one who is just doing Umrah is not supposed to do the farewell tawaf. To be precise, it is only obligatory for those who have come on Hajj to the house of Allah.

Tawaf Al Ifada

The Tawaf Al Ifada is mandatory for all those who have come on to the house of Allah for Hajj. No Hajj can be performed without Tawaf Al Ifada and it can be performed between the dawn of 10^th Zil haj to 12^th Zil haj.

It is also known as Tawal-ul-Rukn and Tawaf-ul-Hajj.

Tawaf-ul-Tahiya

It is mustahib and is performed when a person enters Haram. In this particular Tawaf, a person is supposed to offer two units behind Maqam-e-Ibrahim (if possible). Otherwise, the 2 Rakaats can be performed anywhere.

Tawaf Al Umrah

It is an integral part of Umrah and is obligatory on those who have come solely for Umrah.

Tawaf-ul-Nafl

It is not Farz or Sunnah and neither Wajib. This type of Tawaf can be done at any time of the day to earn more reward. While Nafl has its own reward in the sight of Allah, but no penalty or sin will be imposed on the one who doesn’t offer Tawaf-ul-Nafl.  If you are in Mecca, it’s better to do Tawaf-ul-Nafl to earn some extra reward.

From the above topic, one should know the wisdom behind circumambulating the Kabah 7 times. It reminds us of the idea of our lives that it should be spent in thinking and remembrance of Allah. Since the Kabah is the center and our Qibla for prayers, the Tawaf strengthen our spirituality focus towards God. Moreover, it also develops a deep connection with the tradition of Prophet Ibrahim who was a strong believer of monotheism.

When going to perform Umrah, it is indeed essential to know the different types of Tawaf and the methods to perform them. One should know the difference between a welcome Tawaf and Farewell Tawaf, and between Farz Tawaf and Wajib tawaf. The sequence of prayers between Tawaf and the rules for the residents of mecca and for the non-residents; these all are basics of Islamic knowledge that we should acquire them. Regarding the Tawaf, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:“Whoever circles the Kaaba seven times and prays two cycles will be rewarded as if he has freed a slave. A man does not raise his foot and bring it back down but that ten good deeds will be written for him, ten bad deeds will be erased, and he will be raised by ten degrees.”