Sa'y and its rituals

If possible, it is better to ascend on top of Mount As-Safa as it is desirable to face the Qiblah, while remembering Allah and reciting the following supplication (لا إله إلا الله والله أكبر لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له له الملك وله الحمد يحيي ويميت وهو على كل شيء قدير لا إله إلا الله وحده أنجز وعده ونصر عبده وهزم الأحزاب وحده) La ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar, la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la shareeka lahu, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu, yuhyee wa yumeetu, wa Huwa ala kulli shai'in Qadeer, la ilaha illallahu wahdahu, anjaza wa'dahu, wa nasara `abdahu wa hazamal ahzaaba wahdahu.
"There is no true God but Allah and Allah is Most-Great. There is no true God but Allah. He is One, having no partner. And to Him belongs the kingdom and all praises. He causes life and death. He has authority over everything. There is no true God but Allah alone. He fulfilled His promise, helped His slave and He Alone defeated the Ahzab (all the disbelieving Communities)." Then one should raise both the hands and make as many supplications as possible. These supplications can be recited thrice.

After descending one should move towards Mount Al-Marwah. On reaching the first green-light sign, the males should walk at brisk pace until they reach the other green sign. However, women should not do so. They should simply walk throughout. Then one should mount Al-Marwah or stand beside it. If it is possible to mount it, it is better. One should recite the same supplication said at As-Safa, at Al-Marwah.
After descending it, one should walk and move at a brisk pace at the designated place and reach As-Safa. It should be done seven times. To walk towards one side is reckoned as one Sa'y trip and to return is another. The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم did the same and said:

خذوا عني مناسككم

Learn from me your Hajj rites.

As far as possible one should remember Allah and pray during Sa'y and avoid all impurity. It is permissible for one to perform Sa'y while one is not in the state of Wudu (ablution). If a woman after Tawaf has her menstruation or post childbirth blood and performs Sa'y, it would be acceptable. For ritual purity is not a pre-condition for Sa'y, as stated earlier. Ritual purity for Sa'y is a desirable thing. After completing Sa'y one should shave his hair, or shorten it. It is better for a male to shave his hair. However, if one shortens his hair in `Umrah and shaves his head completely in Hajj, it is preferable.

However, if he arrives in Makkah at a time closer to Hajj, it is better for him to shorten his hair so that he may shave his head completely in Hajj. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his Companions had arrived in Makkah on the 4th of Dhul-Hijjah. The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم directed those who had not brought with them their sacrificial animals to get out of the state of Ihram and get their hair shortened. He did not direct them to shave their heads completely. However, for Hajj, it is binding to get all the hair cut, for it is not permissible to cut or shave part of the head hair. For a woman, the Shari'ah ruling is that she should cut a few hairs. Only a handful of hair should be cut off. A woman should not cut her hair more than that, as men do. Having performed these rites one completes `Umrah. It marks also the lifting of all restrictions which were in force during the state of Ihram. However, one who brings his sacrificial animal would continue in the state of Ihram and would be relieved only after both `Umrah and Hajj. As for the one who had donned Ihram for Hajj alone or for both Hajj and `Umrah, in accordance with the Prophet's Sunnah, he should take off the Ihram after `Umrah. He should follow the same code which is practiced by the one performing Hajj At Tamattu'. This does not, however, apply in case one has brought the sacrificial animal. For the Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم had told his Companions:

لولا أني سقت الهدي لأحللت معكم

If I had not brought the sacrificial animal I would have joined you in being relieved of Ihram.

If a woman has her monthly period or post childbirth blood after her Ihram of `Umrah she should not perform Tawaf unless she regains purity. Nor should she do Sa'i of As-Safa and Al-Marwah. Rather, she should defer it and on retaining purity she should perform Tawaf and Say and cut some hair. This would mark the completion of her `Umrah. However, if she cannot regain purity before the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah, she should put on her Ihram at the place where she is staying and go to Mina just like all the others. This will confer on her the status of Qarinah. She would, like other pilgrims stand in `Arafat, stone the Jamarat, spend the night at Al-Muzdalifah, stay in Mina, sacrifice the animal and cut her hair in part. On regaining ritual purity she should perform Tawaf and Sa'y only once and this would count towards both her Hajj and `Umrah. According to the report of `Aishahرضي الله عنها she had her monthly period after putting on Ihram for `Umrah and she was directed by the Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم as follows:

افعلي ما يفعل الحاج غير أن لا تطوفي بالبيت حتى تطهري.

You should do as other pilgrims do except performing Tawaf of the Ka'bah, which you can do when you regain ritual purity

When a menstruating or a woman with post childbirth bleeding casts the pebbles and gets her hair cut, all the restrictions during the period of Ihram will be lifted, such as applying (light or unscented) perfume. The only restriction that remains in force is having sexual contact with her husband which will be lifted by completion of her Hajj. When she completes her Hajj like other women and performs Tawaf and Sa'y afterwards, she will be free to have sexual relations with her husband.

On the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah the residents of Makkah and those among the people of Makkah who intend to perform Hajj should put on Ihram for Hajj at their homes. For, while the Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم and his Companions were staying at Abtah, the Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم directed them to put on Ihram on the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah at their homes. The Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم did not direct them to go to Ka'bah and to put on Ihram there or near Mizab. Likewise, he did not ask them to perform the Farewell Tawaf while going to Mina. Had it been part of the Shari'ah, he would have definitely instructed his Companions to do so. All goodness and success lies only in following the practice of the Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم and his Companions. As it is desirable to take a bath and apply perfume at the time of putting on Ihram near Miqat, the same should be done at the time of putting on Ihram for Hajj

Hajj And Umrah Guides, Pilgrimage Essentials, Mecca & Medina Topics Links:

Advice To Pilgrims | A Step by step Hajj and 'Umrah | Adhkar (Pertaining to the remembrance of Allah) | A Lasting Word For Hajj And 'Umrah | An Account of the Miqat | An Account of visiting the Prophet's Mosque | Ayaam at-Tashreeq | Binding on the pilgrim to refrain from sins | Command about the Menstruating and similar women | Conditional Ihram | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day One | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day Two | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day Three | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day Four | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day Five | Day by Day Rites of Hajj - Day Six | Day of Arafah | Day to Day Activities of Hajj | Dhabh | Duties of pilgrims at 'Arafah | Entering Mecca | Entering Al-Masjid-al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque) and Tawaf | Errors Often Committed by Pilgrims | Etiquette of Ihram | Etiquette of Visiting the Prophet's (P.B.U.H) Grave | Farewell Pilgrimage of the Messenger of Allah | Farewell Tawaf | Farewell Tawaf is binding on everyone except the menstruating and women with post childbirth bleeding | Fixed time for Hajj | Fixed time for Hajj | Four Khutbahs in Hajj | Hajj in Pre-Islamic Times | Hajj of a woman | Hajj, Umrah & Ziyarah At a Glance | Halq or Qass | Halq or Qasr: Shaving or Clipping | Ihram | Ihram for youngsters | Ihram: Introduction And Significance | Innovations of `Arafah | Innovations Before Ihraam | Innovations of Hajj, `Umra and Visiting Madinah | Innovations of Ihraam and Talbiyyah, etc. | Innovations of Muzdalifah | Innovations of Sacrifice and Shaving the Head | Innovations of Sa'y Between Safaa and Marwah | Innovations of Stoning | Innovations of Tawaaf | Innovations of Visiting Madinat-ul-Munawwarah | Innovations of Visiting Bait-ul-Maqdis | Innovations: Various Innovations | Istilaam | Kinds of Ihram | Leaving Arafah to spend night in Al Muzdalefah | Many `Umrahs after Hajj is not encouraged by the Shari`ah | Maqaam Ibraaheem | Meeqaat | Merits of Hajj | Merits of 'Umrah | Minaa | Neglecting and delaying the throwing of pebbles | No Specific Supplication for Tawaf and Sa'y | Not allowed to shave the beard | Not obligatory to visit the Prophet's Mosque | Objective of Hajj - To seek the Divine Pleasure | Obligations during Hajj and Umrah | Performing Hajj on behalf of others | Permitted and Forbidden things in the State of Ihram | Pilgrim with Sacrificial Animal in the month of Hajj should intend Qiran (accompanied Hajj) and the one | Pillars of Hajj | Prayers at Arafah | Preparations for Hajj, Umrah and travelling to the holy lands | Preparing for Hajj or 'Umrah | Prerequisites and Sunnahs of valid Tawaf | Ramy | Reaching Miqat at a Time other than the Hajj Season | Regulations Concerning Hady (Sacrificial animals) | Restrictions of Ihram | Rites, obligations and Sunnahs of Umrah | Sa'y | Sa'y between Safa and Marwah | Sa'y and its rituals | Sacrificial animals | Shaving or clipping hair | Sunnah and allowed throwing | Sunnahs of Tawaf | Supplication at the beginning of the journey | Supplication on entering the Mosque | Supplications at Arafah | Supplications: Some All-Inclusive Supplications | Supplications: Some Supplications which may Be Recited At 'Arafat, at the Sacred Sites, and at Other Places of Supplication | Talbeeyah | Tawaaf | Tawaaf al-Ifaadah | Throwing Al Jemar | Throwing pebbles on behalf of other people | Types of Hajj | Umrah | Veiling and giving up the display of beauty is compulsory for women | Verdict on spending the night at Mina | Visitation of the Prophet's Mosque | Visiting Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi | Visiting Quba Mosque and Al-Baqi' cemetery | What a Pilgrim should do when he reaches the Miqat | What Is Required of the Pilgrims | What is allowed to a Muhrim | Where to pick the pebbles from and the number and size of pebbles | Woman's Hajj with Mahram, expenses of Hajj, taking husband's permission | Woman may enter into the Ihram in any dress | Wuqoof 'Arafaat | Wuqoof Muzdalifah | Zamzam