Raml
Raml (Arabic: رمل) refers to the practice of walking quickly, lifting the legs forcefully and sticking out the chest while moving the shoulders during Tawaf al-Umrah and Tawaf al-Qudum, so as to imitate a warrior. It is a sunnah to perform Raml for the first three rounds before returning to normal walking pace for the final four rounds. Neglecting Raml will not invalidate the Tawaf.
The practice of Raml was ordered by the Prophet ﷺ in a display of strength against the enemies of Islam:
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ ❁ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ ـ هُوَ ابْنُ زَيْدٍ ـ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ ❁ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ ❁ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَصْحَابُهُ فَقَالَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ إِنَّهُ يَقْدَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ ❁ وَقَدْ وَهَنَهُمْ حُمَّى يَثْرِبَ. فَأَمَرَهُمُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَنْ يَرْمُلُوا الأَشْوَاطَ الثَّلاَثَةَ ❁ وَأَنْ يَمْشُوا مَا بَيْنَ الرُّكْنَيْنِ ❁ وَلَمْ يَمْنَعْهُ أَنْ يَأْمُرَهُمْ أَنْ يَرْمُلُوا الأَشْوَاطَ كُلَّهَا إِلاَّ الإِبْقَاءُ عَلَيْهِمْ
Ibn Abbas I narrated: “When Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and his companions came to Makkah, the pagans circulated the news that a group of people were coming to them and they had been weakened by the Fever of Yathrib (Madinah). So the Prophet ordered his companions to do Ramal in the first three rounds of Tawaf of the Kaaba and to walk between the two corners (The Black Stone and Yemenite corner). The Prophet ﷺ did not order them to do Ramal in all the rounds of Tawaf out of pity for them.”
[Narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari]
حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدٌ ❁ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ ❁ عَنْ عَمْرٍو ❁ عَنْ عَطَاءٍ ❁ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ إِنَّمَا سَعَى النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بِالْبَيْتِ وَبَيْنَ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ لِيُرِيَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ قُوَّتَهُ
Ibn Abbas I narrated: “The Prophet ﷺ hastened in going around the Kaaba and between the Safa and Marwa in order to show the pagans his strength. Ibn Abbas added, “When the Prophet ﷺ arrived (at Makkah) in the year of peace (following that of Al-Hudaibiya treaty with the pagans of Makkah), he (ordered his companions) to do Ramal in order to show their strength to the pagans and the pagans were watching (the Muslims) from (the hill of) Quaiqan.”
[Narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari]
The practice of Raml was retained by the companions:
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ ❁ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو ❁ حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ ❁ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ ❁ عَنْ أَبِيهِ ❁ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ ❁ يَقُولُ فِيمَ الرَّمَلاَنُ الْيَوْمَ وَالْكَشْفُ عَنِ الْمَنَاكِبِ ❁ وَقَدْ أَطَّأَ اللّٰهُ الإِسْلاَمَ وَنَفَى الْكُفْرَ وَأَهْلَهُ مَعَ ذَلِكَ لاَ نَدَعُ شَيْئًا كُنَّا نَفْعَلُهُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ
Aslam I said: “I heard Umar ibn al-Khattab I say: ‘What is the need of walking proudly (Ramal) and moving the shoulders (while going round the Kaaba)? Allah has now strengthened Islam and obliterated disbelief and the infidels. In spite of that we shall not forsake anything that we used to do during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.'”
[Narrated in Sunan Abu Dawud]
