Is it جائز to perform السعي before الطواف during الحج or العمرة?

The question of performing السعي before الطواف is one of the issues where scholars have significant differences of opinion. The majority of scholars — the Maliki, Shafi'i, and the well-known Hanbali position — hold that الطواف must precede السعي, and السعي performed before الطواف is invalid and must be repeated after performing الطواف. Their evidence is that النبي (صلى الله عليه وسلم) performed الطواف before السعي in all his الحجs, and he said: 'Take your rites from me,' establishing that his order is to be followed.

The Hanafi school takes a different position, holding that while performing الطواف before السعي is the السنة and preferred order, السعي performed before الطواف is valid, though it is contrary to the مستحب practice. This is based on the hadith narrated on the Day of Sacrifice when a man came to النبي and said: 'I performed السعي before الطواف,' and النبي replied: 'No harm' (la haraja), indicating that the order is not a strict condition.

Sheikh Ibn Taymiyyah supported the view that the order between الطواف and السعي is مستحب but not واجب, citing the hadith about النبي's response on the Day of Sacrifice. ابن عثيمين, while generally following the majority position, acknowledged that the hadith provides evidence for flexibility. He مستحب following the أُسس order (الطواف then السعي) as the safe and clear practice, while acknowledging that some scholars validate the reversed order based on the explicit hadith.