Question:

What is the penalty for carrying a baby with a dirty nappy in Tawaf?

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

In principle, to be free from najāsah hukmiyyah (legal impurity) is a pre-requisite for the validity of ṭawāf.  Being in a state of najāsah ḥukmiyyah would result in a penalty.  Thus one must be in the state of wuḍū’ when performing ṭawāf.
According to the majority opinion in the Hanafī school of Fiqh, it is sunnah mu’akkadah (emphasised practice) to be free from najāsah ḥaqīqiyyah (real impurity) during ṭawāf.  Hence, it is emphasised not to have any urine, blood or stool on oneself or one’s clothing during ṭawāf.[1]

Having najāsah ḥaqīqiyyah on oneself or clothes will not result in a penalty.  However, if the amount of najāsah is more than a dirham (2.75cm in diameter) on one’s body or clothes, it will be severely disliked to perform ṭawāf in such a state.[2]
Having understood the above, another principle to understand is that the najāsah in the nappy of a baby will only be ascribed to the parent if the child cannot walk as yet and doesn’t have self-control.
If the baby can walk and has control over itself, the najāsah will not be ascribed to the parent.[3]
Therefore, if the baby cannot walk and has a dirty nappy where the najāsah is more than the size of a dirham, one’s ṭawāf will be valid but will be makrūh (severely disliked).

In addition, knowingly bringing such a baby with a dirty nappy into the Masjid is also disliked.[4]

In conclusion, there is no penalty binding by performing ṭawāf whilst holding a baby with a dirty nappy.  However, it will decrease one’s reward and bring karāhah (dislike) to one’s ṭawāf.

And Allah Ta’ālā Knows Best
Mufti Faraz Adam,
www.darulfiqh.com