except once he begins the circumambulation. He should leave it off when he finishes, and the same applies here. It is astonishing how ignorant many people are today: they wear the upper garment in this manner from the moment they enter the state of ihram until they leave it. This is due to ignorance and to the failure to instruct the general public. Otherwise, if the people were informed of this, they would follow it, for they desire what is good.
His statement, “The person performing ‘umrah begins with the circumambulation of ‘umrah,” includes both one performing an ‘umrah as part of tamattu‘ and one performing a standalone ‘umrah. The latter is one who performs ‘umrah in any month of the year, whereas the former performs ‘umrah during the months of Hajj while intending to perform Hajj in that same year. If he performs ‘umrah during the months of Hajj without intending Hajj, but later decides to perform Hajj, he is not performing tamattu‘; rather, he is performing a standalone ‘umrah.
His statement, “The person performing ‘umrah begins with the circumambulation of ‘umrah,” apparently indicates that he does not pray the greeting of the mosque, and this is indeed the case. Whoever enters the mosque in order to circumambulate, the circumambulation suffices him in place of the greeting of the mosque. But whoever enters it for prayer, remembrance of Allah, recitation, or the like should pray two rak‘ahs, just as he would upon entering any other mosque.
His statement, “And the pilgrim combining Hajj and ‘umrah, and the pilgrim performing Hajj alone, [begin] with the arrival circumambulation,” means that both perform the arrival circumambulation. This circumambulation is not obligatory.
The evidence for this is the hadith of ‘Urwah ibn Mudarris, may Allah be pleased with him: he came to the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, while he was praying Fajr at Muzdalifah, and told him that he had not left a single mountain without standing at it. The Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whoever attends this prayer of ours and stands with us until we depart, having stood before that at ‘Arafah by night or by day, has indeed...”