15/43. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1277c — Sa'i Is a Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم
Clarifying that Sa'i between As-safa and Al-Marwah is a pillar of Hajj, without which Hajj is not valid
Sa'i Between Safa and Marwa Hadith: A Sunnah Not to Leave
Sahih Muslim : 1277c
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1277c
حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، وَابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، جَمِيعًا عَنِ ابْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ، - قَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، - قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الزُّهْرِيَّ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَا أَرَى عَلَى أَحَدٍ لَمْ يَطُفْ بَيْنَ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ شَيْئًا وَمَا أُبَالِي أَنْ لاَ أَطُوفَ بَيْنَهُمَا . قَالَتْ بِئْسَ مَا قُلْتَ يَا ابْنَ أُخْتِي طَافَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَطَافَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ فَكَانَتْ سُنَّةً وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ مَنْ أَهَلَّ لِمَنَاةَ الطَّاغِيَةِ الَّتِي بِالْمُشَلَّلِ لاَ يَطُوفُونَ بَيْنَ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ فَلَمَّا كَانَ الإِسْلاَمُ سَأَلْنَا النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ { إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ فَمَنْ حَجَّ الْبَيْتَ أَوِ اعْتَمَرَ فَلاَ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا} وَلَوْ كَانَتْ كَمَا تَقُولُ لَكَانَتْ فَلاَ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ لاَ يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا . قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لأَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ فَأَعْجَبَهُ ذَلِكَ . وَقَالَ إِنَّ هَذَا الْعِلْمُ . وَلَقَدْ سَمِعْتُ رِجَالاً مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّمَا كَانَ مَنْ لاَ يَطُوفُ بَيْنَ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ طَوَافَنَا بَيْنَ هَذَيْنِ الْحَجَرَيْنِ مِنْ أَمْرِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ . وَقَالَ آخَرُونَ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ إِنَّمَا أُمِرْنَا بِالطَّوَافِ بِالْبَيْتِ وَلَمْ نُؤْمَرْ بِهِ بَيْنَ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ { إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ} . قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ فَأُرَاهَا قَدْ نَزَلَتْ فِي هَؤُلاَءِ وَهَؤُلاَءِ .
`Urwa bin Az-Zubair Narrated from:
I said to 'A'isha, the wife of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ): I do not see any (fault) in one who does not circumambulate between al-Safa' and al-Marwa, and I do not mind if I do not circumambulate between them, whereupon she said: O, the son of my sister, what you say is wrong. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) observed Sa'i and so did the Muslims. So it is a Sunnah (of the Prophet). And it was a common practice (with the pagan Arabs) that those who pronounced Talbiya for the wretched al-Manat, situated at Mushalla, did not observe Sa'i between al-Safa' and al-Marwa.With the advent of Islam, we asked Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) about this practice, and (it was on this occasion) that Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, revealed this verse:" Verily al-Safa' and al-Marwa are among the Signs of Allah" ; so he who performed Hajj or 'Umra it is no sin on him if he circumambulates them. And if it were as you state, (then the wording would have been):" There is no harm for him, that he should not circumambulate round them."Zuhri said: I made a mention of that to Abu Bakr b. 'Abd al- Rahman b. al-Harith b. Hisham; he was impressed by that and said: This is what is called knowledge. And I have heard many a scholar saying: Many of the Arabs who did not circumambulate between al-Safa' and al-Marwa said: Our circumambulation between these two hills is an act of ignorance; whereas others among the Ansar said: We have been commanded to circumambulate the House, and not Commanded to run between al-Safa' and al-Marwa. So Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, revealed this verse:" Verily al-Safa' and al-Marwa are among the Signs of Allah." Abu Bakr b. 'Abd al-Rahman said: I think that this (verse) has been revealed for such and such (persons).
[1] Al-Baqarah 2:158. [1] Al-Baqarah 2:158.Reference : Sahih Muslim 1277cIn-book reference : Book 15, Hadith 287USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 7, Hadith 2925
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1277c
This Sa'i between Safa and Marwa hadith is one of the clearest reports in this batch. Urwa told A'isha that he saw no fault in one who did not go between al-Safa and al-Marwa. A'isha answered strongly and said his statement was wrong. She said Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم performed Sa'i, the Muslims performed it, and it became a Sunnah. She then explained that some people who had pronounced Talbiya for Manat did not perform Sa'i before Islam, and after Islam they asked the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم about it. The verse was revealed, showing that Safa and Marwa are among the Signs of Allah. The report also preserves comments from Zuhri and Abu Bakr b. Abd al-Rahman about knowledge.
What we learn from this hadith
- A'isha clearly rejected the idea of leaving Sa'i.
- She said the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the Muslims performed Sa'i.
- The report calls Sa'i a Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
- The verse answered concerns linked to earlier pre-Islamic practices.
