Some people during tawaf form circles around their women, so that the backs of some of them face the Ka'bah. Is this permissible, and is their Hajj valid? What is your advice for one who is with women?
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The questioner : May Allah reward the honorableThe Shaykh : This is a matter we see often in the tawaf area. Some people in the tawaf area form circles around their women, so that the backs of some of them face the Ka'bah. Is this permissible, and is their Hajj valid? And what do you advise for one who is with women? Should they be in groups or should they be individually?
The Shaykh : I think the picture of the issue is clear. Some people are with women, and then they circle around their women. In this case, the back of some of them will be toward the Ka'bah and the chest of some of them will be toward the Ka'bah. Tawaf requires that the Ka'bah be on the left of the one performing tawaf. So these people whose backs are toward the Ka'bah or whose chests are toward the Ka'bah, their tawaf is not valid, because they left a condition of the validity of tawaf, which is that the one performing tawaf places the Ka'bah on his left. This is a matter they must be aware of.
As for the second part of the question, which is: Is it better for people to gather all together around their women? Or should each one of them hold the hand of his wife, or his sister, or the woman with him, and perform tawaf with her alone? This depends on the person's condition. A person may be weak and unable to handle the crowding, so he needs one of his companions to be around him to defend him from what he fears of death. And a person may be strong, in which case we see that it is easier for him and easier for her and easier for the people if he takes his wife's hand and performs tawaf with her alone. Yes.
The Shaykh : I think the picture of the issue is clear. Some people are with women, and then they circle around their women. In this case, the back of some of them will be toward the Ka'bah and the chest of some of them will be toward the Ka'bah. Tawaf requires that the Ka'bah be on the left of the one performing tawaf. So these people whose backs are toward the Ka'bah or whose chests are toward the Ka'bah, their tawaf is not valid, because they left a condition of the validity of tawaf, which is that the one performing tawaf places the Ka'bah on his left. This is a matter they must be aware of.
As for the second part of the question, which is: Is it better for people to gather all together around their women? Or should each one of them hold the hand of his wife, or his sister, or the woman with him, and perform tawaf with her alone? This depends on the person's condition. A person may be weak and unable to handle the crowding, so he needs one of his companions to be around him to defend him from what he fears of death. And a person may be strong, in which case we see that it is easier for him and easier for her and easier for the people if he takes his wife's hand and performs tawaf with her alone. Yes.