Guidelines, Tips, and Advice for Sayee of Safah and Marwah

by Abdullah S. Travel Agent

Sayee is the concept of walking across the hills of Safah and Marah for 7 circuits. It’s a necessary ritual of the Umrah and Hajj pilgrimage. Therefore, pilgrims arriving in the region for the holy rituals through their Cheap Umrah Packages 2022 must complete the rite of Sayee in order to make their pilgrimage valid.

Here are some general guidelines for Sayee performance.

The region for Sayee.

Sayee must be performed between the two hills of Safa and Marwah, present within the boundaries of Masjid-al-Haram. Usually, Sayee must be performed on the ground level. However, if it’s a crowded time and you don’t have sufficient space on the ground floor, it's permissible to perform Sayee in the middle and roof areas.

Similarly, if you’re performing Sayee during a hot summer day, the middle portion would be a better option while the roof area is better at any other point during the day.

Distance between Safah and Marwah.

The distance for a single lap of Sayee, from Safah to Marwah is approximately 450 meters. Thus, with seven laps the total distance that needs to be covered would be about 3.15 kilometers or 1.96 miles.

It’s necessary for the pilgrims to cover the complete distance, if any part is left uncovered, Sayee would be deemed incomplete and so would umrah/hajj. Therefore, it's essential that you prepare yourself for such a long journey beforehand. If you need, take some rest and refresh yourself before beginning the Sayee ritual.

Prefer completing Sayee on foot.

It’s advisable to cover the entire distance between Safah and Marah on foot. However, if someone’s medical conditions, age, or special needs necessitate the need for a ride; he/she can perform Sayee riding. Tiredness cannot be a valid excuse for it.

Continuity is not an obligation.

Continuity is not an obligation for Sayee observance. Thus, if a pilgrim needs to stop Sayee for a while and take some rest; eat or drink something; perform Wudhu again or for the Fardh Salah; it's permissible. However, one must resume the Sayee from the exact location it was stopped.

Wudhu/Ghusl requirement.

It’s preferable but not necessary to have performed wudhu for Sayee. As a matter of fact, Sayee would also be valid in the case that a pilgrim has performed it in a state of minor or major ritual impurity i.e., requiring Ghusl.

Ambiguity in the Number of laps.

If you have any ambiguity regarding the completion of seven rounds of Sayee, one can perform additional laps for clarification.

During the holy ritual.

Talking is permissible during Sayee however one must abstain from unnecessary talks.
One must not raise its voice while performing Sayee even if it’s for praying, as it can disturb the prayers of others.
There is no Sayee if you are undertaking a Nafal tawaf or even after Tawaf-al-Wida (farewell tawaf).

These are the necessary guidelines for every pilgrim to consider when travelling for the holy rituals of Sayee.