The Boy Who Swam the Tawaf in Mecca’s Floods

In 1941 Floods, Young Ali al-Awadhi Performed Tawaf by Swimming Around the Kaaba

Mecca, Saudi Arabia – In one of the most unusual and poignant episodes in modern Islamic pilgrimage history, a young Bahraini boy by the name of Ali al-Awadhi swam around the Kaaba during a catastrophic flood in Mecca, completing the tawaf in neck-deep water.

The incident dates back to 1941, when unusually torrential rains triggered flash floods that inundated the Grand Mosque courtyard (Mataf) in Mecca. Reports suggest that floodwaters rose up to six feet (about 1.8 m) in places, leaving the Kaaba partly submerged. The Siasat Daily+2طقس العرب+2

At that time, Ali al-Awadhi was about 12 years old and studying in Mecca. Reddit+2The Siasat Daily+2 He and a few companions — including his brother, two friends, and their teacher — decided to visit the Grand Mosque, only to find the entire courtyard under water. طقس العرب+2Masjid Al Haram Makkah+2

Being a good swimmer, al-Awadhi suggested that they perform the tawaf by swimming instead of walking, so as not to abandon the ritual despite the floodwaters. Reddit+2The Siasat Daily+2

As he recounted years later, the police initially tried to stop them — reportedly out of concern that someone might seize the Black Stone or for safety reasons. Reddit+2Masjid Al Haram Makkah+2 Despite the objections, al-Awadhi persuaded the authorities to let him complete the circuit while swimming. Reddit+2The Siasat Daily+2

He said he was filled with a mix of joy and fear: joy at the unique opportunity to fulfill the tawaf under such extraordinary circumstances, fear at the thought that police might resort to violence — though he later learned the officer’s gun was unloaded. Reddit+2Masjid Al Haram Makkah+2

Photographs from that time show a nearly submerged Ali al-Awadhi, wading or swimming in deep water around the Kaaba, particularly near the Maqam Ibrahim. The Siasat Daily+2Life in Saudi Arabia+2

Al-Awadhi’s story has since become legendary among Muslims, frequently cited on social media and in anecdotal retellings as possibly the only person to have completed a tawaf around the Kaaba by swimming. Masjid Al Haram Makkah+4Facebook+4Facebook+4

When he died in 2015 at an old age, many obituaries and retrospectives remarked on this remarkable youthful episode as a symbol of devotion and adaptability. Masjid Al Haram Makkah+1

Whether al-Awadhi was literally the only person in history ever to swim a tawaf is difficult to verify from historical sources, but the incident remains unique in the modern record and continues to be quoted as testament to the spiritual determination of pilgrims in extreme circumstances.