The Guardian’s Circumambulation with a Non-Discerning Child

The questioner:
The Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, says: If the guardian enters the state of ihram on behalf of a child who is not yet discerning, and then wishes to perform the tawaf with the child being carried, does this imply that the ruling applies to him? Praise be to Allah.

The Shaykh:
He must perform the tawaf.

The questioner:
He performs it himself.

The Shaykh:
How can he perform it himself when the child is not discerning? He does not speak; he carries him with him. However, some jurists say that he performs the tawaf with the child, intending that it counts for the child, and then returns to perform the tawaf for himself a second time. Other jurists say no; he performs the tawaf once for both himself and the child, because there is no evidence that the one who performs the tawaf must do it twice, once for himself and once for the child. There is no evidence for this, and it involves hardship, especially in our times of severe crowding and danger. Therefore, this is a facilitation for the people: he performs the tawaf once for both himself and the child. That is, it is valid for him to be carried while he walks; this is his tawaf for the child, and this is his tawaf for himself. There is nothing wrong with it. Yes.