Fath al-Rabbani

Hazrat Urwah says: I said to Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), “Have you not reflected on this verse: {إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَـرْوَۃَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللّٰہِ فَمَنْ حَجَّ الْبَیْتَ أَوِ اعْتَمَرَ فَلَا جُنَاَحَ عَلَیْہِ أَنْ یَطَّوَّفَ بِہِمَا۔} (Indeed, Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever performs Hajj or Umrah to the House, there is no sin upon him to walk between them.) By Allah! This verse proves that if a person does not perform Sa’i between Safa and Marwah, there is no sin upon him.” She replied, “Nephew! You have said a very wrong thing. If the matter were as you say, then the wording of this verse would have been: FALA JUNAH ‘ALAYHI AN LA YATTOWWAFA BIHIMA (There is no sin upon him if he does not walk between them). The reality is that this verse was revealed because the tribe of the Ansar, before Islam, used to assume Ihram for the idol Manat, and they used to worship it near Mushallal. Those who assumed Ihram for Manat considered performing Sa’i between Safa and Marwah to be a sin. When these people asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about this, Allah the Exalted revealed this verse: {إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَۃَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللّٰہِ فَمَنْ حَجَّ الْبَیْتَ أَوِ اعْتَمَرَ فَلَا جُنَاَحَ عَلَیْہِ أَنْ یَطَّوَّفَ بِہِمَا۔} (Indeed, Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever performs Hajj or Umrah to the House, there is no sin upon him to walk between them.) (Surah Al-Baqarah: 158) Now, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has made Sa’i between these two obligatory, therefore it is not permissible for anyone to abandon this Sa’i.”