The End of the Obligatory Sa'y Between al-Safa and al-Marwah

Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. Is it obligatory in the sa'y for a person to reach the flat area at the top of al-Safa and the top of al-Marwah, or is it sufficient for him to reach the end of the metal barrier, which is the passage for the vehicles, and then turn back from there?

Answer:
The obligatory part of the sa'y is to cover the distance between al-Safa and al-Marwah; that is what is obligatory. As for climbing the two hills, the hill of al-Safa and the hill of al-Marwah, that is a recommended practice (sunnah), not obligatory. Whoever does it receives reward, and whoever leaves it, his sa'y is valid if he has covered the distance between the two hills, the hill of al-Safa and the hill of al-Marwah. The barriers made for the vehicles mark the end of the obligatory sa'y, because they were placed based on expertise and a legal ruling. Therefore, the end of the obligatory sa'y is at these barriers, and anything beyond them, or climbing the hills, is a recommended practice (sunnah). Yes.