🕋 During Tawaf
1. At the start of every circuit — the Black Stone
Face the Black Stone, raise your hand towards it, and say:
بِسْمِ اللهِ وَاللهُ أَكْبَرُ
Bismillahi wallahu akbar
In the name of Allah; Allah is the Greatest.
Many simply say Allahu akbar. Both are reported. Do not push through the crowd to reach the stone — pointing from a distance fulfils the sunnah.
2. Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone
This short stretch at the end of each circuit is the one place in Tawaf where a specific dua is established:
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Rabbanaa aatinaa fid-dunyaa hasanatan wa fil-aakhirati hasanatan wa qinaa 'adhaaban-naar
Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
The Yemeni Corner itself is touched with the hand if possible — but it is not kissed, and nothing is said while touching it.
3. Everywhere else — your choice
For the rest of each circuit, there is no fixed text. Any of these is excellent:
سُبْحَانَ اللهِ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، وَلَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَاللهُ أَكْبَرُ، وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ
Subhaanallah, walhamdulillah, wa laa ilaaha illallah, wallahu akbar, wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illaa billah
Glory be to Allah; all praise is for Allah; there is no god but Allah; Allah is the Greatest; there is no power or might except with Allah.
أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ
Astaghfirullaha wa atoobu ilayh
I seek Allah's forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
Allahumma salli 'alaa Muhammadin wa 'alaa aali Muhammad
O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad.
- Recitation of the Quran is also entirely appropriate.
- So is silent dua in your own language — whatever you actually think in.
- Ask for specific things. Name the people you are making dua for.
🏃 During Sa'i
Approaching Safa (first time only)
إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللهِ ۖ أَبْدَأُ بِمَا بَدَأَ اللهُ بِهِ
Inna-s-Safaa wal-Marwata min sha'aa'irillah — abda'u bimaa bada'allahu bih
Indeed, Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah — I begin with what Allah began with.
On Safa and on Marwah
Face the Kaaba, raise your hands, and recite the following — commonly three times, making your own dua in between each.
اللهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللهُ أَكْبَرُ
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ، أَنْجَزَ وَعْدَهُ، وَنَصَرَ عَبْدَهُ، وَهَزَمَ الْأَحْزَابَ وَحْدَهُ
Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. Laa ilaaha illallahu wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd, wa huwa 'alaa kulli shay'in qadeer. Laa ilaaha illallahu wahdah, anjaza wa'dah, wa nasara 'abdah, wa hazama-l-ahzaaba wahdah
Allah is the Greatest (three times). There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is capable of all things. There is no god but Allah alone. He fulfilled His promise, aided His servant, and alone defeated the confederates.
Walking between Safa and Marwah
No specific text is required. A widely-recited supplication for this stretch:
رَبِّ اغْفِرْ وَارْحَمْ، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْأَعَزُّ الْأَكْرَمُ
Rabbi-ghfir warham, innaka antal-a'azzul-akram
My Lord, forgive and have mercy; indeed You are the Most Mighty, the Most Generous.
Remember what this walk commemorates: a mother searching desperately for water for her child, and being answered. It is a good place to ask for the thing you are most desperate about.
📿 Worth memorising before you go
Drinking Zamzam
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَافِعًا، وَرِزْقًا وَاسِعًا، وَشِفَاءً مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ
Allahumma innee as'aluka 'ilman naafi'an, wa rizqan waasi'an, wa shifaa'an min kulli daa'
O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, abundant provision, and healing from every illness.
Entering and leaving the mosque
اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ
Allahumma-ftah lee abwaaba rahmatik
O Allah, open for me the doors of Your mercy. (On entering, right foot first.)
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ
Allahumma innee as'aluka min fadlik
O Allah, I ask You of Your bounty. (On leaving, left foot first.)
First sight of the Kaaba
No specific authenticated dua is established for the first glimpse — but it is a moment when dua is widely held to be accepted, so come with something prepared. Ask for what you actually want. Many people arrive, are overwhelmed, and realise afterwards they forgot to ask for anything at all.
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ السَّلَامُ وَمِنْكَ السَّلَامُ، حَيِّنَا رَبَّنَا بِالسَّلَامِ
Allahumma antas-salaam wa minkas-salaam, hayyinaa rabbanaa bis-salaam
O Allah, You are Peace and from You comes peace. Our Lord, greet us with peace.
Travelling
سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ، وَإِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا لَمُنْقَلِبُونَ
Subhaana-lladhee sakhkhara lanaa haadhaa wa maa kunnaa lahu muqrineen, wa innaa ilaa rabbinaa lamunqaliboon
Glory to Him who has subjected this to us, for we could never have accomplished it. And indeed, to our Lord we will return.
🔢 Keeping count
If you lose track of your circuits — and in a crowd most people do at least once — the rule is to act on certainty. Take the lower number and complete the extra circuit.
Open the Tawaf counter