History of Tawaaf and Ihraam

5-3-2009 | IslamWeb

Question:

Why should we do Tawaaf and what is the history of Ihraam we need to wear in Hajj and 'Umrah? Plz answer to the point. Thanks.

Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

 

 A Muslim performs Tawaaf around the House of Allaah (the Ka’bah) because Allaah legislated for us to perform Tawaaf around it. Allaah Says (what means): {…and perform Tawaaf around the ancient House.”} [Quran 22:29] Furthermore, the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "Whoever performs Tawaaf around the House and performs two Rak’ahs, he gets the same reward as if he freed a slave."

However, we did not understand what you mean by the history of Ihraam, if you mean when it was legislated to take off normal clothes when assuming the state of Ihraam and wearing the Ihraam clothes [the upper and lower garment of Ihraam], then we are not aware of this and we have not come across any statement of the scholars  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  them in this regard. However, the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) did so and he ordered the people to do so, and the scholars  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  them stated that removing form-fitting clothes is one of the obligations of Hajj and ‘Umrah for men.

For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 92206.

Allaah Knows best.

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