Answer
Wa `alaykum as-salamu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
Tawaf Al-Ifadah is the Tawaf performed by the pilgrim on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah as the last formal rite of Hajj in Makkah after changing into street clothes. It is one of the rituals of Hajj; if it is missed, the Hajj will be void.
In this regard, Sheikh Sayyed Sabiq states in his well-known book Fiqh As-Sunnah:
There is a consensus among Muslim scholars that Tawaf Al-Ifadah is one of the essentials of Hajj, and if someone fails to observe it his Hajj will be void.
The Quran says:
{Then, let them complete the rites prescribed for them, perform their vows, and (again) circumambulate the Ancient House.} (Al-Hajj 22:29)
According to Imam Ahmad, a pilgrim must make a definite intention for its performance. All the other three imams hold that having the intention to perform Hajj covers and applies to all its rites including Tawaf Al-Ifadah.
The majority of scholars hold that Tawaf Al-Ifadah comprises seven rounds of the Kabah. Abu Hanifah, however, is of the view that only four of the seven rounds are essential in Hajj, and if these (four) are missed the Hajj of a person becomes void. The remaining three rounds are necessary (wajib) but not essential.
A pilgrim abandoning one or all of these three rounds misses a necessary part, but it does not invalidate his Hajj, although he is required to offer a sacrifice of an animal in atonement for it.
Almighty Allah knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.