while you are intoxicated, until you know what you are saying, nor in a state of major ritual impurity—except when passing through—until you have bathed.”

It is also established that ritual purification is not obligatory for anything other than prayer. This is based on the report in Sahīh Muslim narrated by Ibn Jurayj:

“Sa‘īd ibn al-Hārith narrated to us from Ibn ‘Abbās that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, relieved himself, after which food was brought to him, and he ate without touching water.”

Ibn Jurayj said: “ ‘Amr ibn Dīnār further related to me, from Sa‘īd ibn al-Hārith, that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was told: ‘You have not performed ablution.’ He replied: ‘I did not intend to pray, so why would I perform ablution?’ ”

‘Amr said: “I heard this from Sa‘īd ibn al-Hārith.”

Those who require ablution for circumambulation have no evidence whatsoever. No one has transmitted from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, through either an authentic or a weak chain of transmission, that he commanded ablution for circumambulation. Yet it is known that immense numbers of people performed Hajj with him, and that he performed the lesser pilgrimage several times, with people accompanying him. Had ablution been obligatory for circumambulation, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would have made this clear to everyone. Had he done so, the Muslims would have transmitted it from him and would not have neglected it.

It is, however, established in an authentic report that he performed ablution when he was going to circumambulate. This alone does not establish an obligation, for he used to perform ablution for every prayer. He also said: “I disliked mentioning Allah unless I was in a state of purity,” and he would perform dry ablution to return a greeting.