sa'i before tawaf is not valid, because Allah Most High says:

“Then let them end their state of untidiness, fulfill their vows, and circumambulate the Ancient House.” [al-Hajj]

Thus, He mentioned circumambulating the House after ending the state of untidiness and fulfilling vows.

As for the statement in the hadith, “I performed sa'i before I circumambulated,” (1) to which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, replied, “There is no blame,” they either challenged its authenticity or interpreted it as referring to the sa'i of Hajj for one performing qiran or ifrad.

The correct view is that it is permissible to perform the sa'i of Hajj before the Tawaf al-Ifadah. The response to the contrary evidence is as follows:

First: as for the hadith, it is authentic and cannot be impugned. As for their interpretation of it, this man was not asking about a sa'i he had performed days earlier; rather, he was asking about a sa'i performed on that very day, as the circumstances of the questioner indicate.

Moreover, it is known that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had performed sa'i after the arrival tawaf; thus, asking about that would have been pointless.

Second: as for the verse, sa'i is not mentioned in it because it is not required of everyone. One performing qiran or ifrad does not have to perform sa'i after Tawaf al-Ifadah if he has already performed it after the arrival tawaf. As for the pilgrim performing tamattu', scholars have held two views regarding whether sa'i is obligatory for him in Hajj, as mentioned previously.