While I was a youngster, I asked ʿAisha the wife of the Prophet. "What about the meaning of the Statement of Allah; "Verily! (the mountains) As-Safa and Al Marwa, are among the symbols of Allah. So, it is not harmful if those who perform Hajj or ʿUmra of the House (Kaʿba at Mecca) to perform the going (Tawaf) between them? (2.158) I understand (from that) that there is no harm if somebody does not perform the Tawaf between them." ʿAisha replied, "No, for if it were as you are saying, then the recitation would have been like this: 'It is not harmful not to perform Tawaf between them.' This verse was revealed in connection with the Ansar who used to assume the Ihram for the idol Manat which was put beside a place called Qudaid and those people thought it not right to perform the Tawaf of As- Safa and Al-Marwa. When Islam came, they asked Messenger of Allah ﷺ about that, and Allah revealed:-- "Verily! (the mountains) As-Safa and Al-Marwa Are among the symbols of Allah. So, it is not harmful of those who perform Hajj or ʿUmra of the House (Kaʿba at Mecca) to perform the going (Tawaf) between them." (2.158) Sufyan and Abu Muawiya added from Hisham (from ʿAisha): "The Hajj or ʿUmra of the person who does not perform the going (Tawaf) between As-Safa and Al-Marwa is incomplete in Allah's sight.
أَنَّهُ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعَائِشَةَ ؓ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَأَنَا يَوْمَئِذٍ حَدِيثُ السِّنِّ أَرَأَيْتِ قَوْلَ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى {إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ فَمَنْ حَجَّ الْبَيْتَ أَوِ اعْتَمَرَ فَلاَ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا} فَلاَ أُرَى عَلَى أَحَدٍ شَيْئًا أَنْ لاَ يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا فَقَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ كَلاَّ لَوْ كَانَتْ كَمَا تَقُولُ كَانَتْ فَلاَ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ لاَ يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا إِنَّمَا أُنْزِلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ فِي الأَنْصَارِ كَانُوا يُهِلُّونَ لِمَنَاةَ وَكَانَتْ مَنَاةُ حَذْوَ قُدَيْدٍ وَكَانُوا يَتَحَرَّجُونَ أَنْ يَطُوفُوا بَيْنَ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ فَلَمَّا جَاءَ الإِسْلاَمُ سَأَلُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى {إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ فَمَنْ حَجَّ الْبَيْتَ أَوِ اعْتَمَرَ فَلاَ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا} زَادَ سُفْيَانُ وَأَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنْ هِشَامٍ مَا أَتَمَّ اللَّهُ حَجَّ امْرِئٍ وَلاَ عُمْرَتَهُ لَمْ يَطُفْ بَيْنَ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ