What is the distance between Safa and Marwa? | Distance Explained for First-Time Umrah Pilgrims

Walking between Safa and Marwa is an important ritual of Umrah with deep historical and spiritual meaning. After performing Tawaf around the Kaaba, pilgrims proceed to Sa’i, which involves walking between the two sacred hills of Safa and Marwa.

Many pilgrims often ask about the distance between Safa and Marwa and how the ritual is performed. Understanding this helps prepare better for Umrah.

The Spiritual Story Behind Sa’i

Sa’i commemorates the struggle of Hazrat Hajar (AS), the wife of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and mother of Prophet Ismail (AS). She ran between the hills of Safa and Marwa searching for water for her infant son in the desert.

Her trust in Allah led to the miraculous ظهور of Zamzam water. Because of this event, Sa’i symbolizes faith, patience, and reliance on Allah.

Distance Between Safa and Marwa

Sa’i consists of walking back and forth between Safa and Marwa seven times.

The distance between Safa and Marwa is approximately 394 meters

One full Sa’i (7 rounds) covers about 2.7 km to 3.5 km, depending on pace and walking path.

Today, the entire route is:

Fully enclosed and air-conditioned

Wide and well-organized for crowd movement

Accessible for wheelchairs and electric carts.

Men are required to jog lightly between the marked green lights, while women continue walking normally.

How Long Does Sa’i Take?

The time varies depending on the individual:

Fast walkers: 35–45 minutes

Average pace: 50–70 minutes

Elderly or families: 1–1.5 hours

There is no need to rush; pilgrims should focus on worship and reflection.

What to Expect During Sa’i

1. No Real Climbing

Safa and Marwa are elevated, but the walkway is now flat and built for easy movement.

2. Continuous Crowd Flow

Millions of pilgrims perform Sa’i, but movement is organized and smooth.

3. Spiritual Experience

Sa’i is deeply emotional, often bringing feelings of gratitude, reflection, and spiritual connection.

Understanding the distance between Safa and Marwa and the meaning behind Sa’i helps pilgrims perform the ritual with confidence and devotion. Beyond physical movement, it is a powerful reminder of faith, patience, and trust in Allah.

How many times is the word month mentioned in the Quran

In the Quran, the Arabic word for “month” is شَهْر (shahr), and according to traditional Islamic scholarship and many modern Quranic word counts, it appears 12 times in the singular form.

This number is widely discussed because it matches the 12 months of the year mentioned in Islamic tradition.

One of the key verses connected to this idea is:

> “Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve months in the register of Allah from the day He created the heavens and the earth...”

— Quran 9:36.

Quran

Why scholars find this interesting

Many Muslims view this as one example of the Quran’s linguistic structure and numerical harmony. The observation is:

The word “month” (shahr) → appears 12 times

The word “day” (yawm) → is traditionally counted as appearing 365 times

The word “days” and related forms are sometimes counted separately.

These counts are often presented as signs of balance and precision in the Quranic text.

Important clarification

The exact number can vary slightly depending on:

whether plural forms are included,

differences in Arabic grammar,

spelling variants,

and which Quranic script edition or counting methodology is used.

For the word shahr specifically, however, the count of 12 occurrences is the most commonly accepted figure.

Examples of verses containing “shahr”.

Some verses where the word appears include:

Quran 2:185 — about the month of Ramadan

Quran 2:194 — concerning sacred months

Quran 5:2 — reference to sacred months

Quran 9:36 — the twelve months

Quran 97:3 — “better than a thousand months”.

In Islam, months are based on the lunar calendar, not the solar calendar. The Islamic year consists of:

12 lunar months,

about 354 or 355 days,

beginning with Hijra as the starting point of the Islamic calendar.

The sacred months mentioned in the Quran are traditionally:

1. Dhul-Qi'dah

2. Dhul-Hijjah

3. Muharram

4. Rajab

These months were historically regarded as periods in which warfare was restricted in Arabia.

10 days of dhul hijjah importance in islam

Question.

How do the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah differ from other days of the year?

Answer Summary.

The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are the best days of the year for doing good deeds. 

Their virtue is established in the Qur’an and authentic hadith. Allah swears by them, and the Prophet ﷺ confirmed that righteous deeds during these days are more beloved to Allah than any other time (except certain cases of jihad and the last nights of Ramadan due to Laylat al-Qadr).

Why These Days Are Special.

The excellence of these ten days is based on several reasons:

1. Allah swears by them in the Qur’an

“By the dawn, and by the ten nights” (Al-Fajr 89:1–2), which many scholars interpret as the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah.

2. They are the best days for good deeds

The Prophet ﷺ said no deeds are more beloved to Allah than those done in these days.

3. They include major acts of worship

Such as Hajj, fasting, sacrifice, and remembrance of Allah.

4. They contain important days

Day of Arafah (9th Dhul Hijjah): fasting it expiates two years of sins

Day of Sacrifice (Eid al-Adha): the greatest day of the year for Muslims.

Recommended Acts of Worship

Muslims are encouraged to increase good deeds during these days, including:

1. Fasting

Especially fasting the Day of Arafah for those not performing Hajj.

2. Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah)

Frequent saying of:

Takbir: Allahu Akbar

Tahmid: Alhamdulillah

Tahlil: La ilaha illallah

Tasbih: Subhanallah

3. Hajj and Umrah

Performing pilgrimage is one of the best deeds in these days.

4. General good deeds

Such as:

Prayer

Reading the Qur’an

Charity

Helping parents and relatives

Enjoining good and forbidding evil

5. Sacrifice (Udhiyah)

Offering an animal sacrifice on Eid al-Adha is a major act of worship.

6. Sincere repentance

Turning back to Allah, leaving sins, and resolving to obey Him.

Important Rule for Those Offering Sacrifice.

Whoever intends to offer a sacrifice should not cut:

Hair

Nails

Skin (anything removed from the body).

This restriction lasts from the beginning of Dhul Hijjah until the sacrifice is performed.

The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are a great opportunity for Muslims to increase worship and draw closer to Allah. They are a special season of reward, forgiveness, and spiritual renewal. A wise believer makes full use of them before they pass.

Why were the hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) recorded in writing?

Why Were Hadiths Written Down? Key Reasons Explained

The hadiths were written down primarily to preserve them from being forgotten or lost and to make them more widely accessible to Muslims. 

Over time—especially in the second century AH—the need for written records increased due to the spread of narration, the death of many early scholars, the growth of legal discussions, and the emergence of fabricated reports.

Early Stage: Reliance on Memory.

In the early period of Islam, during the time of the Prophet’s companions (Sahabah) and early followers (Tabi‘in), hadiths were mostly preserved through memorization. Writing them down was limited for several reasons:

To prevent confusion between the Qur’an and other texts.

Because the Arabs had strong memorization abilities.

Because hadiths were mainly used for guidance and practice, not formal compilation.

To avoid people relying on books instead of memorization.

Some companions, however, did write hadiths individually, such as Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As.

First Reason for Writing Hadiths: Preservation.

The most important reason for writing hadiths was to protect them from loss, distortion, or forgetting.

A famous example is Abu Hurayrah noting that Abdullah ibn Amr wrote hadiths while others relied on memory.

Second Stage: Gradual Compilation.

During the time of the early generations, some scholars began recording reports more systematically, but still not in organized books. This was because:

The Qur’an was being compiled and given priority.

Hadith transmission was still relatively manageable through memory.

Scholars feared mixing revelation with explanatory reports.

Third Stage: Need for Systematic Writing (2nd Century AH).

By the second century after Hijrah, conditions changed significantly:

Many Sahabah and early scholars had passed away.

Hadiths spread widely across regions.

Chains of narration (isnads) became longer.

Fabricated and weak reports began to appear.

Different opinions and legal schools emerged.

Because of this, scholars began systematically collecting and compiling hadiths into books.

Official Encouragement of Compilation.

Caliph Umar ibn Abdul Aziz instructed scholars to collect and write down hadiths before they were lost due to the death of scholars.

This marked the beginning of formal hadith compilation efforts.

Final Stage: Organized Hadith Collections.

Scholars later produced structured works such as:

Classified hadith collections

Legal chapters and thematic books

Major compilations for reference and verification.

This helped preserve the Sunnah and protect it from distortion.

Conclusion

Hadiths were written down gradually due to changing needs: initially for preservation, later for clarification and legal use, and finally for protection against loss, fabrication, and confusion as Islam spread widely.

And Allah knows best.

What Is Ijma’ in Islam and What Are Its Types?

Ijma’ (إجماع) is one of the key sources of Islamic law in addition to the Qur’an and Sunnah. It refers to the consensus of qualified Islamic scholars on a religious ruling after the death of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Meaning of Ijma’.

In Islamic terminology, ijma’ means the agreement of the mujtahidun (qualified scholars of Islamic law) from the Muslim community on a specific legal ruling after the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ passed away.

It excludes:

Opinions of ordinary people

Individual disagreements among scholars

Matters based only on personal reasoning without evidence

Ijma’ is only considered valid when all qualified scholars of a particular era agree on a ruling.

Evidence for Ijma’ as a Source of Law:

Islamic scholars use several proofs to establish the authority of ijma’, including:

The Qur’anic description of Muslims as a “just nation” who bear witness over mankind.

Verses that emphasize returning to Allah and His Messenger when disputes arise, indicating that agreed matters are correct.

A well-known hadith: “My الأمة (nation) will not agree upon misguidance.”

These indicate that the collective agreement of the Muslim scholars cannot be upon error in matters of religion.

Types of Ijma’.

Ijma’ is generally divided into two main types:

1. Definite (Explicit) Ijma’.

This is when scholars clearly and unanimously agree on a ruling, and it becomes widely known and established.

Examples include:

The obligation of the five daily prayers

The prohibition of adultery (zina)

This type of ijma’ is considered strong and binding evidence in Islamic law.

2. Probable (Tacit) Ijma’.

This occurs when some scholars give a ruling and the rest of the scholars of the time become aware of it but do not object.

Scholars differ on whether this type is fully binding, but it is still considered an important legal indication.

Conditions of Ijma’:

For ijma’ to be valid, several conditions must be met:

It must involve qualified Islamic scholars (mujtahids)

It must relate to a religious ruling (not worldly matters)

It must not contradict clear Qur’anic or authentic hadith evidence

It must be established through reliable transmission or clear scholarly agreement

Conclusion.

Ijma’ is an important principle in Islamic jurisprudence, representing the unified agreement of qualified scholars on religious rulings after the Prophet ﷺ. It serves as a strong source of guidance in understanding Islamic law when direct textual evidence is not explicitly detailed.

And Allah knows best.

Is my Jumu‘ah Valid If You Miss the Khutbah?

Yes — your Jumu‘ah prayer is still valid if you miss the khutbah (Friday sermon) but join the imam in time for the prayer itself and catch at least one complete rak‘ah before the imam finishes.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

> “Whoever catches one rak‘ah of the prayer has caught the prayer.”

Based on this hadith, the majority of Islamic scholars state that a person who joins the imam during the second rak‘ah and catches the rukū‘ has successfully caught Jumu‘ah. He then completes the remaining rak‘ah after the imam gives salām, and his Friday prayer is valid.

However, although the prayer remains valid, intentionally missing the khutbah without a genuine excuse is considered blameworthy and sinful by many scholars because listening to the khutbah is itself an obligation connected to Jumu‘ah.

Allah says in the Qur’an:

> “O you who believe! When the call is made for prayer on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off trade.”

(Surah al-Jumu‘ah 62:9)

The “remembrance of Allah” mentioned in this verse includes both the khutbah and the prayer according to many scholars of tafsīr.

The Importance of the Khutbah.

The khutbah is not merely an introduction before the prayer. It is a central part of Jumu‘ah meant to:

remind Muslims about Allah,

teach guidance and morals,

strengthen faith,

unite the community,

and encourage righteousness and taqwā.

For this reason, Muslims are instructed to:

arrive early,

listen attentively,

avoid talking during the sermon,

and focus completely on the reminder.

The Prophet ﷺ even warned against distracting others during the khutbah. He said:

> “If you say to your companion ‘Be quiet’ while the imam is delivering the khutbah, you have engaged in idle speech.”

This shows how important attentive listening is during Friday worship.

Different Situations.

1. Missing the Khutbah but Catching One Rak‘ah

If you arrive late but still catch the imam in rukū‘ of the second rak‘ah, your Jumu‘ah is valid. After the imam ends the prayer, you stand and complete one more rak‘ah.

2. Arriving After the Second Rak‘ah Rukū‘

If you arrive after the imam has already risen from rukū‘ in the second rak‘ah, then you have missed Jumu‘ah. In this case, you pray regular Ẓuhr prayer as four rak‘ahs instead.

3. Missing the Khutbah Due to a Genuine Excuse

If lateness was caused by unavoidable circumstances such as:

traffic,

illness,

work conditions,

emergencies,

travel difficulties,

or forgetfulness,

then there is hope of no sin upon the person, though one should still strive to attend earlier whenever possible.

Virtue of Arriving Early.

The Prophet ﷺ encouraged believers to come early for Jumu‘ah. In authentic narrations, those who arrive earlier receive greater reward, and the angels stand at the doors of the mosque recording the names of attendees until the khutbah begins.

Therefore, while Jumu‘ah can still be valid after missing the khutbah, a Muslim should avoid making lateness a habit and should honor Friday prayer with seriousness, preparation, and punctuality.