Is Salat (Prayer) or Tawaf More Excellent?

Al-Kāfi|Volume 4|Book 3|Chapter 126

Al-Kāfi

Volume 4, Book 3, Chapter 126

Is Salat (Prayer) or Tawaf More Excellent?
3 Aḥadīth
Ḥadīth 1

1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قَالَ مَنْ أَقَامَ بِمَكَّةَ سَنَةً فَالطَّوَافُ أَفْضَلُ لَهُ مِنَ الصَّلاةِ وَمَنْ أَقَامَ سَنَتَيْنِ خَلَطَ مِنْ ذَا وَمِنْ ذَا وَمَنْ أَقَامَ ثَلاثَ سِنِينَ كَانَتِ الصَّلاةُ أَفْضَلَ لَهُ مِنَ الطَّوَافِ.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father and Muhammad ibn Isma‘il from af-Fadf ibn Shadhan from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hisham ibn al-Hakam who has said the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that for one who resides in Makkah for one year, Tawaf is more excellent than salat (prayer). One who resides in Makkah for two years should perform sometimes Tawaf and sometimes salat (prayer). For one who resides in Makkah for three years, performing salat (prayer) is more excellent than Tawaf.”

Ḥadīth 2

2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ حَرِيزِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قَالَ الطَّوَافُ لِغَيْرِ أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الصَّلاةِ وَالصَّلاةُ لأَهْلِ مَكَّةَ أَفْضَلُ.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Hariz ibn ‘Abd Allah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that performing Tawaf is more excellent for those who do not reside in Makkah, and for those who reside in Makkah, performing salat (prayer) is more excellent.”

Ḥadīth 3

3ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنِ ابْنِ الْقَدَّاحِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قَالَ طَوَافٌ قَبْلَ الْحَجِّ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ طَوَافٍ بَعْدَ الْحَجِّ.

3. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from ibn Faddal from ibn al-Qaddah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that performing Tawaf before al-Hajj is more excellent than seventy Tawaf after al-Hajj.”