This is the moment of departure: the final goodbye. The most bittersweet moment of ḥajj is when the sun is setting on ʿArafah; and the second is during the ṭawāf al-wadāʿ, when you’re leaving the House of Allah. It is a great honour and you don’t know when you will be invited to return.
The Last Prayer by the Blessed House
The Prophet ﷺ went to the Ḥaram to perform the farewell ṭawāf before dawn on the 14th of Dhul-Ḥijjah. He then led fajr by the Kaʿbah, reciting Sūrah al-Ṭūr.
He then left Makkah, taking the Kudayy route, until he arrived at Dhū Ṭuwā, where he stopped and waited for the rest of his Companions to catch up.
Reflect: The mission of the Prophet ﷺ had been accomplished and the message had been delivered. These were an immensely blessed 10 days. No one imagined that as he ﷺ was bidding them farewell, he was also bidding farewell to this world. No one imagined that it would only be two months and a few days when he ﷺ would leave this world and be united with his Lord. Ṣall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam.
The Secrets of Tawaf al-Wadaʿ
Please refer to the tawāf article. Along with the secrets mentioned there, internalise these additional secrets during your ṭawāf al-wadāʿ (the farewell ṭawāf):
1. Let this be your final act in Makkah. Don’t dilute it with shopping or distractions. End your journey with worship. Just as the first act of ḥajj is seeing the Kaʿbah and performing ṭawāf around it, the final act of ḥajj is also ṭawāf.
Act: Beg Allah for acceptance during your final ṭawāf.
2. Fill your heart with gratitude. This ṭawāf is an expression of gratitude and thanks for the immense kindness and blessings bestowed by Allah upon you.
