Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
Mushallal Qadeed was the name of a place where the idol temple of Manat was located.
The idols named Isaf and Na’ilah were situated on Safa and Marwah.
All praise is due to Allah, Islam destroyed all of these and raised the banner of Tawheed (monotheism) over every inch of Arabia.
All praise is due to Allah, Who fulfilled His promise and helped His servant.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
We have already explained this hadith in the benefits of Surah Al-Baqarah, verse: 158, Chapter: 21, Hadith: 4495.
Respected readers may kindly refer to it.

➋
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has mentioned this hadith here in view of the introduction of Manat.
"(bil-mushallali min Qudayd)"
— this was where the shrine of Manat was located.
Two idols named Isaf and Na’ilah were installed on Safa and Marwah. The Muslims destroyed them and raised the banner of Tawhid (monotheism) there.

➌
After the earliest generations (Qurūn Ula), once again manifestations of shirk (polytheism) became widespread in the land of Arabia. Allah Ta’ala granted tawfiq (divine enablement) to the reviver of the call (mujaddid al-da‘wah), Shaykh Muhammad bin ‘Abd al-Wahhab, who, joining with the ruler of Dir‘iyyah, eradicated these manifestations of shirk. The renewal of this call was once again carried out by the ruler of Najd and Hijaz, Sultan ‘Abd al-‘Aziz rahimahullah, who eliminated all solidified graves and shrines.

Alhamdulillah! Now, in Saudi Arabia, according to Islamic rulings, there is neither any solidified grave nor any shrine to be seen.

May Allah Ta’ala keep the present government of Saudi Arabia established for a long time and Himself take account of its ill-wishers, who day and night express the malice of their hearts against it.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
Safa is the name of a hill near Masjid al-Haram, and likewise, Marwah is a small hill to its north.
Between these two was a valley in the low ground.
Lady Hajarah (alayhas salam) began running between these two hills in search of water to quench the thirst of her child, Isma'il (alayhis salam).
The Sa'i (ritual walking) between Safa and Marwah is a commemoration of that very running.
Allah, the Exalted, included this Sa'i among the rites (manasik) which He taught to His servant Ibrahim (alayhis salam).

➋
The people of Madinah, the Aws and Khazraj, used to worship the idol Manat Taghiyah before Islam and would recite its talbiyah (pilgrimage chant). Similarly, the people of Makkah had installed two idols named Isaf and Na'ilah on Safa and Marwah.
It was well known that there was enmity between the idols of the people of Madinah and the people of Makkah, and for this reason, relations between their respective adherents were also strained.
In the era of ignorance (Jahiliyyah), the situation was such that the people of Madinah were attached to Manat, so during Hajj, they would circumambulate (tawaf) the Ka'bah but would not go to Safa and Marwah, because the idols Isaf and Na'ilah of the people of Makkah were installed there. The people of Makkah, on the other hand, would perform tawaf of the Ka'bah during Hajj and, due to their devotion to their idols, would also perform Sa'i between Safa and Marwah.
When the people of Madinah and the people of Makkah became Muslim, the adherents of Isaf and Na'ilah among the people of Makkah began to say: "We are Muslims, so during Hajj we will perform tawaf of the Ka'bah, but we will not perform Sa'i between Safa and Marwah, because this is an act of Jahiliyyah." The people of Madinah, too, hesitated to perform Sa'i between Safa and Marwah due to two doubts:
First, there was a natural aversion that already existed within them; second, it was an act from the era of ignorance.
Allah, the Exalted, in the aforementioned verse, admonished both the people of Makkah and the people of Madinah.

➌
Lady A'ishah's (radi Allahu anha) nephew, 'Urwah ibn Zubayr (radi Allahu anhu), developed a doubt that the meaning of (لَا جُنَاحَ) ("there is no sin") is that Sa'i between Safa and Marwah is not necessary, because (لَا جُنَاحَ) is generally used in the context of permissible matters.
Lady A'ishah (radi Allahu anha) replied that what you have understood is not based on reality, because the negation of sin is in performing the Sa'i, meaning there is no harm in doing it.
There can be four possibilities in this:
It may be obligatory (fard), necessary (wajib), Sunnah, or permissible (mubah). 'Urwah (rahimahullah) thought that the negation of sin was for not performing the Sa'i, whereas this approach is adopted only for something being forbidden (haram) or disliked (makruh), and this would have been established if the verse had said:
"If one does not perform their tawaf, there is no sin."
But the style of the verse is the opposite.
In reality, this verse is about those people who had doubts about performing the tawaf; they had no doubt about not performing it.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
Benefits and Issues:
In this hadith, mention is made of the second group among the Ansar who, during the era of ignorance (jahiliyyah), did not perform the circumambulation (tawaf) of Safa and Marwah, and according to their habit, were still not prepared to do so. Through this verse, the aversion in their hearts was removed.

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: Asaf and Na’ilah were two idols that were placed on Safa and Marwah. Some Ansari tribes used to circumambulate (perform tawaf) of Safa and Marwah for their sake. When Islam came, they thought that if now we perform their circumambulation, it will be assumed that we are acting according to the pre-Islamic custom, so we should not do this. The attribution of them being located on the seashore is a mistake of the narrator. The intent of Aisha radi Allahu anha is that in the verse, the sin of those who perform the circumambulation (tawaf) of Safa and Marwah has been removed and negated. If their circumambulation was not necessary, then the sin should have been removed from those who do not perform the circumambulation.

Imam Malik rahimahullah, Imam Shafi’i rahimahullah, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal rahimahullah, and according to the hadith scholars (muhaddithin), the sa’i (ritual walking) between Safa and Marwah is a pillar (rukn) of Hajj and Umrah, without which neither Umrah nor Hajj can be valid. However, according to Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah, Sufyan Thawri rahimahullah, and Hasan Basri rahimahullah, the sa’i is obligatory (wajib) for Hajj and Umrah, but not a pillar (rukn) or a fard (obligatory act). Therefore, its omission can be compensated by a sacrificial animal (dam), and the Hajj will still be valid. According to Imam Ibn Qudamah, this is also the view of Imam Ahmad rahimahullah. Some of the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum ajma’in—Abdullah ibn Mas’ud radi Allahu anhu, Abdullah ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu, Abdullah ibn Zubayr radi Allahu anhu and others, and Ibn Sirin rahimahullah—hold that it is neither a pillar nor obligatory, but a Sunnah.

The requirement of the authentic hadith is that it is a pillar (rukn).

1901. Commentary: To attempt to understand the Noble Qur’an solely on the basis of language and to turn away from authentic ahadith is a grave ignorance. The only valid understanding of the Noble Qur’an, and the true interpretation of Islam, is that which was presented by the Salaf Salihin (the righteous predecessors, i.e., the noble Companions—radi Allahu anhum ajma’in). It is also extremely necessary to benefit from the occasions of revelation (shan al-nuzul) that are established through authentic ahadith and chains of transmission. As has been clarified by Hazrat Aisha radi Allahu anha.

English Translation:

The reasoning of Aisha (radi Allahu anha) is extremely strong: if this circumambulation (tawaf) were not necessary, then Allah the Exalted would have explicitly stated that there is no sin upon one who does not perform the circumambulation. However, the words of the verse are that there is no sin upon one who performs the circumambulation. It is as if some people felt there was sin in performing this circumambulation, and this verse was revealed to remove their doubt. In this verse, the discussion is not about the obligation (wujub) or recommendation (istihbab) of this circumambulation; rather, its obligation is known from the initial part of the verse and from the practice and statements of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). (See, Hadith number: 2970) There were two groups who felt there was sin in the circumambulation between Safa and Marwah: one is those mentioned in this hadith; the other is those who, in the time of ignorance (jahiliyyah), used to perform the circumambulation between Safa and Marwah, but after accepting Islam, considered it sinful. This verse removed the misunderstanding of both these groups. Now, performing sa’i is necessary, as is clearly understood from the final words of Aisha (radi Allahu anha) in this hadith. Imam Shafi’i, Ahmad, and other hadith scholars (rahimahumullah) all consider sa’i to be a pillar (rukn), without which Hajj and Umrah are not valid. For details of the Hanafi position, see the previous hadith.