The Book of Hajj-10b
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The reader: Yahya ibn Yahya narrated to us, saying: I read to Malik, from Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Nawfal, from Urwah, from Zaynab bint Abi Salamah, from Umm Salamah, that she said: Sunan Abi Dawud 1882Sahih (Al-Albani).
The Shaykh : This was during the Fajr prayer when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was traveling to Madinah, and this tawaf mentioned by Umm Salamah is the Farewell Tawaf. It is derived from this that the Farewell Tawaf is obligatory, and if it were not obligatory, it would have been waived for this sick woman.
It is also derived from this: that one who is unable to walk during tawaf due to illness or something else, such as old age or the like, is carried around or performs tawaf while riding. However, riding is now difficult; there is nothing but carrying or pushing.
If someone were to be clever and say that it is prescribed to make the tawaf area move by electric motion, like an escalator, with steps now... to support the legs... to facilitate things for people, we would make something that rotates with the people while they are standing, because this is easier than the crowding!
If I were of the opinion of those who say that riding in tawaf is permissible even without an excuse, then this would be permissible. But according to the opinion of those who say it is not permissible, then this is not permissible.
In any case, it should be prevented absolutely, because this takes the place of tawaf out of the true tawaf. This is a man standing still, not moving, and the ground rotates with him. So this well-known practice should be rejected in general and in detail.
And Hajj necessarily involves hardship.
The questioner : Is such a thing proposed?
The Shaykh : I heard what you said.
In this hadith, it is indicated that if a person touches the Black Stone with something, even if not his hand, before touching that thing, but is it prescribed, for example, for a person now who cannot take the Black Stone with his hand to carry a stick in order to touch the Black Stone with this stick and then kiss the stick? It is not prescribed, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) only did that while he was riding. And riding is now difficult. Then there is a difference between the state of the Companions and our state today. Most of the people today who care about being close to the Ka'bah are mostly ignorant; if they found a person entering among them with a stick, they would break it over him or break it over his back. So for every occasion, there is a specific discourse.
In it also: in his saying, "Perform tawaf behind the people," is a pointer to an important benefit, which is that one who is on a mount should not crowd the people in their walking, but should be at their edge, so as not to harm them. He is not harmed because he is riding, but the one who is walking is harmed. And of that is what happens sometimes in following funeral processions; you find some people in their cars. We say to these people: Move away from the people, do not harm them. Either you go ahead of them or you fall far behind. As for being behind the people, you harm them and put the people in anxiety when walking. And add to that that some of them may signal with the car horn, and this is a great error.
So the saying of the jurists (may Allah have mercy on them): "It is recommended that the pedestrians be in front of them and the riders behind them," means by that the riders who are ahead, who are not like the riders of cars now.
Also in it: it appears that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) loved reciting al-Tur, because Jubayr ibn Muth'im heard him reciting it in the Maghrib prayer, and Umm Salamah heard him reciting it in the Fajr prayer. And it is undoubtedly a great surah, from his saying: to its end, meaning great verses for one who reflects upon them. So for this reason, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite it in Fajr and recite it in Maghrib.
Umm Salamah said I complained to the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) that I was ill. He said “Perform the circumambulation riding behind the people”. She said “I performed circumambulation and the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) was praying towards the side of the House(the Ka’bah) and reciting “by al Tur and a Book inscribed”.”
شكوت إلى رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم أنّي أشتكي فقال : طوفي من وراء النّاس وأنت راكبةٌ. قالت : فطفت ، ورسول الله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم حينئذٍ يصلّي إلى جنب البيت ، وهو يقرأ بالطّور وكتابٍ مسطورٍThe Shaykh : This was during the Fajr prayer when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was traveling to Madinah, and this tawaf mentioned by Umm Salamah is the Farewell Tawaf. It is derived from this that the Farewell Tawaf is obligatory, and if it were not obligatory, it would have been waived for this sick woman.
It is also derived from this: that one who is unable to walk during tawaf due to illness or something else, such as old age or the like, is carried around or performs tawaf while riding. However, riding is now difficult; there is nothing but carrying or pushing.
If someone were to be clever and say that it is prescribed to make the tawaf area move by electric motion, like an escalator, with steps now... to support the legs... to facilitate things for people, we would make something that rotates with the people while they are standing, because this is easier than the crowding!
If I were of the opinion of those who say that riding in tawaf is permissible even without an excuse, then this would be permissible. But according to the opinion of those who say it is not permissible, then this is not permissible.
In any case, it should be prevented absolutely, because this takes the place of tawaf out of the true tawaf. This is a man standing still, not moving, and the ground rotates with him. So this well-known practice should be rejected in general and in detail.
And Hajj necessarily involves hardship.
The questioner : Is such a thing proposed?
The Shaykh : I heard what you said.
In this hadith, it is indicated that if a person touches the Black Stone with something, even if not his hand, before touching that thing, but is it prescribed, for example, for a person now who cannot take the Black Stone with his hand to carry a stick in order to touch the Black Stone with this stick and then kiss the stick? It is not prescribed, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) only did that while he was riding. And riding is now difficult. Then there is a difference between the state of the Companions and our state today. Most of the people today who care about being close to the Ka'bah are mostly ignorant; if they found a person entering among them with a stick, they would break it over him or break it over his back. So for every occasion, there is a specific discourse.
In it also: in his saying, "Perform tawaf behind the people," is a pointer to an important benefit, which is that one who is on a mount should not crowd the people in their walking, but should be at their edge, so as not to harm them. He is not harmed because he is riding, but the one who is walking is harmed. And of that is what happens sometimes in following funeral processions; you find some people in their cars. We say to these people: Move away from the people, do not harm them. Either you go ahead of them or you fall far behind. As for being behind the people, you harm them and put the people in anxiety when walking. And add to that that some of them may signal with the car horn, and this is a great error.
So the saying of the jurists (may Allah have mercy on them): "It is recommended that the pedestrians be in front of them and the riders behind them," means by that the riders who are ahead, who are not like the riders of cars now.
Also in it: it appears that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) loved reciting al-Tur, because Jubayr ibn Muth'im heard him reciting it in the Maghrib prayer, and Umm Salamah heard him reciting it in the Fajr prayer. And it is undoubtedly a great surah, from his saying: