{"id":166010,"date":"2022-06-07T10:32:47","date_gmt":"2022-06-07T10:32:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/?p=166010"},"modified":"2022-06-07T10:32:49","modified_gmt":"2022-06-07T10:32:49","slug":"the-spirituality-of-hajj-tawaf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/?p=166010","title":{"rendered":"The Spirituality of Hajj: Tawaf"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Spahic Omer<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tawaf and say are two major\ncomponents of Hajj carried out one after another. Tawaf is an act of\ncircumambulating or walking around the Kabah in an anti-clockwise motion.\nSeven circles or circuits are to be accomplished. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tawaf\nand say represent the dynamism of life and its multidimensionality. Tawaf is\nderived from the root word \u0153tafa\u009d which means \u0153to go from one place to\nanother\u009d, \u0153to circle\u009d, \u0153to travel through\u009d, \u0153to roam\u009d, and \u0153to traverse and\nexplore\u009d. Taif is a person who performs tawaf around the Kabah, and tawwaf a\nperson who travels a lot and continuously move about. Tawwaf is an epithet\ngiven to Dhul Qarnayn, a legendary king who traversed the earth from the west\n(the setting of the sun) to the east (the rising of the sun).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tawaf\nand say are about vitality and perpetuation. Tawaf indicates both the earthly\nand cosmic energy and movement, while say, predominantly, stands for the\nformer. Tawafs movement is circular, which suggests unity, totality and\ninfinity. It likewise implies the ongoing significance and power associated\nwith the whole of creation and how everything is integrated into one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nits capacity as the House of God, Kabah represents divinity. It is the source\nof all ontological meaning and consequence. It is likewise the source of all\nphysical and spiritual life. A person should stay as close to the Kabah as\npossible – at once physically during tawaf and figuratively besides it – so as\nto draw on its munificence and use it as a means of approach unto its Owner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Prophet (pbuh) said that in each\nof the seven heavens there is a kabah which is frequented by the angels. The\nKabah of the first heaven is called Bayt al-\u02dcIzzah and that of the seventh\nheaven is called al-Bayt al-Mamur. Tawaf on earth, it follows, replicates\nscenes and ambiances from the heavens. It joins the universal chorus. To some,\ntawaf as well evokes the angels surrounding and circling of the Throne of\nAllah, \u0153glorifying\nand praising their Lord\u009d (al-Zumar, 75).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person performing tawaf becomes part of the existential reality and\npurpose. He is constantly reminded of them and of his close relationship with\nthem. Tawaf starts at the Kabahs corner with the Hajar al-Aswad (Black Stone)\nand ends there. It is affirmed by the Prophet (pbuh) that the Black Stone was sent\nby Allah to the earth from Paradise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting tawaf while facing the Black Stone, kissing it, if possible, or\ntouching it with ones hands, or pointing in its direction, and saying a\nsupplication, reminds a pilgrim of his heavenly origins. He too, like the Black\nStone, originated in Paradise. Moving then around the Kabah alludes to ones life trajectory which must unfold within the\nvicissitudes of everyday life, but which cannot be so distracted thereby that\none might be pulled away from his orbit in relation to the Kabah (divinity).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A pilgrims completion of each of\nseven circuits by arriving at the point of the Black Stone encourages a pilgrim\nto make sure that he and his life-story end again in Paradise. His journey\nshould be like a circuit around the Kabah: from heavenly origins to the\nheavenly conclusion. Returning to Paradise \u201c like returning to the Black Stone\n\u201c would mean that a persons life has come full circle. He ended where he had\nstarted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why circling and circle as a\ngeometric pattern also imply inclusiveness and focus. They suggest continuous\nprogress towards success. Failure is not an option, nor partial success. These\nare antitheses of dynamism, stability and permanence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Prophet (pbuh) said that after descending from Paradise, the Black Stone was whiter than milk (or snow), then it was rendered black by the sins of the children of Adam. The destiny of man is the same. He too arrived from Paradise pure and with a clean slate. However, he blackened himself with the sins for which he and nobody else is responsible. Now what remains is that man works on bettering his state and reputation in order to facilitate his return to Paradise. The first step is repentance and the washing away of the sins as much as possible, followed by turning over a new leaf. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there is no better place to start doing so than the sanctuary of\nMakkah with its Kabah, and no better occasion than Hajj and tawaf as one of\nits first and foremost rites. The Black Stone itself can play a role. It was\nfor a reason that the Prophet (pbuh) said that touching\nthe Black Stone removes sins. He in addition said regarding tawaf: \u0153Whoever performs tawaf around this House\nseven times and he keeps track of it, then it is as if he freed a slave.\u009d Also:\n\u0153One foot is not put down, nor another raised (in tawaf), except that Allah\nremoves a sin from a person and records a good merit for him\u009d.[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kabah furthermore is like the sun and people are like stars\nrevolving around it and floating, each in an orbit. The movement is progression\nfrom what a person is and what he intends, yet ought, to be. In all positions and during all times, a person maintains a steady\ndistance with the Kabah or with Allah. The distance depends upon the path that\na person has chosen in the system. The tawaf area (mataf) is like a magnetic\nfield with the Kabah (the entire orb of divinity) in the centre. People are\niron particles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person is attracted to the Kabah,\nbut he does not rush towards it, or tries to enter it. He lets the Kabah enter\nhim instead. His heart becomes the receptacle for the Kabah; yet his heart\nbecomes a kabah. The interior of the Kabah is virtually empty. Thus, a\npersons entering it will not change anything, neither in connection with the\nKabah nor with the person himself. But the Kabahs entering and conquering of\nones heart will mean the world for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Ali Shariati: \u0153You do not touch the Kabah nor do your stop there. Everyone encircles the Kabah collectively. The movement is as one unit, one group of people. There is no individual identification, that is, as being a man or woman, nor black or white! It is the transformation of one person into the totality of a \u02dcpeople. All of the \u02dcIs join and become a \u02dcWe, establishing the ummah (community) with the aim of approaching Allah.\u009d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He likewise said: \u0153If you remain in the state of self-centeredness, you are not really a part of the tawaf circle. You will be like a visitor standing at the bank of a river, but not in it. Those who are detached from themselves are alive and moving collectively. Those who are not separated from themselves are stagnant and dead.\u009d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While performing tawaf, pilgrims\nfixate their sights on the Kabah. But the Kabah is just a simple and\nunembellished cube, as its name implies. It is devoid of any worldly\nsophistication and adornment architecture-wise. Such is the case because in the\nkingdom of spirit these carry no weight whatsoever, especially if they are\nemployed for some ungodly aims. Generally, on his spiritual journey man needs\nto partake of matter solely what is necessary and what constitute a means. More\nthan that is bound to hinder and hold back. Benchmarking in the two realms is\ndifferent and dissimilar criteria apply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under no circumstances should ends\nbe converted into means, and means into ends. Such is the sophistication of\nspirit that there is nothing in the material world that is genuinely similar to\nit and can be resorted to for the close analogy purposes. The best way,\ntherefore, is to turn away from the failings of matter and stick to the innate\nhuman predispositions towards simplicity, purity, wholesomeness, equilibrium and\nharmony. When adequately employed, these are closer to the world of spirit than\nto the world of matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This strategy is used with regard to\nthe structural appearance of the Kabah. The building is so simple, yet so\ncomplex and refined in terms of message. It represents, \u0153houses\u009d and radiates\ndivinity that overcomes the people. The same holds true as regards every\nsymbol, rite, or sign of Allah. People can sense their extraordinary quality\nand appeal, but cannot put what they feel into words. They merely know that\nthey cannot get bored with, nor satiated by, the profusion of spirit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, a person reads a verse\nor a short chapter from the Quran thousands of times, but every time it feels\ndifferent and is like the first time – for indeed the treasures of God are\ninexhaustible. Another person may pronounce \u0153All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the\nWorlds\u009d (al-Fatihah, 2) as a verse from the Quran, in which case he will feel\nthe power \u201c and beauty – of Gods holy Words, consciously or otherwise.\nHowever, if the same person pronounces the same formula (All praise is due to\nAllah, the Lord of the Worlds), albeit not intending it as Gods Words but\nrather as his own construction as part of his daily conversations, he will feel\nalmost nothing about it. The reason for this is straightforward: the former is\ninfused with the life-force of the highest levels of\nthe heavenly dominion, and the latter is not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This applies to the Kabah too.\nPeople look at it a thousand times, but every time it feels different and is\nlike the first time. Human capacities are nothing when it comes to appreciating\nand engaging the absolute beauty, greatness and worth. Man is left with no\nother choice but to be filled with awe, veneration, and to quiver. For this\nreason is the architectural minimalism of the Kabah grander than the\narchitectural and artistic intricacy of all the \u0153masterpieces\u009d erected\nthroughout history for the sake of glorifying man (humanism-cum-science) and\nmatter (materialism-cum-liberalism). The two are not even in the same league.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That the Ka’bah was originally built as an unpretentious stone structure was apt, making it appropriate to its time, place and people. The Ka’bah is in complete harmony with its natural environment. It grows, so to speak, out of the site. It at once symbolises and reverberates Makkah’s attribute as haram. Hence, it seems naturally beautiful, hence sustainable and even organic, satisfying the physical and spiritual needs. It exudes an aura of veneration, lure, awe and spiritual and psychological serenity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to all this, plus the supplication of Ibrahim that the believing\nhuman hearts incline towards it, the Ka’bah is dearly loved and longed for.\nBecause it signifies the result of a direct heavenly initiative and\ninvolvement, the Ka’bah’s intrinsic charm and beauty are beyond description.\nLost for words, while watching, touching, or circumambulating it, most people\ntend to give in to the stream of profuse, albeit incommunicable spiritual,\npsychological and even intellectual emotions the circumstances generate. As if\nthey sense that being silent and self-effacing, acknowledging the supernatural\nand divine overarching character of the Ka’bah – while juxtaposing it with\ntheir flaws, inadequacies and this-worldliness – is the best and most\nprofitable mood. Any other approach is set to divest visitors and worshippers\nof some of the boons they have come for and were instinctively looking forward\nto procuring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feeling thus hopeless, some people resort to closing their eyes and trying to “watch” and “embrace” the Ka’bah rather by means of their elated hearts and ecstatic souls. That way, all the inapt and under the circumstances “impairing” physical senses are temporarily shut, and through that metaphysical God-granted capacity that graces each and every human creature, one’s self is attempted to be elevated to a higher spiritual vintage point from where the Ka’bah could be “seen” and experienced better. Losing completely one’s self inside the spiritual domains of the Ka’bah, it goes without saying, is the best way for a person to find and experience the quintessence of his own being, existence as a whole and the Ka’bah phenomenon itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the Kabah is sanctified, so is its tawaf and the atmosphere the latter generates. As a result, a person performing tawaf must be cleansed of all major and minor physical impurities. He must be up to the task. Not only that; the Prophet (pbuh) said that tawaf around the Kabah is similar to Salat (prayer) except that people can talk during it. \u0153So whoever talks in it, then let him not say but good.\u009d Thus, just like in Salat, a person making tawaf is expected to \u0153face\u009d the Kabah and to capitalise on the opportunity to advance towards his ultimate destiny. All this is intended but to optimise the function of the Kabah and its tawaf, and to prepare the people for things to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is interesting to note that despite everything, there is no particular dhikr (remembrance of God) for tawaf. A pilgrim may read the Quran or say any dhikr he wants. This is important because dhikr, supplications and reciting the Quran should be placed in the service of aiding and boosting ones experience of tawaf. People come from diverse religious, intellectual and socio-cultural backgrounds, hence there should be no such thing as one-size-fits-all approach. What is inspiring and motivating for some, it is not so as much for others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People should feel free and have recourse to any dhikr, supplications\nand Quran recitation template they want and feel can improve their knowledge and\nexperiences. There are yet those who prefer contemplation \u201c the activities of\nthe mind and the soul at the expense of the tongue – above everything else.\nWhat is important is that the dimensions of a pilgrim \u201c the physical,\nintellectual, emotional and spiritual \u201c stay together and in unison work\ntowards the same ends. A pilgrim is at loss if his dimensions are fragmented\nand incoherent, clouding his awareness and marring his sensations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is inappropriate \u201c as it happens all the time unfortunately \u201c that\nupon pilgrims certain dhikr, supplications and Quran reading patterns are\nrigidly imposed. Those pilgrims are navigated through the tawaf tide and asked\nto say or recite what they neither know nor understand. They blindly cling to\nit believing that such is the way and so, is the exclusive virtue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those people and their instructors are the proponents of deadening\nformalism and ritualism, which is a small manifestation of a much larger\nproblem (the tip of the iceberg). For them, tawaf and the rest of Hajj are\nmerely a set of dry and superficially meaningful ceremonies. The object is just\nto do, not really comprehend and live through the events. They travel through\nthe tawaf stream like a traveller who sleeps through his night journey. He\nwakes up when everything is over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In tawaf a pilgrim wears the upper sheet of ihram in such a way that it\ngoes under his right armpit and over the left, exposing thus the right\nshoulder. Of the seven circles around the Kabah, a pilgrim should hasten, or\njog, during the first three and walk during the remaining four circles. There\nis a historical reason for this, which persisted in order for the subsequent\ngenerations of Muslims to share a form and a feeling similar to that observed\nand felt by early Muslims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A companion of the Prophet (pbuh),\nAbdullah Ibn \u02dcAbbas, reported that when the Prophet (pbuh) and a company of\nMuslims came from Madinah to Makkah to perform \u02dcUmrah (the lesser pilgrimage)\nthey were weakened somewhat by the fever in Madinah. Makkah was still in the hands\nof the polytheistic Quraysh and they wanted to employ this as a propaganda\nmaterial against Muslims. They used to say to their countrymen: \u0153A people\nweakened with fever have come to you and they are afflicted with evil.\u009d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allah informed the Prophet (pbuh) about this and he commanded the Muslims to jog through the first three circuits of tawaf. It is believed that the same reason was behind exposing their right shoulders. The Prophet (pbuh) wanted to show the Quraysh that the opposite of what they were alleging was true. The initiative, without a doubt, was part of a psychological warfare. Having witnessed the spectacle, the Quraysh said: \u0153Are those the people you said are weak because of the fever? They are stronger and sturdier than us.\u009d The Prophet (pbuh) did not instruct the Muslims to jog all through the seven circuits of tawah lest they overexert themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The way tawaf is performed remained a sign of strength and endurance ever since. It is reminiscent of life struggles that await believers in their lives. As the followers of the truth, their tests will not end, in that Satan and his armies never sleep. Therefore, jihad (a comprehensive struggle to make the Word of God supreme) should be the top priority of believers and they should be ever-ready. Their life interests, activities, possessions and even the ways they dress and behave ought to serve as the testaments of their inner state. The Prophet (pbuh) said: \u0153The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, although both are good. Strive for that which will benefit you, seek the help of Allah, and do not feel helpless.\u009d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One should not forget the importance of following in the footsteps of and emulating the example of the Prophet (pbuh). Such is an unmistaken sign of true faith. \u02dcUmar bin al-Khattab said: \u0153There is no reason for us to do ramal (i.e. jogging during the first three circles of tawaf) except that we wanted to show off before the pagans, and now Allah has destroyed them. Nevertheless, the Prophet did that and we do not want to leave it.\u009d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a rule, Hajj rituals, big and small \u201c yet all Islamic rites and ceremonies – are learned from the Prophet (pbuh) exclusively. He himself used to lay emphasis on that throughout his Hajj. Once he said: \u0153Take your rituals from me. I do not know whether I will be able to perform another Hajj after this one.\u009d As per a report narrated by Imam al-Bukhari, Abdul-Malik bin Marwan wrote to al-Hajjaj that he should follow the companion \u02dcAbdullah bin \u02dcUmar in all the ceremonies of Hajj. He did so because Abdullah bin \u02dcUmar was well-known for following the Prophet (pbuh) in the minutest details. He was al-Hajjajs sure thing in matters of uncertainty. Following Abdullah bin \u02dcUmar was tantamount to following the Prophet (pbuh).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parenthetically, scholars are almost unanimous that revealing the right\nshoulder and jogging through the first three\nrounds of tawaf (ramal) is required only during the first tawaf of Hajj, which is tawaf\nal-qudum (tawaf of arrival). Such is the first thing a pilgrim does upon his\narrival in Makkah and in the Holy Mosque. With it he greets the place and\noccasion \u201c and is greeted by them. He announces his arrival and readiness to\nengage in the impending tasks. He demonstrates that he is sufficiently healthy\nand strong. Revealing the right shoulder and doing the ramal is not required\nduring the subsequent tawaf al-ifadah (tawaf of visiting), tawaf al-wida\n(farewell tawaf) and the voluntary tawaf. In these three types of tawaf\npilgrims wear their regular clothes, hence especially revealing the right\nshoulder becomes unrealistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The above-lessons should likewise be imparted to pilgrims as part of their Hajj education, motivation and guidance. They are to be galvanised thus, prompting them to pledge to spend the remainder of their lives not merely as the servants, but also soldiers of the truth. They can do that right during tawaf and in the vicinity of the Kabah, or at any stage of the revolutionary experience of Hajj. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lessons have the potential to\nenhance pilgrims sense of purpose. Their sense of time, place and history will\nalso be brought into focus, revealing and further augmenting their belonging to\nthe universal community of believers moving across times, lands and ideas.\nFulfilling thus their human need of feeling that they belong will go a long way\ntowards the opening of new avenues for the enrichment of pilgrims and of their\nconfidence-building. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a sign of this crowning virtue of belonging, a pilgrim, having completed tawaf, offers a two-rakah (unit) prayer at the station of Prophet Ibrahim \u201c the father of prophets and an ummah (a total nation, leader and model). Not to speak of the fact \u201c in respect of quantity – that one prayer in the Holy Mosque (al-Masjid al-Haram) is better than one hundred thousand prayers elsewhere, as revealed by the Prophet (pbuh).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, a pilgrim moves on to perform say.***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Assoc. Prof. Dr. Spahic Omer is an academic in Department of History and Civilisation, AbdulHamid AbuSulayman Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences. The views expressed here are those of the author\/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of IIUMToday.<\/em>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Spahic Omer Tawaf and say are two major components of Hajj carried out one after another. Tawaf is an act of circumambulating or walking… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,21,23],"tags":[],"nelio_content":{"isAutoShareEnabled":true,"autoShareEndMode":"never","automationSources":{"useCustomSentences":false,"customSentences":[]},"followers":[12,156,5],"suggestedReferences":[],"efiUrl":"","efiAlt":"","highlights":[],"permalinkQueryArgs":[]},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166010"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=166010"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166010\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":166034,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166010\/revisions\/166034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=166010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=166010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=166010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}