In Hajj, which tawaf is performed after leaving Arafat and Muzdalifah?

In Hajj, Tawaf al-Ifadah is performed after pilgrims leave Arafat and Muzdalifah. It is also called Tawaf al-Ziyarat, or the visitation tawaf, and is an essential rite of the pilgrimage.

Pilgrims typically perform it after reaching Mina, stoning the largest jamrah, offering the sacrifice, and shaving or trimming their hair on 10 Dhu al-Hijjah. It may be completed on the same day or later during the Hajj days, depending on a pilgrim’s circumstances and ritual arrangements.

Tawaf al-Ifadah consists of seven circuits around the Kaaba in Mecca. It should not be confused with Tawaf al-Qudum, the arrival tawaf performed by many pilgrims when they first reach the Sacred Mosque. Tawaf al-Wada, by contrast, is the farewell tawaf performed before departing Mecca.

The sequence can vary in details among Islamic legal schools, but Tawaf al-Ifadah remains the central post-Arafat tawaf associated with completing Hajj. Its name reflects visiting the Sacred House after the pilgrims’ movement from Arafat through Muzdalifah and Mina.