Q: A person who performed Hajj this year - may Allah accept it - is inquiring about the validity of his Hajj. At Al-Safa and Al-Marawah, he began Sa`y from Al-Marwah and finished at Al-Safa. What is the ruling on his Hajj in this case, is it valid or not?

A. The round of Sa`y which he made for Hajj, starting from Al-Marwah, does not count. (Part No. 10; Page No. 263) If the pilgrim performed seven rounds afterward, starting from Al-Safa and ending at Al-Marwah, then his Sa`y is complete and his Hajj is valid. He is required to do nothing else. However, if he counted the first round in his Sa`y, which he started from Al-Marwah, then his Sa`y is incomplete and invalid. If this incomplete Sa`y took place after having done the minor Tahallul (partial ending of the ritual state for Hajj or `Umrah through shaving or shortening the hair and throwing pebbles at Jamarat-ul-`Aqabah before performing Tawaf-ul-Ifadah) through throwing the pebbles at Jamarat-ul-`Aqabah (the closest pebble-throwing area to Makkah), or shaving or shortening his hair, he is only required to repeat his Sa`y. If he performed this Sa`y before the minor Tahallul, and he had sexual intercourse with his wife after this Sa`y, in this case his Hajj is invalid. But he has to complete this invalid Hajj and perform Hajj again in another year. At the same time he has to slaughter a Badanah (a camel or a cow or an ox driven by pilgrims to be offered as sacrifice within the sacred precincts of Makkah). However, if no sexual intercourse took place after this invalid Sa`y, he only has to repeat the entire Sa`y again.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.