After performing one of the pilgrimages, namely Tawaf (seven rounds of kaaba) and after istilam, the person performing the Hajj will go to maqam Ibrahim to perform two raka’at of prayer for Thawaf. In performing the sunnat thawaf prayer, it is recommended to read the surah Al-Kafirun after reading Al-Fatihah in the first raka’at, and in the second raka’at it is recommended to read Surah al-Ikhlas after reading al-Fatihah. However, if you don’t read this letter it’s okay, you can read another letter. This is not an obligation, it’s just something sunnat (good to do) to done.
After completing two raka’at Shalah, it is obligatory to pray to Allah SWT with humility and full of hope in Allah SWT.
Facts about Maqam Ibrahim
When we talk about the Maqam Ibrahim, it relates to the history of the establishment of the Kaabah by Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and his son Prophet Ismail (AS). Maqam Ibrahim is a large black stone on which Prophet Ibrahim stood when building the kaaba.
This stone will rise and fall according to the needs of Prophet Ibrahim when building the kaaba, and it is one of the stones sent down from heaven beside the Hajar Aswad. On the stone there are footprints of the prophet Ibrahim while standing there, so this is called “Maqam Ibrahim” which means “the place where the prophet Ibrahim (AS) stood. The footprints of the prophet Ibrahim (AS) can still be seen today, in this case Rasulullah SAW said:
“The stone is the station of Ibrahim. Allah made it soft and made it a mercy. Ibrahim would stand on it and Ismail would hand the stones up to him.”
In building the kaaba (see also: Inside the Kaaba), the prophet Ibrahim used stones from five mountains: these are the mountains of Hira, Labnaan, Thubayr, Toor, and the stone of Jabalul Khayr. Toor Seenaa is a rocky mountain located in eastern Egypt. When the prophet Ibrahim had finished building the Kaaba, he was commanded by Allah:
وَأَذِّن فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِجَالًا وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَأْتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ
“And proclaim to mankind the Hajj (pilgrimage). They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every deep and distant (wide) mountain highway (to perform Hajj).” [Al-Hajj 22:27]
Allah ordered the prophet Ibrahim to inform people to perform the pilgrimage. They will come from various corners of the world for the sole purpose of gaining the pleasure of Allah.
At the time of Prophet Ibrahim (AS), Maqam Ibrahim was located and attached to Kaaba, but then Sayyidina Umar RA. move it to where it is now. So, Maqam Ibrahim is a place to perform two rak’ahs of Thawaf prayer.