The ruling on the farewell tawaf for one who leaves Makkah and returns on the same day

The questioner : A group of questions says: If a person performing 'Umrah wants to go out to Jeddah to meet his colleagues at the airport, is he required to perform the farewell tawaf when he leaves Makkah? Given that he will return after a few hours on the same day. And does the farewell tawaf require two rak'ahs to be prayed after it?

The Shaykh : Yes. As for the first part of the question, he is not required to perform the farewell tawaf because the man has gone out and will return. Therefore, when the Companions went out to Mina during Hajj, they did not perform the farewell tawaf, even though they went out to the non-sacred area, since 'Arafah is part of the non-sacred area. So if a person leaves Makkah and intends to return, he is not required to perform the farewell tawaf.
As for the second part, which is praying two rak'ahs after the farewell tawaf, the scholars say that every tawaf is prescribed with two rak'ahs as a recommended practice (sunnah). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he performed the farewell tawaf during his Hajj, prayed the Fajr prayer after it and then bowed. Therefore, if a person limits himself to praying an obligatory prayer after the tawaf, it suffices for him; it suffices in place of the two rak'ahs, because the intention is to follow the tawaf with a prayer.