The evidence for this is as follows:
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It is established that, when the Prophet ﷺ wished to circumambulate, he performed ablution and then circumambulated (1).
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The hadith concerning Safiyyah: when he was told, “Safiyyah has begun menstruating,” and he thought that she had not performed the circumambulation of ifādah (the principal Hajj circumambulation), he said, “Will she detain us?” (2).
It is well known that a menstruating woman is not in a state of ritual purity.
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The hadith of Aishah, in which the Prophet ﷺ said to her when she began menstruating: “Do what the pilgrim does, except do not circumambulate the House” (3).
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His ﷺ statement: “Circumambulation of the House is prayer, except that Allah has permitted speech during it; so do not speak therein except of what is good” (4)..
(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari, Book of Hajj, chapter: Whoever circumambulates the House upon arriving in Mecca, nos. 1614-1615; and Muslim, Book of Hajj, chapter: Whoever circumambulates the House and performs sa'i must remain in ihram and refrain from exiting it, no. 1235, from the hadith of Aisha.
(2)
(3)
(4) Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, Book of Hajj, chapter: What has been reported concerning speaking during tawaf, no. 960; Ibn Khuzaymah, no. 2739; Ibn Hibban, no. 3836; and others, from Ibn Abbas, both as a Companion statement and as a Prophetic report.
Al-Nasai, al-Bayhaqi, Ibn al-Salah, al-Mundhiri, and al-Nawawi considered the Companion-statement version stronger. Ibn al-Sakan, Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Hibban, al-Hakim, and Ibn Hajar considered the Prophetic-report version stronger. See: al-Talkhis al-Habir, no. 174; Muwafaqat al-Khubr al-Khabar, 2:131.