The ruling on one whose ablution is broken during tawaf
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If one’s ablution is broken during tawaf, what is the ruling?
If the pilgrim’s ablution is broken, it is obligatory for him to leave the tawaf, perform ablution, then return and restart the tawaf from the beginning. This is the position of the majority of scholars, because purity is a condition for tawaf.And the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If one’s ablution is broken while he is performing tawaf, he should continue his tawaf and it is not obligatory for him to perform ablution, because ablution is not a condition for tawaf. What the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said is the correct view, because there is no evidence from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that tawaf requires purity. The most that is in it is that the Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him), when he intended to perform tawaf, performed ablution and then performed tawaf. This is an action, and an action does not indicate obligation.Likewise, in the hadith of A’ishah when she menstruated, he said: (Do what the pilgrims do, except do not perform tawaf around the House) This is because she was menstruating, and menstruation usually defiles the mosque. Also, a menstruating woman does not stay in the mosque, and likewise one in a state of major ritual impurity does not stay in the mosque. Similarly, there is the hadith of Safiyyah that she menstruated after Hajj, so he said: (Is she holding us up?They said: She has already performed the Tawaf of Farewell,He said: Then depart) This is evidence that if she had been menstruating, she would not have performed tawaf.It is said: Menstruation is not the same as minor ritual impurity. If purity had been obligatory for tawaf, the Messenger would have clarified this to the people, because many people might not be in a state of ablution. The default is that it is not obligatory. This is what the Shaykh al-Islam held, and it is the correct view, and it is what we issue as a ruling. However, there is no doubt that it is better, more cautious, and more purifying for the conscience for a person to perform tawaf in a state of purity. But sometimes something happens that a person cannot manage—for example, the extreme crowding days—where it is difficult for him to perform ablution if he breaks his state of purity during tawaf.If we said: Go and perform ablution. He went and performed ablution, then returned. What does he do? Does he restart or build upon what he had already done?Interjection: He restarts.
The Shaykh: Okay, he restarted. Then, during the tawaf, he also broke his state of purity.For example, if there are gases in his stomach, we say: Go and perform ablution, then return and start the tawaf?We said: Yes, he does that. He went, came back, returned, and then broke his state of purity again. And until when? Because performing ablution on days of heavy crowding is very difficult.First: When will a person be able to go out? Then, when he goes out, when will he find a place for ablution that is empty? Then, when he performs ablution and returns, when will he be able to get in? So making this obligatory on Allah’s servants, when there is no clear evidence from the Book and the Sunnah, along with this great hardship, the truth is that a person finds himself uncomfortable making such a thing obligatory on Allah’s servants without clear evidence. Yes, if the matter were easy, like on days other than the peak seasons, he would go out, perform ablution, return, and repeat the tawaf. That is an easy matter.We say: The most cautious thing is that you do this.
In any case: What we see is what the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) saw, which is that ablution is not a condition for tawaf.
If the pilgrim’s ablution is broken, it is obligatory for him to leave the tawaf, perform ablution, then return and restart the tawaf from the beginning. This is the position of the majority of scholars, because purity is a condition for tawaf.And the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If one’s ablution is broken while he is performing tawaf, he should continue his tawaf and it is not obligatory for him to perform ablution, because ablution is not a condition for tawaf. What the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said is the correct view, because there is no evidence from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that tawaf requires purity. The most that is in it is that the Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him), when he intended to perform tawaf, performed ablution and then performed tawaf. This is an action, and an action does not indicate obligation.Likewise, in the hadith of A’ishah when she menstruated, he said: (Do what the pilgrims do, except do not perform tawaf around the House) This is because she was menstruating, and menstruation usually defiles the mosque. Also, a menstruating woman does not stay in the mosque, and likewise one in a state of major ritual impurity does not stay in the mosque. Similarly, there is the hadith of Safiyyah that she menstruated after Hajj, so he said: (Is she holding us up?They said: She has already performed the Tawaf of Farewell,He said: Then depart) This is evidence that if she had been menstruating, she would not have performed tawaf.It is said: Menstruation is not the same as minor ritual impurity. If purity had been obligatory for tawaf, the Messenger would have clarified this to the people, because many people might not be in a state of ablution. The default is that it is not obligatory. This is what the Shaykh al-Islam held, and it is the correct view, and it is what we issue as a ruling. However, there is no doubt that it is better, more cautious, and more purifying for the conscience for a person to perform tawaf in a state of purity. But sometimes something happens that a person cannot manage—for example, the extreme crowding days—where it is difficult for him to perform ablution if he breaks his state of purity during tawaf.If we said: Go and perform ablution. He went and performed ablution, then returned. What does he do? Does he restart or build upon what he had already done?Interjection: He restarts.
The Shaykh: Okay, he restarted. Then, during the tawaf, he also broke his state of purity.For example, if there are gases in his stomach, we say: Go and perform ablution, then return and start the tawaf?We said: Yes, he does that. He went, came back, returned, and then broke his state of purity again. And until when? Because performing ablution on days of heavy crowding is very difficult.First: When will a person be able to go out? Then, when he goes out, when will he find a place for ablution that is empty? Then, when he performs ablution and returns, when will he be able to get in? So making this obligatory on Allah’s servants, when there is no clear evidence from the Book and the Sunnah, along with this great hardship, the truth is that a person finds himself uncomfortable making such a thing obligatory on Allah’s servants without clear evidence. Yes, if the matter were easy, like on days other than the peak seasons, he would go out, perform ablution, return, and repeat the tawaf. That is an easy matter.We say: The most cautious thing is that you do this.
In any case: What we see is what the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) saw, which is that ablution is not a condition for tawaf.