'Amr al-Naqid and Ibn Abi 'Umar narrated to us, both from Ibn 'Uyaynah — Ibn Abi 'Umar said: Sufyan narrated to us — he said: I heard al-Zuhri narrating from 'Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, who said: I said to 'A'ishah, the wife of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: "I do not think there is any blame upon one who does not circumambulate between al-Safa and al-Marwah, and I would not mind not circumambulating between them." She said: "How bad is what you have said, O son of my sister! The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, circumambulated, and the Muslims circumambulated, so it became a Sunnah. Indeed, those who proclaimed the pilgrimage in the name of Manat, the idol at al-Mushallal, would not circumambulate between al-Safa and al-Marwah. When Islam came, we asked the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, about that, and Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed: 'Indeed, al-Safa and al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever makes Hajj to the House or performs 'Umrah, there is no blame upon him to circumambulate between them.' Had it been as you say, it would have been: 'there is no blame upon him not to circumambulate between them.'"

Al-Zuhri said: I mentioned that to Abu Bakr ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Harith ibn Hisham, and he was pleased by it. He said: "Indeed, this is knowledge. I have heard men of knowledge saying that those who did not circumambulate between al-Safa and al-Marwah among the Arabs used to say: 'Our circumambulation between these two stones is a matter of the pre-Islamic era.' And others among the Ansar said: 'We were only commanded to circumambulate the House, and we were not commanded to do so between al-Safa and al-Marwah.' So Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed: 'Indeed, al-Safa and al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah.'" Abu Bakr ibn 'Abd al-Rahman said: "I think it was revealed concerning these and those."