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

asked Aishah ᴿᴬ and said to her, “What do you think of the saying of Allah ﷻ, "Indeed, al-Safa and al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah, so whoever performs Hajj to the House or performs Umrah, there is no blame upon him to go around between them"? By Allah, there is no blame on anyone if he does not go between al-Safa and al-Marwah.” She said, “What a terrible thing you have said, O son of my sister. If it were as you have interpreted it, it would have been: there is no blame upon him if he does not go around between them. Rather, it was revealed concerning the Ansar.

Before they embraced Islam, they used to enter into talbiyah for Manah, the false deity whom they worshiped near al-Mushallal, and whoever entered into talbiyah for it would feel uneasy about going between al-Safa and al-Marwah. When they embraced Islam, they asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about that and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, we used to feel uneasy about going between al-Safa and al-Marwah.’ So Allah ﷻ revealed: "Indeed, al-Safa and al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah", the ayah.” Aishah ᴿᴬ said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ established the going between them, so no one may leave going between them.”

Then I informed Abu Bakr b. Abd al-Rahman, and he said, “This is knowledge that I had not heard. I have heard men among the people of knowledge mention that the people, except those whom Aishah mentioned, among those who used to enter into talbiyah for Manah, all used to go between al-Safa and al-Marwah. When Allah ﷻ mentioned tawaf around the House and did not mention al-Safa and al-Marwah in the Quran, they said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, we used to go between al-Safa and al-Marwah, and Allah ﷻ has revealed tawaf around the House but has not mentioned al-Safa. Is there any blame upon us if we go between al-Safa and al-Marwah?’ So Allah ﷻ revealed: "Indeed, al-Safa and al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah", the ayah.” Abu Bakr said, “Thus I understand that this verse was revealed concerning both groups: those who, in the time of Jahiliyyah, used to feel uneasy about going between al-Safa and al-Marwah, and those who used to go between them but then felt uneasy about going between them in Islam because Allah ﷻ commanded tawaf around the House and did not mention al-Safa, until He mentioned that after He had mentioned tawaf around the House.”

سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ ؓ، فَقُلْتُ لَهَا: أَرَأَيْتِ قَوْلَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى ﴿إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ فَمَنْ حَجَّ الْبَيْتَ أَوِ اعْتَمَرَ فَلاَ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا﴾؟ فَوَاللَّهِ، مَا عَلَى أَحَدٍ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ لاَ يَطُوفَ بِالصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ. قَالَتْ: بِئْسَ مَا قُلْتَ يَا ابْنَ أُخْتِي، إِنَّ هَذِهِ لَوْ كَانَتْ كَمَا أَوَّلْتَهَا عَلَيْهِ، كَانَتْ: لاَ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ لاَ يَتَطَوَّفَ بِهِمَا، وَلَكِنَّهَا أُنْزِلَتْ فِي الأَنْصَارِ؛

كَانُوا قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسْلِمُوا يُهِلُّونَ لِمَنَاةَ الطَّاغِيَةِ الَّتِي كَانُوا يَعْبُدُونَهَا عِنْدَ الْمُشَلَّلِ، فَكَانَ مَنْ أَهَلَّ يَتَحَرَّجُ أَنْ يَطُوفَ بِالصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ. فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمُوا سَأَلُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ ذَلِكَ، قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنَّا كُنَّا نَتَحَرَّجُ أَنْ نَطُوفَ بَيْنَ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى ﴿إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ﴾ الآيَةَ. قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ ؓ: وَقَدْ سَنَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الطَّوَافَ بَيْنَهُمَا، فَلَيْسَ لأَحَدٍ أَنْ يَتْرُكَ الطَّوَافَ بَيْنَهُمَا.

ثُمَّ أَخْبَرْتُ أَبَا بَكْرِ بْنَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّ هَذَا لَعِلْمٌ مَا كُنْتُ سَمِعْتُهُ، وَلَقَدْ سَمِعْتُ رِجَالاً مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ يَذْكُرُونَ أَنَّ النَّاسَ، إِلاَّ مَنْ ذَكَرَتْ عَائِشَةُ مِمَّنْ كَانَ يُهِلُّ بِمَنَاةَ، كَانُوا يَطُوفُونَ كُلُّهُمْ بِالصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ. فَلَمَّا ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى الطَّوَافَ بِالْبَيْتِ، وَلَمْ يَذْكُرِ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ، قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، كُنَّا نَطُوفُ بِالصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ، وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ أَنْزَلَ الطَّوَافَ بِالْبَيْتِ، فَلَمْ يَذْكُرِ الصَّفَا، فَهَلْ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ حَرَجٍ أَنْ نَطَّوَّفَ بِالصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ؟ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى ﴿إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ﴾ الآيَةَ. قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ: فَأَسْمَعُ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ نَزَلَتْ فِي الْفَرِيقَيْنِ كِلَيْهِمَا، فِي الَّذِينَ كَانُوا يَتَحَرَّجُونَ أَنْ يَطُوفُوا بِالْجَاهِلِيَّةِ بِالصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ، وَالَّذِينَ يَطُوفُونَ ثُمَّ تَحَرَّجُوا أَنْ يَطُوفُوا بِهِمَا فِي الإِسْلاَمِ مِنْ أَجْلِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَمَرَ بِالطَّوَافِ بِالْبَيْتِ وَلَمْ يَذْكُرِ الصَّفَا، حَتَّى ذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ بَعْدَ مَا ذَكَرَ الطَّوَافَ بِالْبَيْتِ.

I asked Anas bin Malik: "Did you use to dislike to perform Tawaf between Safa and Marwa?" He said, "Yes, as it was of the ceremonies of the days of the Pre-Islamic period of ignorance, till Allah revealed: 'Verily! (The two mountains) As-Safa and Al-Marwa are among the symbols of Allah. It is therefore no sin for him who performs the pilgrimage to the Kaʿba, or performs ʿUmra, to perform Tawaf between them.' " (2.158)

قُلْتُ لأَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ ؓ: أَكُنْتُمْ تَكْرَهُونَ السَّعْىَ بَيْنَ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، لأَنَّهَا كَانَتْ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ حَتَّى أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ {إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ فَمَنْ حَجَّ الْبَيْتَ أَوِ اعْتَمَرَ فَلاَ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا}