Sa'i is the rite of walking or running seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah, enclosed today within a covered gallery beside the Grand Mosque in Mecca, performed by every pilgrim during both the Hajj and the lesser pilgrimage, the Umrah. It commemorates the Islamic account of Hagar's search for water for her son Ishmael, and traditionally follows the pilgrim's Tawaf, the sevenfold circling of the Kaaba.
Facts
Origins
Place of OriginIslamic sources locate sa'i's origin in ancient Mecca, in the Hejaz region of the Arabian Peninsula, tying it to the account of Hagar's search for water; walking between the two hills was already practiced by pre-Islamic Meccan pilgrims before Muhammad incorporated it into the rites of Hajj and Umrah in the seventh century CE. 2 Historical OriginSourced to the subject's own accountSafa and Marwah had been sites of pre-Islamic Arabian religious practice, including idols placed at both hills, and hadith accounts record that some early Muslims hesitated to perform the walk between them for that reason until it was confirmed as an act sanctioned within Islam, addressed directly in the hadith literature and named among the symbols of God in the Quran. 3 Use
OccasionPerformed during both Hajj and Umrah, immediately following the Tawaf around the Kaaba 1 Practice
Who Performs ItAll adherents of the tradition 1 Carried out individually by every pilgrim making Hajj or Umrah, with no priesthood or officiant performing the walk on a worshipper's behalf. Practitioner DetailPerformed individually by every pilgrim; men are encouraged to quicken their pace between two green markers recalling Hagar's own run 2 FrequencyAs the occasion requires 1 Performed each time a pilgrim undertakes Hajj or Umrah rather than on any fixed calendar interval, so a pilgrim who makes either journey more than once performs sa'i again on every occasion. Attestation
Earliest AttestationSourced to the subject's own accountReferenced in the Quran, Surah Al-Baqarah 2:158, which names Safa and Marwah among the symbols of God and permits circling between them; hadith collections including Sahih al-Bukhari record the Prophet Muhammad performing it during his own pilgrimage 3 Attributions
PurposeCommemorates Hagar's search for water for her infant son Ishmael in the Islamic account, an act of desperate faith the rite asks every pilgrim to reenact on foot 1 Meaning
Literal MeaningSa'i literally means effort or striving in Arabic, naming the physical exertion of the walk and run between the two hills rather than describing the hills, the water search, or any object involved in the rite. 1 Status
Current StatusAn obligatory rite of both Hajj and Umrah today, performed by millions of pilgrims annually within a purpose-built, climate-controlled gallery 2 Standing as a Comparative CategorySourced to the subject's own accountA standard analytic category in the study of religion 3 Connections
Belongs to Tradition
Source Hajj: Journey to the Heart of IslamVenetia Porter (ed.)
Performed At
Sa'i, walking between Safa and Marwah, takes place within the Masjid al-Haram precinct in Mecca.
Source The Hajj: The Muslim Pilgrimage to Mecca and the Holy PlacesF. E. Peters
Related To
Sources
1. Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam
Venetia Porter (ed.), British Museum Press, 2012
2. The Hajj: The Muslim Pilgrimage to Mecca and the Holy Places
3. Sahih al-Bukhari
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