‘Sai’ is one of the major Umrah rituals in Islam, and ‘Sai’ includes walking back and forth between two mountains seven times. Muslims perform this sacred essential rite to show their love, devotion, and compassion. Sai is a mandatory ritual in both Hajj and Umrah. Muslims perform Sai after completion of Tawaf around the Holy Kaaba. In Islam, Sai holds deep significance as it commemorates the desperate action of Hazrat Hajra A.S. She was alone with her little child in the vast desert without any resources. The literal meaning of Sai is to strive, or to run. The Desperate run of the wife of Prophet Ibrahim, who ran seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah to search for water for her infant Ismail, is the context of this living example. While performing Sai, Muslims also recite multiple Duas and Dhikr when starting the walk at Safa Marwah Mountain. The Dua that Muslims recite before starting the Sai is:
“إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ”
Inna-Safa wal-marwata min Sha’a’irillah.
Indeed, Safa and Marwah are among the symbols (sacred signs) of Allah.
(Surah Al Baqarah 2:158)
Importance of Sai in Islam:
It was Allah’s wisdom that understood the profound knowledge behind all these circumstances. All praise to Allah, but the desperate love of a mother for her son was acknowledged in the court of Allah. Therefore, Allah answered the perseverance and patience of Hazrat Hajra in the form of a miracle of ZamZam to appear at the feet of Ismail A.S. So, Allah set the Holy example alive in the form of Sai virtual, when pilgrims ran between Safa and Marwah in remembrance of Hazrat Hajra, wife of Hazrat Ibrahim A.S. The Muslims from UK perform Sai after booking the best Umrah deals with Hajj Umrah package UK, they actually honors the unwavering faith of Hazrat Hajra A.S when she was left alone in the barren desert.
Sai is an Essential Pillar of Umrah
The Sai ritual is a compulsory pillar of the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage. Without performing Sai, the Umrah is incomplete according to instructions issued by Islamic scholars. The Umrah pilgrimage commemorates the Hazrat Hajars desperate search for the water.
Symbolises the Struggle of life
The running/walking between two mountains represents the constant struggle and effort of all Muslims throughout their lives. When you confront adversity or a difficult situation, you should hold endurance and stay upright, holding patience as Hazrat Hajra did.
Encourages Active Faith
The Holy Prophet Hazrat Ibrahim also entrusted his wife and son to Allah’s mercy. He had deep trust in Allah that he would protect his family from all difficult situations. Therefore, Allah gave them protective shelters from all dangers, but they confronted the shortage of water in the desert. Ultimately, the miracle of Allah leads to divine mercy and culminates in the miraculous appearance of the Zamzam water.
Complete Guide to Perform Sai
The walking between two mountains constitutes a complete guide. The step-by-step guide is:
Sai Preparation
The pilgrims start the Sai with Wudu as it is Sunnah of the Prophet to be in a state of purity to complete this Holy Umrah ritual. The Ihram should also be intact as a preparatory measure to perform Sai.
Starts from Safa
The Sai starts from the mountain of Safa, faces towards the Kaaba. Muslim pilgrims raise their hands in supplications and recite the Dhikr of Allah and make Duas.
The Seven Laps
The Umrah pilgrim’s complete first lap at Marwah, then for 2nd lap walks from Marwah to Safa. They continue this process until seven laps are completed. While the last lap ends at Marwah.
The Green Lights
There are green lights installed on this route, and Muslims men are encouraged to increase their pace, whereas women should maintain a normal walking pace. Whereas the female pilgrims are recommended to walk at slow pace.
Rules and Etiquette while performing Sai:
The Sai rituals is very sacred in Islam as it commemorates Hazrat Hajra A.S, the wife of Hazrat Ibrahim A.S.
- First of all, it is very crucial to maintain the order and location that starts at Safa and ends at the Marwah.
- The Umrah pilgrims should start Sai with Wudu and make the pure intention.
- The Sai ritual must be completed with 7 seven laps starting from the Safa and ending at the Marwah.
- In some cases, pilgrims forget the count of laps, so you should rely on the lower number to complete the order of Sai ritual.
- Although Wudu is not mandatory to perform before the Sai ritual, it is Sunnah of our beloved prophet to stay in pure state before performing this mandatory ritual. So, it is recommended to do Wudu before starting the Sai pilgrimage.
- During Sai, it is essential to cover Awrah and ensure that your clothes comply with Ihram requirements to avoid inconvenience while walking for Sai.
Recommended Duas and Dhikr on Sai
Although there are no fixed Duas and Adhkar for every step of Sai. But pilgrims recite different Surahs, Ayahs from the Quran and Hadith in remembrance of Allah while they are walking between two mountains. Moreover, they are allowed to ask supplications and Duas from Allah in your own words. Muslims also recited Ayah and Duas that our Prophet recite while he was performing Sai. The expert religious guides provide expert guidance to recite special Duas and Adhkar while they are running for Sai. The pilgrims can book our Christmas Umrah packages for full spiritual guidance. We offer all Umrah amenities along with expert guidance in these Umrah deals.:
- Innas-Safa wal-Marwata min shaairillah
- Abdau bima bad allahu bihi
- Recite Ahullhu Akbar 3 times recite La ilaha illallah, wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahul-mulku walahul-hamdu, wa huwa’ala kulli shay’in qadeer.