Al-Baqarah Verse 158

Indeed, ˹the hills of˺ Ṣafa and Marwah[[ Ṣafa and Marwah are two hills near the Ka’bah in Mecca. ]] are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever performs the pilgrimage or minor pilgrimage,[[ Known as ḥajj and ’umrah to the Sacred Mosque in Mecca.]] let them walk between ˹the two hills˺. And whoever does good willingly, Allah is truly Appreciative, All-Knowing.

Indeed, Safa and Marwah [mounts] are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever performs the pilgrimage or ‘Umra, there is no blame upon him to go between them. And whoever does good voluntarily, then Allah is All-Appreciative, All-Knowing.

Safa and Marwa are among the waymarks of God; so whosoever makes the Pilgrimage to the House, or the Visitation, it is no fault in him to circumambulate them; and whoso volunteers good, God is All-grateful, All-knowing

Safa and Marwa are among the rites of God, so for those who make major or minor pilgrimage to the House it is no offence to circulate between the two. Anyone who does good of his own accord will be rewarded, for God rewards good deeds, and knows everything.

Verily Safa and Marwa are of the landmarks of Allah; so whosoever maketh a pilgrimage to the House, or performeth the Umra, in him there is no fault if he walketh in-between the twain. And whosoever voluntarily doth good, then verily Allah is Appreciative, Knowing.

Behold! Safa and Marwa are among the Symbols of Allah. So if those who visit the House in the Season or at other times, should compass them round, it is no sin in them. And if any one obeyeth his own impulse to good,- be sure that Allah is He Who recogniseth and knoweth.

Indeed Safa and Marwah are among the emblems of Allah: it is, therefore, no sin for him, who performs Hajj or `Umrah to the House of AIIah, to run between the two hills; and Allah knows and appreciates him who does any good with a willing heart.

Truly Safa and Marwa are the symbols of God. Whoever goes on pilgrimage to the House (of God), or on a holy visit, is not guilty of wrong if he walk around them; and he who does good of his own accord will find appreciation with God who knows everything.

Undoubtedly Safa and Marwah* are among the symbols of Allah; so there is no sin on him, for whoever performs the Hajj (pilgrimage) of this House (of Allah) or the Umrah (lesser pilgrimage), to go back and forth between them; and whoever does good of his own accord, then (know that) indeed Allah is Most Appreciative (rewards virtue), the All Knowing. (These are 2 hillocks near the Holy Ka’aba)

Indeed Safa and Marwah are among Allah’s sacraments. So whoever makes hajj to the House, or performs the ‘umrah, there is no sin upon him to circuit between them. Should anyone do good of his own accord, then Allah is indeed appreciative, all-knowing.

(The hills of) as-Safa and Marwah are among the emblems God has appointed (to represent Islam and the Muslim community). Hence whoever does the Hajj (the Major Pilgrimage) to the House (of God, the Ka‘bah) or the ‘Umrah (the Minor Pilgrimage), there is no blame on him to run between them (and let them run after they go round the Ka‘bah as an obligatory rite). And whoever does a good work voluntarily (such as additional going-round the Ka‘bah and running between as-Safa and Marwah, and other kinds of good works) surely God is All-Responsive to thankfulness, All-Knowing.

The Safâ and the Marwah (- the two eminences near Ka`bah) are certainly (two) of the symbols of Allâh, so he who is on Pilgrimage to the House or performs `Umrah (- a visit to Ka`bah), there is no blame on him to perform Tawâf (- to run between) the two (eminences), and he who remains thoroughly dutiful and chooses to do good deeds spontaneously, then surely (he will find) Allâh is Appreciative and rewards every good deed done. Surely, Allâh is All-Knowing.

That the Saffa/rock and the Marwa/flint stones (are) from God`s methods/ways of worship, so who performed pilgrimage (to) the House/Home , or headed to/visited so no offense/guilt/sin on him that (he) circles/walks around by them (B), and who volunteered good , so that God (is) thankful/grateful, knowledgeable.

Undoubtedly Safa and Marwah * are among the symbols of Allah; so there is no sin on him, for whoever performs the Hajj (pilgrimage) of this House (of Allah) or the Umrah (lesser pilgrimage), to go back and forth between them; and whoever does good of his own accord, then (know that) indeed Allah is Most Appreciative (rewards virtue), the All Knowing. (These are 2 hillocks near the Holy Ka’aba)

Verily, Zafa and Merwah (mountains near the Kaaba) are of the beacons (symbols) of Allah, and he who makes the pilgrimage unto the House, or visits it at other times, it is no crime for him to compass them both about; and he who obeys his own Impulse to Good - Allah is Responsive, Aware.

Verily! As-Safa and Al-Marwah (two mountains in Makkah) are of the Symbols of Allah. So it is not a sin on him who perform Hajj or 'Umrah (pilgrimage) of the House (the Ka'bah at Makkah) to perform the going (Tawaf) between them (As-Safa and Al-Marwah). And whoever does good voluntarily, then verily, Allah is All-Recogniser, All-Knower.

The Safa and the Marwah are truly among the signs of Allah; so whoever makes a pilgrimage to the House or pays a visit (to it), there is no blame on him if he goes round them. And whoever does good spontaneously -- surely Allah is Bountiful in rewarding, Knowing.

Surely the Safa and the Marwa are among the signs appointed by Allah; so whoever makes a pilgrimage to the House or pays a visit (to it), there is no blame on him if he goes round them both; and whoever does good spontaneously, then surely Allah is Grateful, Knowing.

Lo! (the mountains) As-Safa and Al-Marwah are among the indications of Allah. It is therefore no sin for him who is on pilgrimage to the House (of Allah) or visiteth it, to go around them (as the pagan custom is). And he who doeth good of his own accord, (for him) lo! Allah is Responsive, Aware.

Safa and Marwah (names of two places in Mecca) are reminders of God. It is no sin for one who visits the Sacred House (in Mecca) to walk seven times between (Safa and Marwah.) Whoever willingly does a good deed in obedience to God, will find God All-knowing and Fully Appreciative.

Safah and Marwah are the waymarks of Allah. Whoever performs the pilgrimage to the House or the visit, there shall be no guilt on him to circumambulate between both of them. And whoever volunteers good, Allah is Thankful, the Knower.

Verily, As-Safa and Al-Marwah are of the symbols of Allah. So it is not a sin on him who performs Hajj or `Umrah (pilgrimage) of the House to perform Tawaf between them. And whoever does good voluntarily, then verily, Allah is All-Recognizer, All-Knower.

Safa and Marwah are among the symbols set up by God; there is nothing wrong if anyone goes on a pilgrimage to the House, or performs a minor pilgrimage, in walking to and fro between them. Of anyone who does good of his own accord, God is appreciative, and aware.

Safa and Marwa are among the rites of God. Whoever makes the Pilgrimage to the House, or performs the Umrah, commits no error by circulating between them. Whoever volunteers good—God is Appreciative and Cognizant.

Truly Saf and Marwa, two mountains near Mecca, are among the waymarks (sha`'ir, plural of sha`ra) of God, the [ritual] ceremonies of His religion, so whoever makes the Pilgrimage to the House, or the Visitation, that is, whoever prepares to perform the Pilgrimage [hajj] or the Visitation [`umra]; the original sense of both terms [hajja and i`tamara] is `to aim for' and `to visit', respectively; he would not be at fault, [it would not be] a sin, if he circumambulates them (the original t' [of yatatawwafa, `circumambulate'] has been assimilated with the t'), by pacing quickly (sa`y) between them seven times; this was revealed when the Muslims were averse to this [circumambulation], because the pagan Arabs used to circumambulate them, and there was an idol atop each mountain which they used to stroke. It is reported from Ibn `Abbs that this pacing [between the two] is not obligatory, based on the fact that when no sin can be incurred, the context implies free choice. Al-Shfi` and others, however, considered it to be a pillar [of the Pilgrimage rituals]. The Prophet made clear its obligatory aspect when he said that, `God has prescribed for you the pacing [sa`y]', as reported by al-Bayhaq and others; and he [the Prophet] also said, `Begin with what God has begun', meaning, al-Saf, as reported by Muslim; and whoever volunteers (tatawwa`a; a variant reading is yattawa`, the ta' here being assimilated) good, that is, any good deed such as circumambulation or other, that is not obligatory on him; God is Grateful, for such a deed and rewards that person for it, Knowing, it.

The Meaning of "it is not a sin" in the Ayah

Allah says

إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَأيِرِ اللّهِ فَمَنْ حَجَّ الْبَيْتَ أَوِ اعْتَمَرَ فَلَ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَن يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا


Verily, As-Safa and Al-Marwah are of the symbols of Allah. So it is not a sin on him who performs Hajj or Umrah (pilgrimage) of the House to perform Tawaf between them.

Imam Ahmad reported that Urwah said that he asked Aishah about what Allah stated;

"By Allah! It is not a sin if someone did not perform Tawaf around them."

Aishah said,

"Worst is that which you said, O my nephew! If this is the meaning of it, it should have read, `It is not a sin if one did not perform Tawaf around them.'

Rather, the Ayah was revealed regarding the Ansar, who before Islam, used to assume Ihlal (or Ihram for Hajj) in the area of Mushallal for their idol Manat that they used to worship. Those who assumed Ihlal for Manat, used to hesitate to perform Tawaf (going) between Mounts As-Safa and Al-Marwah. So they (during the Islamic era) asked Allah's Messenger about it, saying, `O Messenger of Allah! During the time of Jahiliyyah, we used to hesitate to perform Tawaf between As-Safa and Al-Marwah.'

Allah then revealed;

إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَأيِرِ اللّهِ فَمَنْ حَجَّ الْبَيْتَ أَوِ اعْتَمَرَ فَلَ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَن يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا


Verily, As-Safa and Al-Marwah are of the symbols of Allah. So it is not a sin on him who performs Hajj or Umrah of the House to perform the going (Tawaf) between them."

Aishah then said,

"Allah's Messenger has made it the Sunnah to perform Tawaf between them (As-Safa and Al-Marwah), and thus, no one should abandon performing Tawaf between them."

This Hadith is reported in the Sahihayn.

In another narration, Imam Az-Zuhri reported that Urwah said;

Later on I (Urwah) told Abu Bakr bin Abdur-Rahman bin Al-Harith bin Hisham (of Aishah's statement) and he said,

"I have not heard of such information. However, I heard learned men saying that all the people, except those whom Aishah mentioned, said, `Our Tawaf between these two hills is a practice of Jahiliyyah.'

Some others among the Ansar said, `We were commanded to perform Tawaf of the Ka`bah, but not between As-Safa and Al-Marwah.' So Allah revealed;
إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَأيِرِ اللّهِ
(Verily, As-Safa and Al-Marwah are of the symbols of Allah)."

Abu Bakr bin Abdur-Rahman then said,

"It seems that this verse was revealed concerning the two groups."

Al-Bukhari collected a similar narration by Anas.

Ash-Sha`bi said,

"Isaf (an idol) was on As-Safa while Na'ilah (an idol) was on Al-Marwah, and they used to touch (or kiss) them. After Islam came, they were hesitant about performing Tawaf between them. Thereafter, the Ayah (2;158 above) was revealed."
The Wisdom behind legislating Sa`i between As-Safa and Al-Marwah

Muslim recorded a long Hadith in his Sahih from Jabir, in which Allah's Messenger finished the Tawaf around the House, and then went back to the Rukn (pillar, i.e., the Black Stone) and kissed it. He then went out from the door near As-Safa while reciting;
إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَأيِرِ اللّهِ
(Verily, As-Safa and Al-Marwah are of the symbols of Allah).

The Prophet then said, (I start with what Allah has commanded me to start with (meaning start the Sa`i (i.e., fast walking) from the As-Safa).

In another narration of An-Nasa'i, the Prophet said, (Start with what Allah has started with (i.e., As-Safa)).

Imam Ahmad reported that Habibah bint Abu Tajrah said,

"I saw Allah's Messenger performing Tawaf between As-Safa and Al-Marwah, while the people were in front of him and he was behind them walking in Sa`i. I saw his garment twisted around his knees because of the fast walking in Sa`i (he was performing) and he was reciting;

اسْعَوْا فَإِنَّ اللهَ كَتَبَ عَلَيْكُمُ السَّعْي

Perform Sa`i, for Allah has prescribed Sa`i on you."'

This Hadith was used as a proof for the fact that Sa`i is a Rukn of Hajj.

It was also said that;
Sa`i is Wajib, and not a Rukn of Hajj and that if one does not perform it by mistake or by intention, he could expiate the shortcoming with Damm.

Allah has stated that Tawaf between As-Safa and Al-Marwah is among the symbols of Allah, meaning, among the acts that Allah legislated during the Hajj for Prophet Ibrahim.

Earlier we mentioned the Hadith by Ibn Abbas that the origin of Tawaf comes from the Tawaf of Hajar (Prophet Ibrahim's wife), between As-Safa and Al-Marwah seeking water for her son (Ismail). Ibrahim had left them in Makkah, where there was no habitation for her. When Hajar feared that her son would die, she stood up and begged Allah for His help and kept going back and forth in that blessed area between As-Safa and Al-Marwah. She was humble, fearful, frightened and meek before Allah. Allah answered her prayers, relieved her of her loneliness, ended her dilemma and made the well of Zamzam bring forth its water for her, which is;

طَعَامُ طُعْمٍ وَشِفَاءُ سُقْم

A tasty (or nutritional) food and a remedy for the illness.

Therefore, whoever performs Sa`i between As-Safa and Al-Marwah should remember his meekness, humbleness and need for Allah to guide his heart, lead his affairs to success and forgive his sins. He should also want Allah to eliminate his shortcomings and errors and to guide him to the straight path. He should ask Allah to keep him firm on this path until he meets death, and to change his situation from that of sin and errors to that of perfection and being forgiven, --- the same providence which was provided to Hajar.

Allah then states;

وَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا

And whoever does good voluntarily.

It was said that;

the Ayah describes performing Tawaf more than seven times,

it was also said that;

it refers to voluntary Umrah or Hajj.

It was also said that;

it means volunteering to do good works in general, as Ar-Razi has stated.

The third opinion was attributed to Al-Hasan Al-Basri. Allah knows best.

Allah states;

فَإِنَّ اللّهَ شَاكِرٌ عَلِيمٌ


then verily, Allah is All-Recognizer, All-Knower.

meaning, Allah's reward is immense for the little deed, and He knows about the sufficiency of the reward. Hence, He will not award insufficient rewards to anyone.

Indeed;

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ وَإِن تَكُ حَسَنَةً يُضَـعِفْهَا وَيُوْتِ مِن لَّدُنْهُ أَجْراً عَظِيماً

Surely, Allah wrongs not even of the weight of an atom, but if there is any good (done), He doubles it, and gives from Him a great reward. (4;40