400. Safa , Marva.
In this verse (2:158) of the Quran it is being said ‘There is no harm in circumambulating the mounts of Safa and Marva
This should not be interpreted to mean the circumambulation can either be carried out or avoided.
On the contrary it is made mandatory to circumambulate the mounts of Safa and Marva during the journeys of Hajj and Umrah. (Bukhari:1545).
Though the circumambulation of the mounts of Safa and Marva were made mandatory some considered it a crime to do so because of the presence of the statue of Manaath the pagan god.
The pagan days people circumambulated the pagan god Manaath along with the mounts Safa and Marva.
The same pagans after accepting Islam as their way of life considered it a sin to continue doing the same.
Since he people of those days considered circumambulation of Safa and Marva a sin, the verse saying it is not a crime was revealed, (Bukhari: 1645, 1790, 4495, 4861)
Since we find the message Safa and Marva are signs of the great God in the same verse, and with Prophet Muhammad having stressed the importance of both the mounts, there is no doubt it is mandatory to circumambulate them.
