He performed the tawaf al-ifadhah on the upper level, walked a short distance in the sa'y area, then returned to the tawaf area due to the heavy crowd

Question:
May Allah reward you. Honorable Shaykh, a questioner says: A man performed tawaf al-ifadhah on the upper level, and he walked a little in the sa'y area, then returned to the tawaf area because of the heavy crowd. What is the ruling in this case now? Is his tawaf valid, or must he repeat the tawaf? He has already returned to Riyadh, and he had intercourse with his wife. Is he excused due to his ignorance in this situation?

Answer:
His tawaf is not valid because he performed part of the tawaf in the sa'y area, and the sa'y area is not a place for tawaf. Tawaf is in the mosque, inside the mosque, and the sa'y area is outside the mosque. It is an independent area entered through a wall; people sit there, walk there, and perform sa'y there, so it does not have the rulings of the mosque. In any case, his tawaf is not valid, and he must return and perform tawaf al-ifadhah. He must also slaughter a fidyah (ransom payment) for the intercourse that took place. He slaughters it in Makkah and distributes it to the poor there. Yes.