Can I do Tawaaf on someone else’s behalf?

by Asma bint Shameem

ANSWER

Many people make this mistake.

They circumambulate the Ka'bah 7 times and then they “donate the reward” of this tawaaf to their loved ones, or their family members who have passed away.

Also, when people go for Hajj or Umrah, their relatives and friends specifically ask them to "do one or two Tawaaf on their behalf".

This is not valid since there’s no evidence for it from the Qur’aan and/or authentic Sunnah.

You see, Tawaaf is a kind of “PRAYER” and you cannot pray on someone else's behalf.

Similarly, you cannot do just a tawaaf by itself on someone else's behalf either.

🔺 Why not?

All acts of ibaadah are ‘tawqeefi’, which means there has to be EVIDENCE for it from the practice and teachings of the Prophet ﷺ.

When we look at the Qur’aan and when we look at the authentic ahaadeeth, we find NO SUCH EVIDENCE from the Prophet ﷺ NOR the Sahaabah.

If it was good, surely they would have done it.

And if it was done, surely we would have had SOME record of it.

But we don’t.

So if they didn’t do it, we shouldn’t be doing it either.

So tawaaf by itself is not allowed.

🔺QUESTION?

But aren’t we allowed to perform umrah or hajj on behalf of others?

Yes it’s true that the Prophet ﷺ allowed performing umrah or hajj on someone else’s behalf.

But that includes the WHOLE umrah or Hajj and not just tawaaf on its own.

Doing tawaaf by ITSELF, meaning 7 rounds around the Ka'bah and donating the reward to someone else is NOT PROVEN from the Qur’aan or authentic practice or teachings of the Prophet ﷺ.

🍃 Shaykh ibn Baaz said:

"Tawaaf around the Ka'bah cannot be done by proxy, so no one can do tawaaf on behalf of someone else, unless he is doing Hajj or 'Umrah on his behalf, in which case he may do it on his behalf along with the rest of Hajj or 'Umrah.

Nothing has reached us [from the Prophet ﷺ or his Companions that they ever did this].

Tawaaf is [like] Salaah – it is not allowed for anyone to perform Salaah on behalf of someone else.”

(Masaa’il Al-Imaam Ibn Bāz)

🔺 So what to Do?

The best thing to do is to do as many tawaafs as you can for your OWN self.

Tawaaf is an amazing act of Ibaadah that cannot be done anywhere else except Makkah and this is a GOLDEN opportunity.

And DURING the Tawaaf, make Duaa for your loved ones and your deceased family members.

Make duaa using your own words, sincerely from the heart.

And surely Allaah will respond.

And Allaah knows best.