Ruling on Reading from a Book of Duas During Tawaf and Sa’i
Source: Fatāwā Arkān al-Islām
If a person performing ʿUmrah or Hajj knows very few supplications, can he read duas from a book during Tawaf, Sa’i, and other rites?
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Baʿd!
For a pilgrim, the duas he already knows are sufficient, because:
✿ When he recites memorized duas, he usually understands their meanings.
✿ This allows him to make supplications that suit his needs and current situation.
✿ If a person reads duas from a book without knowing their meanings, or
✿ If he simply repeats after a Muṭawwif (guide) without understanding the supplications,
then such duas are of little benefit to him.
Many pilgrims do exactly this — either repeating after the guide or reading from books without knowing the meanings.
✿ Some books contain different specific duas for each circuit of Tawaf.
✿ These are innovations (bidʿah) and not permissible for Muslims to adhere to.
✿ All such prescribed-for-each-round duas are a form of misguidance.
The Prophet ﷺ did not assign any specific dua for each round of Tawaf, but said:
«اِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الطَّوَافُ بِالْبَيْتِ، وَبِالصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَۃِ، وَرَمْیُ الْجِمَارِ لِاِقَامَةِ ذِكْرِ اللّٰهِ»
“Tawaf of the House, Sa’i between Ṣafā and Marwah, and stoning the Jamarāt have only been prescribed to establish the remembrance of Allah.”
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Ḥadīth: 1888; Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, Ḥadīth: 902; Musnad Aḥmad, 6/64)
✿ Avoid such booklets and their specific-per-round duas.
✿ Make duas according to your needs and circumstances.
✿ Engage in the remembrance of Allah according to your ability and knowledge.
This is far better than reading from printed booklets containing unfamiliar duas, whose meanings are unknown and sometimes even mispronounced.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
(This is my opinion, and Allah knows best what is correct.)
Source: Fatāwā Arkān al-Islām
Question
If a person performing ʿUmrah or Hajj knows very few supplications, can he read duas from a book during Tawaf, Sa’i, and other rites?
Answer
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Baʿd!
For a pilgrim, the duas he already knows are sufficient, because:
✿ When he recites memorized duas, he usually understands their meanings.
✿ This allows him to make supplications that suit his needs and current situation.
Regarding Reading from a Book of Duas
✿ If a person reads duas from a book without knowing their meanings, or
✿ If he simply repeats after a Muṭawwif (guide) without understanding the supplications,
then such duas are of little benefit to him.
Many pilgrims do exactly this — either repeating after the guide or reading from books without knowing the meanings.
About Specific Duas for Each Circuit
✿ Some books contain different specific duas for each circuit of Tawaf.
✿ These are innovations (bidʿah) and not permissible for Muslims to adhere to.
✿ All such prescribed-for-each-round duas are a form of misguidance.
The Prophet ﷺ did not assign any specific dua for each round of Tawaf, but said:
«اِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الطَّوَافُ بِالْبَيْتِ، وَبِالصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَۃِ، وَرَمْیُ الْجِمَارِ لِاِقَامَةِ ذِكْرِ اللّٰهِ»
“Tawaf of the House, Sa’i between Ṣafā and Marwah, and stoning the Jamarāt have only been prescribed to establish the remembrance of Allah.”
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Ḥadīth: 1888; Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, Ḥadīth: 902; Musnad Aḥmad, 6/64)
What Should a Believer Do?
✿ Avoid such booklets and their specific-per-round duas.
✿ Make duas according to your needs and circumstances.
✿ Engage in the remembrance of Allah according to your ability and knowledge.
This is far better than reading from printed booklets containing unfamiliar duas, whose meanings are unknown and sometimes even mispronounced.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
(This is my opinion, and Allah knows best what is correct.)
