Farewell Tawaf Before the Fajr Prayer When Departing from Makkah

Question : A questioner says: If I want to travel from Makkah immediately after the Fajr prayer, is it permissible for me to perform the Farewell Tawaf before the Fajr prayer? I ask for clarification on what is preferable.

Answer : If a person wants to leave Makkah immediately after the prayer, and he performed the Tawaf immediately before the prayer, there is no harm in that. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he turned back from Hajj and performed the Farewell Tawaf around the House, prayed Fajr in the Sacred Mosque, and then mounted his mount. This indicates that the interposition of the prayer between a person’s departure and the Farewell Tawaf has no effect, or rather, it does not have an effect, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did so. However, if he performed the Tawaf early in the last part of the night and remained after the Tawaf for an hour or half an hour, and then the Adhan was called and he prayed Fajr, he must repeat the Tawaf. This is because the Tawaf must be the last thing one does, except if an obligatory prayer, or the purchase of something he needs on his way, or stopping by the house of a relative or friend, or having lunch or dinner, or walking, intervenes; none of these cause harm.