Short answer
Tawaf al-wada is the farewell tawaf done before leaving Makkah after Hajj. In the Hanafi school it is wajib on pilgrims from outside the miqat area, so missing it requires a dam. A woman on her period, people living within the miqat area and umrah pilgrims do not owe it.
The farewell tawaf (tawaf al-sadar) is wajib for the afaqi Hajj pilgrim. Leaving all of it or four or more rounds requires a dam; leaving fewer than four requires sadaqah for each round. It is not wajib in umrah, and it is dropped for a woman in menses or postnatal bleeding.
Other madhhabs
- Maliki
- The farewell tawaf is sunnah, so there is no penalty for leaving it.
- Shafi'i
- It is wajib, with a dam if left, and it should be the last thing you do; if you stay on, you repeat it.
- Hanbali
- It is wajib, with a dam if left, and should be your last act in Makkah.
Explanation
People used to leave Makkah in every direction, so the Prophet ﷺ said no one should leave until his last act is at the House. Ibn Abbas added that this was eased for the woman in menses. The Hanafis take this as making it wajib, but not a pillar.
- Who: pilgrims who came from outside the miqats. Not those living in Makkah or within the miqat zone, such as Jeddah.
- When: any time after tawaf al-ifadah. In the Hanafi school a voluntary tawaf done after tawaf al-ifadah also counts for it. It is best done right before leaving, but staying on afterwards does not cancel it.
- How: seven rounds without ihram, raml or sa'i, then two rakats, zamzam and dua at the Multazam if you can reach it.
- Umrah: no farewell tawaf is owed, though a tawaf before leaving is good.
- Period: she leaves without it and owes nothing. If she becomes pure before leaving the town, she should do it.
If you missed it: come back and do it if you have not passed the miqat. If you have passed it, Hanafi scholars say sending a dam is better than returning, since returning would need a new ihram for umrah. See how a dam is paid.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Hajj 22:29
ثُمَّ لْيَقْضُوا۟ تَفَثَهُمْ وَلْيُوفُوا۟ نُذُورَهُمْ وَلْيَطَّوَّفُوا۟ بِٱلْبَيْتِ ٱلْعَتِيقِ ﴿٢٩﴾
Then let them end their untidiness and fulfill their vows and perform Tawaf around the ancient House."
Tawaf of the House closes the rites.
Sahih Muslim 1327
Sahih... لا ينفرن أحد حتى يكون آخر عهده بالبيت ...
"No one should depart until his last act is at the House."
The command for the farewell tawaf.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1755
Sahih... أن يكون آخر عهدهم بالبيت إلا أنه خفف عن الحائض ...
"People were ordered to make their last act at the House, except that it was eased for the woman in menses."
The exemption for a menstruating woman.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Hajj, bab al-ihram, on tawaf al-sadar. Tawaf al-sadar is wajib on the afaqi, not on the people of Makkah or the menstruating woman.
- al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, Kitab al-Manasik, chapter on violations. A dam for four rounds or more, sadaqah for each round below that.
- Mukhtasar Khalil with al-Sharh al-Kabir, Bab al-Hajj. The Maliki view that it is sunnah.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.