Is it permissible to perform the sa'y (walking between al-Safa and al-Marwah) before the tawaf (circumambulation of the Ka'bah)?

Question:
Regarding performing the sa'y before the tawaf, O Shaykh.

Answer:
The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by, entered the Sacred Mosque, passed by the place of sa'y, and went to the Ka'bah, where he performed tawaf. Then he performed sa'y after the tawaf. It is not mentioned that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) performed sa'y before performing tawaf. Rather, this occurred with a man on the day of the festival who said, "O Messenger of Allah, I did not realize that I had performed sa'y before performing tawaf." He said, "Do so, and there is no harm." The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was not asked on the day of the festival about anything being brought forward or delayed except that he said, "Do so, and there is no harm." Yes.