TAWAF
When the sun appears on the sky,
At that time a dawn calms down.
The universe is cleaner than the clean water,
When the clouds are expelled.
My eyes glued to the sky,
I enjoy from my own reflection.
My heart ingests the fire (help),
And the soul ingests from this big “Mirror."
It drops the fire-look to my eyes,
It flouts me to cuddle the sky.
I overcome myself and
I take the world’s aches.
--tr. Asror Allayarov from "The Gate Opened by Angels"
Tawaf 2 -- Azra Aghighi Bakhshayeshi
Tawaf ("circling") is one of the Islamic rituals of the Hajj. Muslims go around the Kaaba in Makkah i(Mecca) in a counterclockwise direction three times at a hurried pace and then four times more closely at a leisurely pace to symbolically demonstrate the unity of the believers in the worship of Allah. The circle begins from the Black Stone (al-Ḥajar al-'Aswad) at the corner of the Kaaba; Muslims are supposed to kiss or touch it if possible, but the large crowds make it difficult, so it is acceptable for them to point or hold up their hand to the Stone on each circuit. Each time they approach they make the Takbir prayer ("Allahu Akbar" -- God is the greatest"). After the Tawaf, they proceed to the Maqām Ibrāhīm ("Abraham's place of standing"), a petrosomatoglyph kept in a crystal dome next to the Ka'bah, made by Ibrahim (Abraham) when he was lifting stone blocks to build the Ka'bah, make ablution and evoke their intention to pray for the sake of Allah, stand quietly while reciting sura of the Qur'an, bow low with hands on knees as if waiting for Allah's orders, remain in that rukuʿ position until they attain "calmness," prostrate themselves with forehead, nose, both hands, knees, and all toes touching the ground and and elbows raised, sit with their feet folded under their body, either resting on both heels or sitting on the left foot along the ground and the right leg upright, and recite "Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah" (Peace and blessings of Allah be unto you) once while facing the right and once to the left, then repeating this rak'ah (prayer cycle), drink water from the well of Zamzam within the Masjid al-Haram (20 m [66 ft] east of the Kaaba, and then proceeding to the next ritual, the Sa'yee ("ritual walking"), the back-and-forth movement between the hills of Safa and Marwah. They are also advised to "make ṭawaf" at least once again as their final activity before leaving the city (the Ṭawāf al-Wadāc, "farewell ṭawaf"); however, they may also perform a Ṭawāf al-Qudūm ("arrival ṭawāf") when they reach Makkah, after casting stones at the devil, sacrificing animals, shaving the hair, or entering the Masjid al-Haram.
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