used to prostrate with him, and this was widespread among the Companions. Since none of them is known to have required ritual purity for the prostration of recitation, and Ibn ‘Umar—one of their most knowledgeable, most learned in religious law, and most faithful in following the Sunnah—lived on into later times and would perform this prostration without ritual purity, this shows that they did not know ritual purity to be obligatory for it. Had the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, made it obligatory, this would have been as widely known among them as the obligation of ritual purity for prayer and the funeral prayer. Ibn ‘Umar was not aware that any other Companion required ritual purity for it. Nevertheless, performing this prostration in a state of ritual purity is preferable, by agreement of the Muslims.

It may be said that performing it without ritual purity is disliked when one is able to purify oneself. For when someone greeted the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, he did not return the greeting until he had performed dry ablution, saying, “I disliked mentioning Allah except in a state of purity.” Prostration warrants this even more than returning a greeting. However, to claim that someone who recites while in a state of ritual impurity is forbidden to prostrate, and may not prostrate to Allah without first attaining ritual purity, is a position for which there is no evidence.

What has been mentioned also indicates that circumambulation is not a form of prayer. Further evidence is that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“No prayer is valid in which the Opening Chapter is not recited.”

The Opening Chapter is not recited during circumambulation or prostration. He also said, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“Allah introduces whatever commands He wills, and among the commands He has introduced is that you must not speak during prayer.”

Yet speaking is permissible during circumambulation.