That is why Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, did not mention this in his account of the Prophet’s Hajj.

It says in al-Rawd: “O Allah, You are Peace, and from You comes peace. Grant us life, our Lord, in peace. O Allah, increase this House in veneration, honour, dignity, awe, and righteousness … and so on.”

If these hadiths are authentic, then they should be acted upon. If they are not authentic, however, then it is not permissible to act upon a weak report, because acting upon a weak report amounts to establishing a sunnah without sound evidence.

If we hold that these hadiths are not authentic and that no practice is established on their basis, then he enters the mosque as he would enter any other mosque: he steps forward with his right foot and says, “In the name of Allah. O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad. O Allah, open for me the gates of Your mercy.” He then proceeds to the Black Stone and circumambulates the Kaaba.

His statement, “Then he circumambulates in the state of idtiba,” means that idtiba consists of placing the middle of one’s upper garment beneath one’s right shoulder and laying its two ends over one’s left shoulder.

The wisdom behind this is to follow the example of the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, (1) and to display strength and vigour, since it makes a person more active than if he were to cover and wrap himself in his garment.

Then he circumambulates in the state of idtiba. The pilgrim performing ‘umrah begins with the circumambulation of ‘umrah, while the pilgrim combining Hajj and ‘umrah, and the pilgrim performing Hajj alone, begin with the arrival circumambulation.

His statement, “Then he circumambulates in the state of idtiba,” indicates that idtiba should not be done