Nafal tawaf and other tips

You are done with umrah. Depending on when you arrived in Mecca, you may have a few days between now and the start of hajj. Some people would like to know if they can or should perform multiple umrahs. There is only one umrah. Let me try to explain with the help of a simple example. You pray Zuhr. But you don’t keep on praying Zuhr until its time for Asr! There is only one Zuhr prayer. After you are done with it, you may pray as many nafal as you like. Similarly, you are done with umrah. Now you may perform as many tawafs as you like. These tawafs are known as nafal tawafs.

It is highly recommended to perform nafal tawafs. Remember, this is one form of worship that you can only do inside the Great Mosque of Mecca around the Kaaba. You might never be back there again. You can do salat, read the Quran or do tasbeeh anywhere else in the world, but you cannot do tawaf anywhere else! Use this opportunity to perform this unique worship as many times as possible. Again, because of the massive crowds, you might only be able to do two a day towards the end.

Men need not wear their ihrams while performing nafal tawaf. The right shoulder does not need to be uncovered for the first three rounds and there is no need to walk briskly. There is no saee after nafal tawaaf.

Kaaba, 2013

Kaaba, 2013

Other than that, try to pray all the prayers with the congregation in the mosque, including tahajjad. Tahajjad starts some time before Fajr, about an hour before when we were there. There is no azaan for it so make sure to reach the mosque on time. The reward for salat is multiplied by 100,000 when you pray with the congregation of Masjid al Haraam.

Janazah Salah (prayer for the deceased) is held a few minutes after congregational salah. Do not miss the opportunity (men and women alike) to earn the reward of participating in this salah. This prayer is different from regular prayers. I followed the method given in Abu Muneer’s book.

Keep your shoe bag close in front of you while praying. This barrier between you and others while you are praying is very important. If someone still tries to pass between you and this barrier, you may stop them by extending out your arm even while you are praying. I had to do this many times.

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