{And let them perform tawaf around the Ancient House} (3). The Hijr is part of it; so whoever does not perform tawaf around it, his tawaf is not counted. This is the opinion of 'Ata', Malik, al-Shafi'i, Abu Thawr, and Ibn al-Mundhir. The followers of [rational] opinion (Ashab al-Ra'y) said: If he is still in Mecca, he shall complete what remains, and if he has returned to Kufa, he owes a blood sacrifice (dam). The same was said by al-Hasan. Our evidence is that it is part of the House, based on the evidence narrated by 'Aishah, who said: I asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, about the Hijr, and he said: "It is part of the House." From her, she said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Your people have shortened the building of the House; and were it not for their recent time in [the era of] Shirk, I would have restored what they left out of it. If it occurs to your people after me to rebuild it, come here so I may show you what they left out of it." So he showed her [an area] near seven cubits. Both are narrated by Muslim (4). From her, may Allah be pleased with her, she said: I said, O Messenger of Allah, I have vowed to pray inside the House. He said: "Pray in the Hijr, for the Hijr is part of the House." In another wording, she said: I used to love to enter the House to pray inside it, so the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, took my hand, entered me into the Hijr, and said: "Pray in the Hijr if you wish to enter the House, for it is but a piece of the House" (5). Al-Tirmidhi said: It is a Hasan Sahih hadith. Thus, whoever leaves out tawaf around the Hijr has not performed tawaf around the entire House, so it is invalid, just as if he were to omit tawaf around a portion of the structure. Furthermore, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, performed tawaf from behind the Hijr, and he, peace and blessings be upon him, has said: "Take your rituals from me" (6).