Sa'y before Tawaf

Question:
I seek forgiveness from Allah? A woman was in a state of choice, and while walking she became purified and felt well, and she performed the tawaf of the heart, but she remained outside the Haram. When they performed sa'y, she performed it with them and completed the acts of Hajj. She then became weak, as is the weakness of Hajj, and did not perform sa'y. She had already become pure. Does performing sa'y while menstruating exempt her from the sa'y of Hajj, or not? And what should she do if more than a year has passed since then?

Answer:
According to the majority of scholars, sa'y is not valid except after tawaf. If one performs sa'y before tawaf, it does not suffice according to the majority of scholars. Some scholars issue a fatwa permitting sa'y before tawaf; Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) issued a fatwa to this effect, and this is mentioned in his manual of Hajj rites. If the questioner relied on this, or asked someone who issued such a fatwa, then he is in the care of the one who issued the fatwa. However, if he wishes to be certain and exit the issue with certainty, the best thing is for him to return and perform sa'y after tawaf.