by those who had entered ihram for ‘umrah, around the House and between al-Safā and al-Marwah. They then left ihram and performed another circumambulation for their Hajj after returning from Minā. As for those who combined Hajj and ‘umrah, they performed only (1) one circumambulation.” Ahmad therefore understood ‘Ā’ishah’s statement to mean that their circumambulation for Hajj was the arrival circumambulation. He said (2): Moreover, the arrival circumambulation is established as prescribed, so the circumambulation of visitation does not dispense with it, just as the prayer of greeting the mosque is offered upon entering, before beginning the obligatory prayer.

Al-Khiraqī said in his Mukhtasar (Compendium) (3): If he is performing tamattu‘, he circumambulates the House seven times and traverses the distance between al-Safā and al-Marwah seven times, as he did for ‘umrah. He then returns to circumambulate the House, intending the circumambulation of visitation. This is what is meant by His words, mighty and majestic is He:

“And let them circumambulate the Ancient House.” [al-Hajj: 29]

Those who hold that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, performed tamattu‘—such as al-Qādī and his companions—maintain that this (4) is what he did. Shaykh Abū Muhammad, however, holds that he performed tamattu‘ in its specific sense, but did not do this. He said (5): I know of no one who agreed with Abū ‘Abd Allāh concerning this circumambulation mentioned by al-Khiraqī. Rather, what is prescribed is a single circumambulation of visitation, just as someone who enters the mosque when the call to commence the prayer has already been given finds (6) that prayer sufficient in place of the prayer of greeting the mosque. Furthermore, this additional circumambulation was not reported from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, or from his companions who performed tamattu‘ with him during the Farewell Pilgrimage, nor did the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, instruct anyone to perform it.