Which Hajj ritual involves circling the Kaaba seven times? Tawaf is the Hajj ritual of circling the Kaaba seven times.
Pilgrims move counterclockwise around the Kaaba in the Sacred Mosque at Mecca. The seven circuits are called ashwat, and the ritual begins near the Black Stone, traditionally at a marked alignment point. Pilgrims may gesture toward the Black Stone when beginning or passing it, but crowd conditions mean they should not endanger others by forcing their way forward.
Tawaf is performed in several Islamic pilgrimage contexts. Tawaf al-qudum is an arrival circumambulation associated with some pilgrims, while tawaf al-ifadah is a major Hajj circumambulation performed after the standing at Arafat. Umrah also includes tawaf.
A common mix-up is confusing tawaf with Sa'i. Tawaf circles the Kaaba; Sa'i involves seven crossings between Safa and Marwah. The Kaaba itself is a cubical sanctuary toward which Muslims face during daily prayer, but ordinary prayer is not the same ritual as tawaf.