What is the evidence for the obligation of wudu' in tawaf?
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The questioner : What are the proofs for the obligation of wudu' in tawaf?
The Shaykh : There is no evidence. The stronger position, which the Shaykh al-Islam chose and which we also choose, is that it is not obligatory, especially when there is a need for it. Consider if a person’s wudu' is broken during tawaf in a severe crowd, and we say his tawaf is interrupted, go and perform wudu'. When will he get out of the Tawaf area? Only after great hardship. Then, when he reaches the restrooms, when will he be able to perform wudu'? He needs to wait a long time. Then, when he returns and we say start the tawaf from the beginning, he starts, and during the tawaf his wudu' is broken or he needs to go out, so he does. With great difficulty, he leaves the mosque, waits a long time for the restrooms, and upon returning, we also tell him to start the tawaf from the beginning, so he does, and during the tawaf he becomes ritually impure. The problem is that he remains wandering all day, and his tawaf is not valid. If there were an explicit text, like the sun, regarding the obligation of wudu' for tawaf, we would say that in these tight, difficult circumstances, tayammum is permissible. But there is no explicit text, and praise be to Allah. This is a blessing from Allah. Yes.
The Shaykh : There is no evidence. The stronger position, which the Shaykh al-Islam chose and which we also choose, is that it is not obligatory, especially when there is a need for it. Consider if a person’s wudu' is broken during tawaf in a severe crowd, and we say his tawaf is interrupted, go and perform wudu'. When will he get out of the Tawaf area? Only after great hardship. Then, when he reaches the restrooms, when will he be able to perform wudu'? He needs to wait a long time. Then, when he returns and we say start the tawaf from the beginning, he starts, and during the tawaf his wudu' is broken or he needs to go out, so he does. With great difficulty, he leaves the mosque, waits a long time for the restrooms, and upon returning, we also tell him to start the tawaf from the beginning, so he does, and during the tawaf he becomes ritually impure. The problem is that he remains wandering all day, and his tawaf is not valid. If there were an explicit text, like the sun, regarding the obligation of wudu' for tawaf, we would say that in these tight, difficult circumstances, tayammum is permissible. But there is no explicit text, and praise be to Allah. This is a blessing from Allah. Yes.