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Tawaf al-Wada (Farewell Tawaf) is the final ritual of Haji, performed before departing Mekkah. It consists of seven circuits around the Kabah without Raml or Idtiba, followed by two rak'ahs. It is wajib (wajib) menurut jumhur ulama, with menstruating women exempted. It symbolizes the jamaah haji's farewell to the House of Allah.
The Farewell Tawaf is the last ritual action a jamaah haji performs before leaving Mekkah. According to the Hanafi, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools, it is wajib (wajib), with its omission requiring a fidyah (animal sacrifice). The Maliki school considers it sunnah mu'akkadah (emphasized sunnah). It is performed like a regular Tawaf — seven circuits around the Kabah — but without the Raml (brisk walking in the first three circuits) or Idtiba (exposing the right shoulder) that are specific to the arrival Tawaf. After the seven circuits, two rak'ahs are prayed behind Maqam Ibrahim. The jamaah haji should then drink Zamzam water, make final doa-doa, and leave the Haram.
The primary exemption from the Farewell Tawaf is for menstruating women, based on the hadith of Ibn Abbas: 'The people were ordered to make their last act the circumambulation of the House, but menstruating women were exempted' (Bukhari and Muslim). Women who begin menstruation after completing Tawaf al-Ifadhah but before the Farewell Tawaf are not required to wait until their menstruation ends — they may depart Mekkah without the Farewell Tawaf and without any penalty. Women who have not yet performed Tawaf al-Ifadhah must wait, as that Tawaf is a pillar of Haji that cannot be omitted.
The Farewell Tawaf carries deep emotional and spiritual weight. It is the jamaah haji's last act of worship at the House of Allah — the final circuits around the Kabah before returning to the world. Many jamaah haji weep during this Tawaf, overwhelmed by the realization that they may never return. The scholars recommend that the jamaah haji make doa abundantly during these final circuits, asking Allah for acceptance of their Haji, for steadfastness upon return, and for the opportunity to return to the holy sites. It is sunnah to leave the Haram walking backward, so that the last sight is of the Kabah. This farewell is not merely to a building — it is a farewell to the most concentrated spiritual experience of the jamaah haji's life.