so no distinction is made between them in this respect. Yet when Shaykh Abū Muhammad read her statement concerning those performing tamattu‘, “They performed another circumambulation after returning from Minā,” he said: “There is nothing here to indicate that they performed two circumambulations.” What he said is correct, but it did not resolve the difficulty. Some therefore said: “This addition consists of words spoken by ‘Urwah or his son Hishām that were inserted into the hadith.” This, however, is not established. Even if it were so, the report would at most have an interrupted chain, and that interruption would not resolve the difficulty.
The correct understanding is that the rite ‘Ā’ishah described, distinguishing those performing tamattu‘ from those combining Hajj and ‘umrah, was the walking between al-Safā and al-Marwah, not circumambulation of the House. This resolves the difficulty entirely. She reported that those combining Hajj and ‘umrah were content to perform that rite once, without performing it again on the Day of Sacrifice. This is indeed correct. She also reported that those performing tamattu‘ performed it again for Hajj after returning from Minā, their first performance having been for ‘umrah. This is the position of the majority of scholars. Understanding the hadith in this way accords with her other hadith, in which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
“Your circumambulation of the House and your walking between al-Safā and al-Marwah suffice for both your Hajj and your ‘umrah.”
She was combining Hajj and ‘umrah, and this interpretation also accords with the majority’s position.
However, a difficulty arises from the hadith of Jābir recorded by Muslim in his Sahīh (1):
“Neither the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, nor his Companions performed the rite of walking between al-Safā and al-Marwah more than once—the initial performance.”
This accords with the view that performing this rite once suffices for someone performing tamattu‘. This is one of the two positions reported from Ahmad, which he explicitly affirmed in the report (2) transmitted by his son ‘Abd Allāh (3) and others (4).