Does performing the obligatory prayer after the Tawaf suffice for the two rak'ahs of Tawaf?
Chapter on Mentioning Hajj and Entering Makkah
Al-Mughni
Book of Hajj
Primary text
The obligatory prayer performed after the Tawaf suffices for the two rak'ahs (units of prayer) required after the Tawaf. This view is supported by reports from Ibn Abbas, Atta, Jabir bin Zayd, Al-Hasan, Sa'id bin Jubayr, and Ishaq. The basis for this ruling is that both are prayers ordained for a religious rite (Nusk), and thus the obligatory prayer can fulfill the requirement, similar to how the obligatory prayer fulfills the two rak'ahs of Ihram (initiation into the state of Hajj or Umrah).
Supporting text
An alternative opinion, attributed to Ahmad, dictates that the two rak'ahs of Tawaf must be prayed after the obligatory prayer. This position is favored by Abu Bakr Abd al-Aziz, Al-Zuhri, Malik, and the Ahl al-Ra'y (companions of opinion). Their evidence is that the two rak'ahs of Tawaf are a Sunnah, and an obligatory act (the obligatory prayer) cannot substitute for a Sunnah, analogous to how the obligatory Fajr prayer does not suffice for the two Sunnah rak'ahs of Fajr.