Dua During Sa’i
5 Things to Know About Walking Between Safa and Marwah
The Sa’i, the walking seven times between the two hills of Safa and Marwah, is among the most beautiful rites of Hajj and Umrah, performed after the tawaf around the Kaaba. As the pilgrim walks between the hills, they follow the very footsteps of Hajar, the mother of Ismail, who ran between them in search of water for her infant son, and they fill the walk with the remembrance and supplication of Allah. The dua during Sa’i turns the heart to Allah throughout this rite, recalling a moment of trust, hardship and relief honoured by Allah forever. Few rites of worship are so deeply tied to a single human story, and the pilgrim who understands its meaning walks between the hills with a heart moved by the patience of a mother and the mercy of her Lord.
رَبِّ اغْفِرْ وَارْحَمْ، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْأَعَزُّ الْأَكْرَمُ
Rabbi-ghfir warham, innaka antal-a‘azzul-akram.
“My Lord, forgive and have mercy, for You are the Most Mighty, the Most Generous.”
Allah made Safa and Marwah among His sacred symbols, commanding that the pilgrim walk between them, so that the Sa’i became a permanent act of worship for all who perform the pilgrimage. While the walk has no single fixed wording for most of its length, the pilgrim fills it with dhikr and supplication, and a beautiful prayer asking Allah for forgiveness and mercy is reported from the companions. The dua during Sa’i fills this rite with the remembrance of Allah from the first walk to the seventh. The walk is performed at an unhurried pace for most of its length, with the men moving more briskly between the green markers, allowing the pilgrim to combine gentle exertion with continuous supplication and praise.
This guide explains the dua during Sa’i and five things to know about walking between Safa and Marwah, so that the pilgrim may perform this beautiful rite with knowledge and presence of heart, following the footsteps of Hajar, supplicating to Allah, and recalling that the One who answered her in her hour of need is the same Lord who hears every prayer of those who turn to Him in trust. The pilgrim who walks these hills carries away a lesson that lasts far beyond the days of pilgrimage, that effort and reliance upon Allah belong together, and that He answers those who strive while placing their hope in Him.
The Supplication of the Walk
While most of the Sa’i is left open for the pilgrim to supplicate as they wish, a beautiful prayer is reported from the companions to recite while walking between the two hills: my Lord, forgive and have mercy, for You are the Most Mighty, the Most Generous. This short supplication asks Allah for two of the greatest gifts, His forgiveness and His mercy, while affirming His might and generosity, making it a fitting prayer for the humble walk between Safa and Marwah. The brevity of the prayer is part of its beauty, for it can be repeated easily with each step, keeping the tongue and heart busy with the remembrance of Allah throughout the length of the walk.
The freedom of the Sa’i is a mercy, for the pilgrim is not bound to a single wording but may pour out whatever is in their heart while walking. They may ask Allah for the good of this life and the next, seek forgiveness, and supplicate for themselves and their loved ones, all while moving between the hills. The dua during Sa’i thus becomes deeply personal, as each pilgrim brings their own hopes before Allah in a rite that recalls the answered prayer of Hajar. There is great comfort in walking where she walked, for the pilgrim is reminded that Allah does not abandon those who trust Him, even when relief seems far away.
Following the Footsteps of Hajar
The Sa’i commemorates a moment of great trust in Allah. When the Prophet Ibrahim left his wife Hajar and their infant son Ismail in the barren valley of Makkah by the command of Allah, their water ran out, and Hajar ran back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwah searching for water or a passing traveller. After her seventh run, the angel struck the ground and the well of Zamzam sprang forth, a relief from Allah that has flowed ever since. The water of Zamzam still rises today in the very place where Hajar searched in desperation, a standing miracle that has quenched the thirst of pilgrims for thousands of years and a sign of the mercy that answered her trust.
When the pilgrim walks between Safa and Marwah, they tread the very path of Hajar, reliving her search and her trust in Allah. The Prophet (pbuh) taught that the Sa’i was made a rite so that the people would remember this trust and the relief that Allah sent. The dua during Sa’i connects the pilgrim with this beautiful story, reminding them that the same Lord who answered Hajar in the depths of her hardship is near to all who call upon Him. The lesson of the walk is one of patience and reliance upon Allah, for Hajar did not sit in despair but strove between the hills while placing her trust in her Lord, and it was after her effort that the relief of Allah descended.
She ran between the two hills seeking relief
Safa and Marwah Among the Symbols of Allah
Allah declares in His Book that Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah, and that whoever performs the pilgrimage or the Umrah does no wrong in walking between them. This verse established the Sa’i as a permanent rite of worship, honouring the two hills as sacred symbols of the faith. By walking between them, the pilgrim performs an act of obedience that Allah has tied to the story of Hajar and the relief He sent her. What was once the desperate search of a mother became, by the will of Allah, an everlasting rite of worship, showing how Allah can raise the humblest act of trust into a sign honoured for all time.
Because the two hills are symbols of Allah, the walk between them is not an ordinary stroll but a rite of devotion, filled with the remembrance and supplication of Allah. The pilgrim begins at Safa, faces the Kaaba, and walks toward Marwah, completing seven walks that end at Marwah. Throughout, the heart is kept turned to Allah, recalling that these hills were honoured by the One who created them and made them a lasting sign for the believers. To walk between them is to take part in a worship that stretches back to the earliest days of the faith, joining the countless believers who have walked the same path in obedience to Allah.
إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ
Innas-Safa wal-Marwata min sha‘a’irillah
Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah
Five Things to Know About the Sa’i
The Sa’i is a beautiful rite that follows the footsteps of Hajar. These five things help the pilgrim walk between the two sacred hills with knowledge, with devotion, and a heart that is full of the remembrance of Allah.
- The Sa’i is walking seven times between Safa and Marwah, performed after the tawaf.
- There is no fixed wording for most of it, so the pilgrim supplicates freely from the heart.
- A reported prayer asks Allah for forgiveness and mercy while walking between the hills.
- It follows the footsteps of Hajar, who ran between the hills seeking water for her son.
- Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah, who made the Sa’i a permanent rite.
Walk seven times between the two sacred hills
Walking the Path of Trust
The dua during Sa’i fills the walk between Safa and Marwah with the remembrance of Allah, following the footsteps of Hajar and her trust in her Lord. By reciting the reported prayer for forgiveness and mercy, supplicating freely from the heart, recalling the story of Hajar, and honouring the two hills as symbols of Allah, the pilgrim performs this beautiful rite in the best way. The same Lord who answered Hajar in her hour of need hears every prayer, and the pilgrim walks the path of trust with a heart turned to Him, certain that the One who relieved Hajar will not turn away the one who calls upon Him in sincerity.
This rite pairs naturally with the dua at Safa and Marwah and the dua for Zamzam water. Together they help the pilgrim fill the rites of Hajj and Umrah with the remembrance of Allah.
During the Sa’i, the pilgrim walks the path of Hajar between Safa and Marwah, trusting in Allah. Learn the duas of Hajj with us on YouTube, where the supplications are recited aloud, on Instagram for a reminder of the beauty of the Sa’i, and on LinkedIn where readers share their journey between the two hills.
Frequently Asked Questions
The dua during Sa’i is the supplication recited while walking between Safa and Marwah. A reported prayer from the companions is: Rabbi-ghfir warham, innaka antal-aazzul-akram, my Lord forgive and have mercy, for You are the Most Mighty, the Most Generous.
For most of the Sa’i there is no fixed wording, so the pilgrim supplicates freely from the heart. A prayer for forgiveness and mercy is reported from the companions to recite while walking between the two hills.
The Sa’i is the rite of walking seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah, performed after the tawaf around the Kaaba. It follows the footsteps of Hajar, who ran between the hills seeking water for her son.
The walk commemorates Hajar, the mother of Ismail, who ran between the two hills searching for water, after which Allah sent forth the well of Zamzam. Allah made Safa and Marwah symbols of the faith and the Sa’i a permanent rite.
The Sa’i begins at Safa, where the pilgrim faces the Kaaba, and proceeds toward Marwah. Seven walks are completed, beginning at Safa and ending at Marwah, with the heart filled with dhikr and supplication throughout.
Allah declares in His Book that Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah, and that whoever performs the pilgrimage or the Umrah does no wrong in walking between them, establishing the Sa’i as a permanent rite of worship.