After making your Niyyat...

After making your Niyyat, stand just parallel to Hajarul Aswad and start the Tawaaf. Each round is completed when you return to the starting point. At all the time during Tawaaf, the Ka'aba must remain to your left. Your left shoulder should not turn away from the Ka'aba, otherwise that particular sector of movement will not be included in Tawaaf. You will have to return to the place where you were distracted and continue from there. The Ka'aba is in a cubical shape, it has four corners.

As you come to a corner of the Ka’aba, you will make a gradual turn exercising care, as much as possible, that your shoulder remains parallel to Ka'aba. There is a small arc shaped wall shape adjoining Ka'aba on one side. This is Hijre Ismail . (The graves of Hazrat Ismail, his mother Hajira and other Prophets). While making Tawaaf, this Arc must be included in the round. If you pass between the Ka'aba and Hijre Ismail during Tawaaf, that particular circuit will be void.

So, you will have to repeat the circuit. It is Ahwat, (recommended) to not touch Hijre Ismail. It is Ahwat (recommended) not placing your hands on Hijre Ismail during Tawaaf. The area of Tawaaf is defined as one between Ka'aba and Maqam al-Ibrahim. This is about 40 feet or 26 and half arm lengths. Tawaaf must be carried out within this area, and not beyond. As mentioned earlier, Hijre Ismail is adjoining Ka'aba. It covers nearly 31 feet of space left.

So, when you reach here, you find only 9 feet of open space on the left. You will keep yourself within this area during Tawaaf. Agha Khui had said that Tawaaf beyond its area would not be correct. But if it becomes extremely difficult to do so due to the great number of people, or other disabilities, then Tawaaf beyond the described area would be deemed sufficient. Around the Ka’aba near its foundation, there are small supporting walls. During Tawaaf, one must not pass over them.

If one passes over them, or touches them during Tawaaf, it will be necessary to repeat the part of the circuit which was done on the said walls, and then, it would be Ahwat to repeat the whole Tawaaf all over. The number of circuits in each Tawaaf is Seven. Each round begins from Hajarul Aswad and ends there. A Tawaaf of less or more then seven rounds is Batil.