Saaee of Safa and Marwa is one of obligatory acts of “Umrah and Hajj” and the meaning of that is shuttling between these 2 small hills, the pilgrim goes from “Safa” to “Marwah” and returns from “Marwah” to “Safa” until 7 rounds are completed (shuttling from 1 to another is considered as 1 round).
If a pilgrim does not perform Saaee in Hajj and Umrah deliberately, then his or her Hajj and Umrah is invalidated and must be performed the next year again. If a pilgrim forgets to perform Saaee, then he or she must return and perform that whenever he or she remembers, and if returning causes him or her trouble, he or she can take a proxy for performing Saaee on behalf of him or her.
Whenever a pilgrim performs more than 7 rounds deliberately with the intention (niyyah) of obligatory Saaee, then this Saaee is invalidated, and if the pilgrim adds one or more than one round to Saaee involuntarily and remembers later, then his or her Saaee is valid. Whenever a pilgrim reduce something from Saaee because of forgetfulness, whether this happens before 4 rounds or after that, he or she must perform that reduced amount whenever he or she remembers and his or her Saaee is correct.
Whenever a pilgrim assumes that he or she has completed the Saaee and performs Taqseer (cuts the head hair and the nail). Whenever a person is performing Saaee, that is running between the hills of Safa and Marwa and has performed some of that, if it is some or much, and the time of namaz comes, this person must leave Saaee, and perform the namaz and then he or she must complete the rest of Saaee.
Obligatory Acts of Saaee
There are some obligatory things in Saaee:
First: Niyyah (intention) – it is obligatory that the pilgrim performs
“Saaee” with “intention” for the satisfaction of ALLAH Almighty, and as much as he or she knows what he or she is doing Saaee for Hajj or Umrah then it is enough.
Second: Beginning of saaee from hill of “Safa”.
Third: finishing of saaee at hill “Marwa”.
Fourth: Saaee of Safa and Marwah must be performed 7 complete rounds, nothing more and nothing less.
Fifth: It is obligatory to face Marwa during going to that and to face Safa in returning to that hill, but if he or she sometimes turns his or her head to left or right or for observing other companions sometimes looks back, there is not any problem. It is better to pray to ALLAH Almighty and perform Saaee with pure dignity and noticing to the pure essence of ALLAH Almighty.