between the two corners by saying (1): “Our Lord, grant us good in this world, and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire” (2). He would conclude all his other supplications (3) with these same words, and by consensus of the imams no specific remembrance is obligatory here.
The circumambulation of the House is like prayer, except that Allah has permitted speech during it; therefore, whoever speaks while performing tawaf should utter nothing but good. For this reason the pilgrim is instructed to be in a state of both minor and major purification (4), to cover his private parts, to avoid any impurity that the one who prays must avoid, and for the place of tawaf itself to be clean (5). Nevertheless (6), whether purification is obligatory for tawaf is a matter of scholarly disagreement (7), for no one has reported
(1) In copy B the wording appears as: “bi-qawl” (“by saying”).
(2) Reported by Ahmad (15 399) and Abu Dawud (1 892) from Abd Allah b. al-Saib, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah say between the two corners: “Rabbana atina fi l-dunya hasanah, wa fi l-akhirati hasanah, wa qina adhaba n-nar” (“Our Lord, grant us good in this world, good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire”). Al-Albani graded the hadith sound (hasan).
(3) In copies C and D the reading is: “duʿaʾihi” (“his supplication”).
(4) The phrase “al-sughra wa-l-kubra” (“the minor and the major”) is missing from copies A and B.
(5) Copy C adds: “wa-l-taʾif tahiran” (“and the circumambulator in a state of purity”).
(6) The word “lakin” (“however”) is absent from copy D.
(7) The Hanafis—together with one narration from Imam Ahmad—do not consider ritual purification a condition for tawaf; if one performs tawaf while in a state of minor impurity, a compensatory sacrifice is due. The Hanafis specify that a woman who circumambulates in minor impurity owes a sheep, and in major impurity a camel. The Malikis, Shafiʿis and the majority of Hanbalis require purification. A second view, also attributed to Ahmad and favored by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya, regards purification as recommended (sunnah). See: al-Mabsut …