8. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Mu‘awiyah ibn Hakim from Muhammad Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Sayrafiy from certain persons of our people who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah , about the Sa‘y between al-Safa’ and al-Marwah if it is obligatory or Sunnah. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is obligatory.’ I then asked, ‘What is the meaning of the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘. . . then it is not harmful for him to perform Tawaf of them.’ (2:158). He (the Imam) said, ‘This was in al-‘Umrah of al-Qada’ when the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, set a condition on them to remove the idols from al-Safa’ and al-Marwah that distracted people from performing Sa‘y (walking faster like running slowly). Days passed and idols were brought back, and they came to the Messenger of Allah saying, ‘So and so did not perform Sa‘y (walking faster like running slowly) and the idols are brought back.’ Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, revealed, ‘. . . it is not harmful to perform Tawaf between al-Safa’ and al-Marwah,’ that is, even though there are idols on them.’” (Ahadith 7-8 of this Chapter are best explained in the form of fatwa)