Ebü'l-Esved

Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Rahman reported:A person from Iraq said to him to inquire from 'Urwa b. Zubair for him whether a person who puts on Ihram for Hajj is allowed to put it off or not as he circumambulates the House. And if he says:" No, it can't be put off," then tell him that there is a person who makes such an assertion. He (Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Rahman) then said: I asked him ( Urwa b. Zubair), where- upon he said: The person who has entered into the state of Ihram for Hajj cannot get out of it unless he has, completed the Hajj I (further) said (to him): (What) if a person makes that assertion? Thereupon he said: It is indeed unfortunate that he makes such an assertion. That person ('Iraqi) then met me and he asked me and I narrated to him (the reply of 'Urwa), whereupon he (the Iraqi) said: Tell him ('Urwa) that a person had informed him that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had done that; and why is it that Asma' and Zubair have done like this? He (Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Rahman) said: I went to him and made a mention of that to him, whereupon he ('Urwa) said: Who is he (the 'Iraqi)? I said: I do not know, whereupon he said: What is the matter that he does not come to me himself and ask me? I suppose he is an 'Iraqi. I said: I do not know, whereupon he said: He has told a lie. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) performed Hajj, and 'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) has told me that the first thing with which he commenced (the rituals) when he arrived at Mecca was that he performed ablution and then circumambulated the Ka'ba. Then Abu Bakr performed Hajj and the first thing with which he commenced (the Hajj) as the circumambulation of the Ka'ba and nothing besides it. So did 'Umar. Then 'Uthman performed Hajj and I saw that the first thing with which he commenced the Hajj was the circumambulation of the Ka'ba and nothing besides it. Then Mu'awiya and Abdullah b. 'Umar did that. Then I performed Hajj with my father Zubair b. al-'Awwam, and the first thing with which he commenced (Hajj) was the circumambulation of the House. He then did nothing besides it. I then saw the emigrants (Muhajirin) and the helpers (Ansar) doing like this and nothing besides it. And the last one whom I saw doing like this was Ibn 'Umar. And he did not break it (the Hajj) after performing 'Umra. And Ibn 'Umar is with them. Why don't they ask him (to testify it)? And none amongst those who had passed away commenced (the rituals of Hajj) but by circumambulating the Ka'ba on their (first arrival) and they did not put off Ihram (without completing the Hajj), and I saw my mother and my aunt commencing (their Hajj) with the circumambulation of the House, and they did not put off Ihram. My mother informed me that she came and her sister, and Zubair and so and so for 'Umra, and when they had kissed the corner (the Black Stone, after Sa'i and circumambulation), they put off Ihram. And he (the 'Iraqi) has told a lie in this matter