al-Sa'y — Rawzat

al-Sa'y — The Walk Between Safa and Marwa: Hajar's Search and the Pilgrim's Path

السَّعيُ بَينَ الصَّفَا وَالمَروَةِ — شِعَارُ السَّعيِ وَقِصَّةُ السَّيِّدَةِ هَاجَر

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Al-Sa'y (السَّعي — the brisk walk, the striving; from *sa'a* — to walk quickly, to strive) is one of the obligatory rites of both Hajj and Umra: seven passages between the two small hills of *al-Safa* and *al-Marwa* in Mecca, beginning at Safa and ending at Marwa. The Quranic warrant: *'Indeed, al-Safa and al-Marwa are among the symbols of Allah — so whoever makes Hajj to the House or performs Umra, there is no blame upon him for walking between them (sa'a bihima). And whoever volunteers good — then indeed, Allah is appreciative and Knowing.'* (2:158) The narrative foundation: the sa'y commemorates Hajar (Hagar) — the wife of Ibrahim al-Khalil and mother of Ismail — who, left alone with her infant in the barren valley of Mecca by divine command, ran seven times between the hills searching desperately for water. Her search ended with the divine miracle: the spring of Zamzam bursting forth at Ismail's feet, sustaining them and eventually drawing tribes to Mecca. The sa'y's spiritual message: Hajar's trust in Allah combined with active searching — she did not sit passively waiting for water but ran, searched, strained — and the divine provision came in response to her effort. In Ismaili ta'wil, Hajar's sa'y is the paradigm of the mu'min's spiritual search: the seeker strives, the Imam provides the water of knowledge.

The Rite of Sa’y

Seven passages: The sa’y involves walking (and in the middle portions, walking at a brisk pace — ramal/harwala) from Safa to Marwa (passage 1), then Marwa back to Safa (passage 2), and so on for seven total passages, ending at Marwa. The distance is approximately 450m each way — 3.15km total. The covered passage (al-Mas’a) between the two hills is now part of al-Masjid al-Haram.

Safa and Marwa: The verse (2:158) was originally a response to Companions who hesitated about the sa’y because the hills had been associated with pre-Islamic idol worship. Allah’s response: the hills are now sha’a’ir Allah (symbols/rites of Allah) — the history of the rite is Hajar and Ibrahim, and the Islamic sa’y reclaims that foundation from any association with idolatry.

Hajar’s Story as Spiritual Teaching

The water of Zamzam: The miraculous emergence of the Zamzam spring — which continues to flow today, providing water to millions of pilgrims — is one of Islam’s enduring signs. The Prophet: ‘The best water on the face of the earth is the water of Zamzam.’ (Tabarani) The pilgrim drinks Zamzam water during Hajj and Umra, directly connecting to Hajar’s story.

Active trust (tawakkul fa’al): Hajar’s example is the Islamic paradigm of active tawakkul: she did not passively wait for Allah to provide but ran between the hills — the very embodiment of the hadith ‘tie your camel, then put your trust in Allah.’ Her effort was the vessel; divine provision filled it.

See also: Tawakkul Trust In Allah, Sabr, Al Du A, Nubuwwa

Ismaili Ta’wil of Sa’y

The seeker’s search: In Ismaili ta’wil, Hajar’s desperate search between Safa and Marwa is the paradigm of the salik (spiritual traveler) who strives between the apparent (zahir) and the hidden (batin) — the two poles of reality — searching for the living water of ilm al-batin. The Zamzam spring that finally appears is the Imam’s knowledge, which appears after the committed search. The message: the water does not come without the walking.

al-Sa'y — The Walk Between Safa and Marwa: Hajar's Search and the Pilgrim's Path

The Rite of Sa’y

Hajar’s Story as Spiritual Teaching

Ismaili Ta’wil of Sa’y

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