Hazrat Urwah narrates that I asked Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), "In my opinion, if I do not perform Sa'i between Safa and Marwah, there will be no sin upon me." She asked, "How is that?" I replied, "Allah Almighty says «‏‏‏‏فَمَنْ حَجَّ الْبَيْتَ أَوِ اعْتَمَرَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَن يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا» ‏‏‏‏ [ سورة البقرة: 158 ] 'So whoever performs Hajj or Umrah of the Sacred House, there is no sin upon him that he performs Tawaf (Sa'i) of them both.'" She said, "If the matter was as you are saying, then the verse should have been like this: 'فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَن لَا يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا' (So there is no sin upon him that he does not perform Tawaf of them both.) Indeed, this verse was revealed about some people of the Ansar. In the days of ignorance, they used to assume Ihram in the name of the idol Manat, so they did not consider Sa'i between Safa and Marwah permissible for themselves. Then, when they (after becoming Muslims) came to Makkah Mukarramah with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) for Hajj, they mentioned this to him, so Allah Almighty revealed this verse. By my life, whoever does not perform Sa'i between Safa and Marwah, Allah Almighty will not complete his Hajj, because Allah Almighty says «‏‏‏‏إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ» ‏‏‏‏ [ سورة البقرة: 158 ] 'Indeed, Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah.'" Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says that the statement of Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that it was not permissible for them to perform Sa'i means that according to their pre-Islamic beliefs, it was not permissible for them to perform Sa'i between Safa and Marwah.