Ṭawāf
Definition
Tawaf is the act of circling the Kaaba seven times in a counterclockwise direction — one of the central rites of both Hajj and Umra. Al-Ghazali describes it as the Muslim's participation in a cosmic motion: just as the angels circle the Bayt al-Maʿmur (the Heavenly House directly above the Kaaba), the believer circles the earthly Kaaba in an act of worship that connects the visible and invisible worlds. He also notes that tawaf is one of the few acts of worship that never stops — the Kaaba is being circumambulated at every moment of every day and night, by millions of pilgrims over the centuries and by angels in the realm beyond.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
Appears in
1 book in the library
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