Is it permissible to carry a child while performing তাওয়াফ, and does it count for both?

Carrying a child during তাওয়াফ is permissible and does not invalidate the তাওয়াফ of the carrier according to the consensus of scholars. নবী করীম (সাল্লাল্লাহু আলাইহি ওয়া সাল্লাম) himself prayed while carrying his granddaughter Umamah bint Zaynab, setting her down when he prostrated and picking her up when he stood. This establishes that carrying a child during acts of worship does not invalidate them. Furthermore, নবী করীম performed তাওয়াফ while riding his camel, demonstrating that তাওয়াফ is valid even when not walking on one's own feet.

Sheikh Ibn Baz ruled that if a person carries a child during তাওয়াফ and intends the তাওয়াফ for both themselves and the child, it counts for both of them. He based this on the hadith of the woman who asked নবী করীম whether her child could perform হজ্জ, and he confirmed that the child would receive reward. The guardian performs the rites on behalf of the non-discerning child, and তাওয়াফ performed while carrying the child fulfills the তাওয়াফ requirement for both.

Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen added that using a baby carrier, stroller, or having someone else push the child in a wheelchair alongside the person performing তাওয়াফ are all acceptable methods. He noted that the key requirement is that the carrier completes seven full circuits around the কাবা শরীফ. The practical concern is the extreme crowding during peak times, and scholars recommend choosing less crowded times or performing তাওয়াফ on upper floors when carrying young children for their safety.