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What is the wisdom behind circumambulating the Holy Kaaba seven times and performing the Sa'i between Safa and Marwa seven times as well?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Some scholars have discerned wisdom in the repetition of the number seven in certain religious rulings, such as the circumambulation (Tawaf) and the striving (Sa'i). They said that odd numbers have a great impact in reminding one of God's Oneness, and the number seven has a significant entry point in religious law. Thus, the takbirat (pronouncements of "Allahu Akbar") in the Eid prayer were made seven in the first rak'ah, as a reminder of the seven rituals of Hajj (Tawaf, Sa'i, Jamarat) and to honor them, and as a reminder of the Creator of existence by contemplating His actions, such as the creation of the seven heavens and earths and the seven days. The fundamental principle is that a Muslim worships God according to what He has prescribed for them, and God's command is sufficient for them. If wisdom becomes apparent to them, it only increases their certainty.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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