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| Arabic | سَعْي |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | SA-ee |
| Etymology | From the Arabic root س-ع-ي (s-a-y), meaning to walk, strive, endeavor, or exert effort. Sa'ee captures both the physical act of walking and the spiritual concept of striving in Allah's path, mirroring Hajar's determined effort to sustain her child. |
Sa'ee(سَعْي) Sa'ee is the ritual walking between the hills of الصفا and المروة seven times, performed as part of both الحج and العمرة. It commemorates Hajar's search for water and is considered a pillar (Rukn) of the الحج.
سَعْي
Sa'ee (alternatively transliterated as السعي) is one of the essential rites of both الحج and العمرة. The ritual retraces the footsteps of Hajar (Hagar), the wife of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), who ran desperately between the hills of الصفا and المروة seeking water for her thirsty infant son Ismail. After running back and forth seven times, the angel Jibreel struck the ground (or Ismail's heel struck it), and the well of زمزم miraculously gushed forth — a spring that flows to this day. The Sa'ee begins at الصفا and proceeds to المروة (counting as one lap), then back to الصفا (lap two), continuing until the seventh lap ends at المروة. The total distance traversed is approximately 3.15 kilometers. Between the two hills, green fluorescent markers indicate the valley area where Hajar ran most urgently — men are encouraged to jog lightly between these markers, while women walk at their normal pace. At the top of each hill, the الحاج faces the الكعبة, raises their hands, and makes دعاء. Sa'ee must be preceded by a valid الطواف; performing it before الطواف is invalid عند جمهور العلماء.
From the Arabic root س-ع-ي (s-a-y), meaning to walk, strive, endeavor, or exert effort. Sa'ee captures both the physical act of walking and the spiritual concept of striving in Allah's path, mirroring Hajar's determined effort to sustain her child.