standing (1). Some said that this abrogated his prohibition against drinking while standing. Others said that he was demonstrating that the prohibition expressed a preference, and that drinking while standing meant forgoing the better course. Still others said that he did so out of necessity; this is the most apparent explanation.

Was he riding or walking during this circumambulation? Muslim narrated in his Sahīh (2) that Jābir said: “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, circumambulated the House during the Farewell Pilgrimage on his mount, touching the Stone (3) with his hooked staff so that people could see him, so that he would be above them, and so that they could ask him questions, for the people had crowded around him.”

In the two Sahīh collections (4), Ibn ‘Abbās said: “The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, circumambulated during the Farewell Pilgrimage on a camel, touching the Corner with a hooked staff.”

This was not the farewell circumambulation, since that took place at night. Nor was it the arrival circumambulation, for two reasons:

First, it is authentically established that he strode briskly during the arrival circumambulation. No one ever said that his mount strode briskly with him; rather, they said that he himself strode briskly (5).

Second, ‘Amr ibn al-Sharīd (6) said: “I departed with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and never did