It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) that Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: No pilgrim should return from Makkah until he performs the Tawaf of the Ka'bah, because the last act of worship is to perform the Tawaf of the Ka'bah.

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said that when Sayyiduna Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the last act of worship is the Tawaf of the Ka'bah, what is meant by this is that Allah, Glorious and Exalted is He, says: "Whoever honors the symbols of Allah, then it is from the piety of the hearts." Then He says: "Their return is to the Ka'bah." So the culmination of all the rites and acts of worship of Hajj is at the Ka'bah.

It is narrated from Yahya bin Saeed that Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) turned a man back from Marr az-Zahran (a place eighteen miles from Makkah) because he had not performed the Tawaf al-Wada (Farewell Tawaf).

Hazrat Urwah bin Zubair said that whoever has performed the Tawaf al-Ifadah (Tawaf al-Ziyarah), Allah has completed his Hajj. Now, if there is nothing preventing him, he should perform the Tawaf al-Wada' at the time of departure, and if there is any hindrance or excuse, then the Hajj is already complete.

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said that if a person did not know the ruling regarding the Farewell Tawaf, and he returned from Makkah without performing the Farewell Tawaf, then it is not obligatory for him to return, except in the case that he is near Makkah, then he should return and perform the Tawaf, provided that he has already performed the Tawaf al-Ziyarah.