Is the farewell tawaaf obligatory for the people of Jeddah?

Praise be to Allah.

The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked: 

I live in the city of Jeddah and I always go to Makkah. Should I bid farewell to the Sacred House after Hajj, or should I delay that until I am going to travel to my own country? Is there any expiation to be offered for delaying the farewell tawaaf? 

They replied: 

If you do Hajj then do not leave for Jeddah after your Hajj until you have performed the farewell tawaaf. If you left before performing the farewell tawaaf, then you have to offer a sacrifice to be slaughtered in the Haram; and you should not eat any of it, rather it should be given to the poor, because the farewell tawaaf is obligatory after Hajj, because of the general meaning of the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah have mercy on him): “The people were commanded that the last thing they do should do is to circumambulate the House, but an exception was made for menstruating women.” (Saheeh – agreed upon). So you have to repent to Allaah for going out to Jeddah before performing the farewell tawaaf.  

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan. Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta’ (11/303). 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: 

Is it permissible for a pilgrim to travel to Jeddah without performing the farewell tawaaf? What should the one who has done that do? 

He replied: 

It is not permissible for a pilgrim to leave Makkah after Hajj until he has done the farewell tawaaf, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No one among you should leave until the last thing he has done is to circumambulate the House.” Narrated by Muslim. And in al-Saheehayn it is narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The people were commanded that the last thing they do should be to circumambulate the House, but an exception was made for menstruating women.” So it is not permissible for the people of Jeddah or al-Taa’if or anywhere else to leave Makkah after Hajj without performing the farewell tawaaf. 

Whoever travels before doing the farewell tawaaf has to offer a compensatory sacrifice for having omitted an obligatory action. And there are other views concerning that, but this is the correct view on this matter according to the scholars. Some of the scholars said that if he goes back with the intention of performing the farewell tawaaf, that is sufficient and he does not have to offer the sacrifice, but this is subject to further discussion. In order to be on the safe side, if a believer travels a distance that allows him to shorten his prayers without performing the farewell tawaaf, he should offer a sacrifice to make up for this defect in his Hajj. 

Majallat al-Da’wah, issue no. 1685.  

If he cannot slaughter a sheep because he cannot afford it, then he does not have to do anything and he does not have to fast. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, after a detailed discussion on the ruling on one who omits an obligatory action: 

In that case we say to one who has omitted an obligatory action: Offer a sacrifice in Makkah and distribute it (its meat) to the poor; either do this yourself or appoint a person whom you trust to do it for you. If you are unable to do that, then your repentance is sufficient and you do not need to fast. This is what we think concerning this matter. 

Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 7/441. 

And Allaah knows best.