Mistakes Made During the Farewell Tawaf

The mistakes that are made during the Farewell Tawaf (Tawaf Al-Wada`) are as follows:

• Failing to make Tawaf the last thing to be done

• Performing the Farewell Tawaf and then staying in Makkah after that

• Walking backwards after performing the Tawaf in order not to turn one’s back on the Ka`bah

• Stopping at the door when leaving the mosque and turning to face the Ka`bah, as if bidding farewell to it

The late Sheikh Ibn `Uthaymeen, a prominent Saudi Muslim scholar, (may Allah shower mercy on his soul), stated that: It is reported that Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The people were commanded that the last thing they should do in Makkah was to circumambulate the Ka`bah, but an exception was made for menstruating women” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

So Tawaf should be the last action of Hajj that a person does.

People make several mistakes when performing the Farewell Tawaf:

• Some people do not make Tawaf the last thing that they do; rather, they go down to Makkah and perform the Farewell Tawaf when they still have to throw the pebbles, then they go to Mina and throw the pebbles, after which they leave. This is a mistake and does not suffice as the Farewell Tawaf in this case because it is not the last thing that they do in Makkah; rather, the last thing that they do is throwing the pebbles.

• Some people perform the Farewell Tawaf and then afterwards stay in Makkah. This means that their Farewell Tawaf is invalidated, and they must do another one when they leave. But if a person stays in Makkah after doing the Farewell Tawaf in order to buy something or to load his luggage and so on, there is nothing wrong with that.

• Some people, when they perform the Farewell Tawaf and want to leave the Mosque, walk backwards saying that they do not want to turn their backs on the Ka`bah. This is a bid`ah (innovation) that was not done by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) or by any of his Companions. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) venerated Allah and His House, and, if this were indeed an act of veneration towards Allah and His House, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have done it. The sunnah is to leave the mosque walking forwards, even if one turns one’s back towards the Ka`bah in doing so.

• Some people, after performing the Farewell Tawaf, stop at the door when leaving the mosque and turn to face the Ka`bah as if bidding farewell to it, and they make du`aa’ or say salams and so on. This is also a kind of bid`ah because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do that.

Allah Almighty knows best.