Tawaf The Journey Turning Toward the Heart’s Center
Tawaf: The Journey Turning Toward the Heart’s Center
“Then we, like everything, begin to turn…”
Tawaf is not merely seven circles around the Kaaba.
It is a journey of love turning around the center of the heart.
The body turns,
but the soul tries to remain fixed at the center.
With every step, the world falls further behind;
With every turn, the ego loosens more and more.
Tawaf is:
A remembrance,
A surrender,
And a plea for union.
▫️ The Spiritual Depth of Tawaf
Linguistically, tawaf means “to circle around something.”
It is one of the most symbolic and spiritually intense acts of Hajj and Umrah.
Millions circling the Kaaba are actually aligning with the cosmic orbit.
As the angels circle the celestial Bayt al-Ma’mur,
humans reflect this movement around the Kaaba.
This is a cosmic dhikr — a remembrance.
The fact that tawaf is performed seven times is no coincidence.
Seven represents the heavens, the stages of the self, and layers of the sky.
Each round is the passage through a spiritual station.
The body arrives in the first round,
the heart surrenders in the last.
▫️ Tawaf in Sufi Meaning: The Heart Turning to the Kaaba
In Sufism, tawaf is interpreted as "turning toward the center,"
a transition from the ego’s orbit to the truth of the soul.
The Kaaba is not “God’s house,”
but a symbolic center designated by God on earth.
Thus, tawaf is the heart returning to its own Kaaba —
approaching the core of truth.
Like Mevlana’s sema…
Turning is a journey of the soul (seyr-i suluk).
Arms open, the world behind,
only Love at the center.
The one who performs tawaf leaves a bit of their “self” with each step.
Because they know:
“If ‘I’ remains in the center, there is no room for the Kaaba.”
▫️ Outer Circling – Inner Journey
Tawaf is a bodily act of circling, but a spiritual journey within.
The eyes may look upon the Kaaba,
but the heart seeks Allah.
In the crowd, one turns only to Him —
and in that crowd, everyone is alone.
Each soul stands before its own Kaaba.
Caliph Umar (r.a) once said to the Black Stone:
“You are just a stone. Had I not seen the Prophet kiss you, I would not have kissed you.”
This awareness means tawaf is not directed at the stone,
but toward the Divine Manifestation behind what is seen.
▫️ Seven Circuits – Seven Stages of the Soul
Sufi tradition equates the seven rounds of tawaf with the seven stages of purifying the soul:
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Nafs al-Ammarah – The commanding self (lust and heedlessness)
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Nafs al-Lawwama – The blaming self (remorse and self-reflection)
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Nafs al-Mulhima – The inspired self (guidance and inclination)
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Nafs al-Mutmainna – The peaceful self (calm and assurance)
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Nafs al-Radiyya – The contented self (acceptance and satisfaction)
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Nafs al-Mardiyya – The pleasing self (state Allah is pleased with)
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Nafs al-Kamila – The perfected self (maturity and complete surrender)
With each round, one comes closer to one of these stations.
You circle seven times outwardly —
but the true turning happens within.
Because in the end:
“The center is no longer the self; it is Allah.”
▫️ The Silent Dhikr of Tawaf
Tawaf is a silent dhikr.
People whisper their prayers from within.
Words may not escape the lips,
but the heart’s intention rises to the heavens.
What the person most reflects on during tawaf is:
“Who am I? Where did I come from? To Whom do I belong?”
“Turn, O my heart,
turn so that only He remains at the center…”
▫️ Hajar al-Aswad: The Starting Point
Tawaf begins at Hajar al-Aswad, the Black Stone.
It is a symbol sent from Paradise.
Every circuit starts from here.
It is greeted with salutation.
This is where servanthood begins.
In Sufi interpretation:
“Hajar al-Aswad is the seal of love.”
The lover who starts their journey with that stone
hopes to leave their heart there in the end.
“O Black Stone,
I came too, with my darkened ego.
You came from heaven — I, from earth.
Perhaps my heart, touched by you,
might open again toward the heavens…”
▫️ Tawaf, the Circle, and Eternity
Tawaf is a circle —
and in the circle, there is neither beginning nor end.
It symbolizes infinity,
just like the Names of Allah…
just like Divine Unity (Ahadiyyah)…
like a state beyond time.
As you make tawaf,
you step outside of time.
The clock of the world halts.
Only the “now” remains —
the moment closest to Allah.
▫️ To Circle the Kaaba Is to Stand Still in the Heart
Tawaf is a spiritual orientation toward the Truth.
Outer walking becomes inner seeking.
You move not between stones —
but between secrets.
With pure intention and sincere devotion,
each circuit becomes a prostration,
each step a remembrance.
Because in truth:
The Kaaba is not stone —
The Kaaba is the Heart.
And every soul that performs tawaf
returns to their own heart.
Dr. Özer Akpınar
Researcher – Historian
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