Is ritual purity a condition for tawaf?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you, esteemed Shaykh: Is ritual purity a condition for tawaf?
The Shaykh : Yes, the majority of scholars hold that ritual purity is a condition for tawaf, based on the hadith of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father):Sunan ad-Darimi 5:61. However, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) chose the position that it is not a condition, and that it is permissible for one in a state of minor ritual impurity to perform tawaf, and that his tawaf is valid. He provided strong evidence for this, and if one reviews it, it becomes clear to him that it is the truth. The hadith: is not authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family); rather, it is mawquf (stopping at a Companion) at Ibn Abbas. Ibn Abbas intended, and Allah knows best, that tawaf has the ruling of prayer because a person becomes humble in it and remembers Allah, and so on. Because his statement: does not apply, for in tawaf, speaking is permissible, eating and drinking are permissible, moving quickly or slowly is permissible, and facing the qiblah is not required. In fact, if one faced the Ka'bah, his tawaf would not be valid. There is no recitation of al-Fatihah in it, no takbir of ihram, and no taslim. Therefore, the statement of Shaykh al-Islam in this matter is closer to the truth. However, even so, we do not tell a person that his tawaf with wudu' or without wudu' is the same; rather, with wudu' is undoubtedly better. Sometimes, during severe crowds, a person may become ritually impure, either by passing gas or by urination or something similar. In this case, one cannot compel Allah's servants to say to him: "Go, perform wudu', and repeat the tawaf." In these severe crowds, when will he find water to perform wudu' with? All the washing places are full. And if he performs wudu' and returns, is it guaranteed that he will not become impure again? I ask you.
The questioner : It is not guaranteed.
The Shaykh : It is not guaranteed; he may become impure a second time. So if we say: "Your wudu' is invalid, go and perform wudu'," and he goes, when will he find a place to perform wudu'? If he performs wudu' and returns, it is not guaranteed that he will not become impure a third time, and so on. Thus, making obligatory something that has not been clarified in the Book and the Sunnah as obligatory, especially given the hardship of guarding against it, is questionable. Yes, to the left.
The Shaykh : Yes, the majority of scholars hold that ritual purity is a condition for tawaf, based on the hadith of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father):
Tawaf around the House is prayer, except that Allah has permitted speech in it.
الطواف بالبيت صلاة إلا أن الله أباح فيه الكلامTawaf around the House is prayer
الطواف بالبيت صلاةExcept that Allah has permitted speaking in it
إلا أن الله أباح فيه الكلامThe questioner : It is not guaranteed.
The Shaykh : It is not guaranteed; he may become impure a second time. So if we say: "Your wudu' is invalid, go and perform wudu'," and he goes, when will he find a place to perform wudu'? If he performs wudu' and returns, it is not guaranteed that he will not become impure a third time, and so on. Thus, making obligatory something that has not been clarified in the Book and the Sunnah as obligatory, especially given the hardship of guarding against it, is questionable. Yes, to the left.