and other circumambulation with regard to ritual purity, enjoining it for circumambulation and all the other pilgrimage rites, this indicated that he did not consider ritual purity a condition of validity. Here, therefore, he stated unequivocally that nothing is required of someone who forgets.

He also said, as reported by Abū Tālib:

“If someone circumambulates the House without ritual purity, he should perform ablution and repeat the circumambulation. If he circumambulates in a state of major ritual impurity, he should take a full ritual bath and repeat the circumambulation.”

As reported by Abū Dāwūd, he said:

“Sufyān narrated to us, from Ibn Jurayj, from ‘Atā’: ‘If someone circumambulates without ablution, let him repeat his circumambulation.’”

Abū Bakr ‘Abd al-‘Azīz said:

“Chapter on Circumambulation in a Ritually Impure Garment. Abū ‘Abd Allāh said, as reported by Abū Tālib: ‘If a man circumambulates in a ritually impure garment, al-Hasan used to dislike this. He should not circumambulate except in a ritually pure garment.’”

These words of Ahmad show that, in his view, circumambulation does not have the same conditions of validity as prayer. For the most he said about circumambulating in a ritually impure garment was that al-Hasan disliked it, and that one should not circumambulate except in a ritually pure garment. Such wording is also used for something strongly recommended. This differs from ritual purity in prayer. The position of Abū Hanīfah and others is that if someone circumambulates with ritual impurity on him, his circumambulation is valid and nothing is required of him.

In sum, are the conditions of validity for prayer also required for circumambulation? There are two opinions within Ahmad’s school and among others:

The first is that they are required, as held by Mālik, al-Shāfi‘ī and others.