And this defines the prayer for which ablution has been commanded, as he said, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“The key to prayer is purification; its opening proclamation of Allah’s greatness renders other actions forbidden, and its closing salutation renders them lawful again.”

Circumambulation has no such opening or release. Although one proclaims Allah’s greatness at its beginning, this is like doing so on al-Safā and al-Marwah or when stoning the pillars: it does not render other actions forbidden. Hence one proclaims Allah’s greatness whenever one comes level with the Corner. Prayer, however, has an opening that renders other actions forbidden, because its opening proclamation makes speech, eating, laughing, drinking and other previously lawful actions forbidden to the worshipper. Circumambulation makes nothing forbidden. Rather, everything permissible in the mosque before circumambulation remains permissible during it, although such things may be disliked because they distract from the purpose of circumambulation, just as they are disliked at ‘Arafah and when stoning the pillars. No disagreement is known among the scholars [concerning] (1) the fact that circumambulation is not invalidated by speaking, eating, drinking or laughing aloud, just as these do not invalidate the other rites of Hajj or devotional retreat in the mosque.

Purity from ritual impurity is recommended for devotional retreat, but is not obligatory. Thus, if someone observing retreat sits in the mosque in a state of minor ritual impurity, this is not forbidden. This differs from being in a state of major ritual impurity following sexual activity or menstruating: the majority prohibit remaining in retreat in these circumstances because they prohibit such people from remaining in the mosque, not because this invalidates the retreat itself. Hence, when someone observing retreat leaves to perform the ritual bath, the rules of retreat continue to apply while outside, so intimacy with women remains forbidden even outside the mosque. Those who permit such a person to remain in the mosque after performing ablution also permit someone observing retreat to perform ablution