Praise be to Allah

You have done well to resume your ablution and tawaf (circling the Kaaba) since you have taken the best precaution. Indeed, most of the ulama hold that ritual cleanliness is a condition for the validity of the rounds around the Ka’bah as it is for the validity of the prayer, and just as the prayer could not be validly performed by one who is not in a state of ritual cleanliness, so could the tawaf not be validly performed.

Ibn Qudama said, « Ritual cleanliness is a condition of validity for tawaf according to the best known opinion of Ahmad on this matter. This is also the opinion of Malick and Shafii.

The proponents of this opinion put forward arguments including the following:

1/ The following saying of the Prophet (blessings be upon him): Going around the Kaaba is equivalent to prayer. However, it is permissible for you to speak while doing so (reported by at-Tirmidhi in Irwa al-Ghalil (121).

2/ It is reported in the Two Sahih that Aisha (pbuh) said: « When the Prophet (pbuh) wanted to go around the Kaaba, he made his ablutions. He said, « Set your pilgrimage practices on mine » (reported by Muslim, 1297).

See Fatawa Sheikh Ibn Baz, 17/213-214).

3/ It is reliably reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to Aisha who had seen her period: « Do everything that pilgrims do, except for the rounds of the Ka’bah, which you will do once you have recovered your ritual cleanliness.

The following question was put to Shaykh Ibn Baz (May Allah have mercy on him): « A relative of mine was performing Umrah during Ramadan. After she entered the Holy Mosque, she farted and was ashamed to tell her parents that she wanted to do her ablutions again. And she went to do the rounds of the Kaaba. Once this rite was over, she went alone to do her ablutions and then proceeded to walk between Safa and Marwa. Should she make a sacrifice or make an atonement?

Here is her answer: « The rounds she made around the Kaaba are not valid since ritual cleanliness is a condition of validity of this rite as it is for the prayer. Therefore, she should return to Makkah and repeat the rounds of the House. Also, it is recommended that she repeat the walk between Safa and Marwa because most of the ulama do not allow it to be done before the rounds of the Kaaba. Once this is done, she will cut her hair on all sides of her head and end her Umrah.

If she is married and has sexual intercourse with her husband, she must make a sacrifice in Makkah for the poor. In addition, she will have to perform another Umrah after going to the place set for the entry into the state of sacredness where she had previously performed this rite. This is because the first Umrah would have become null and void because of the intimate act. Therefore, she must proceed as we have said above. She can do it immediately or later according to her ability. Allah is the guarantor of assistance.

See Fatawa of Shaykh Ibn Baz (17/214-215).