The first formal worship performed by the servant of Allah SWT is tawaf. It began when an angel questioned Allah SWT's policy of wanting to create a newcomer named human who would also become a caliph on earth (khalif al-ardh).
Then Allah SWT seemed to jerk. "I know better what you don't know." (QS al-Baqarah/2:30).
Realizing that he was guilty, the angels in a history regretted his impudence by spinning around the Throne, begging for forgiveness. Some time later, Allah SWT created a miniature Throne named Bait al-Ma'mur which was built under the 'Throne. That's where the angels continue their service to Allah SWT which is also followed by the planets in the universe.
Tawaf worship is a way of worship imitating angels circling the Throne, and it turns out that all macrocosmic creatures in the universe also perform the same "thawaf".
Literally, tawaf means going around. In syar'iyyah thawaf is worship around the Kaaba which is located in the Grand Mosque 7 times round with the intention of thawaf for Allah SWT, as stated in the verse of the Al-Qur'an:
"They should do tawaf around the old house (Baitullah)," (Sura Al-Hajj verse 29).
Quoting the book Miracles of the Kaaba by Zainurrofieq, it is mentioned in a hadith that Allah sends down 120 graces to the baitullah every day. "Indeed Allah sends down every day and night 120 graces in this Baitullah. 60 mercy for those who do tawaf. 40 mercy for those who establish prayer, and 20 mercy for those who look towards the Kaaba.” (Narrated by Thabrani).
The virtues of Tawaf:
- Tawaf is an ornament of the Kaaba
- Allah is proud of those who do tawaf
- Tawaf is a promise bond with Allah.
- Tawaf causes the punishment to be removed.
- Tawaf is the cause of forgiveness of sins.
- Tawaf is the cause of elevation.
The movement of walking around the Ka'bah in Tawaf gives a meaningful message as a rotating movement on the earth's axis which is the earliest and most basic. 7 times around the Kaaba, has a meaningful meaning as the number of days lived by mankind every week. Wallaahu a'lam
May we all be made easy to perform tawaf in Baitullah. (Continued)
– AFQ – 6 Dzulqaidah 1444 | 26 May 2023, Serial Studies Towards the 2023 Hajj Season
