What is the ruling on collective supplication at al-Safa and al-Marwah?

The Shaykh : Also, it should be noted here that unless it is for the sake of teaching, one should not appoint himself as an imam who supplicates while the others say "Ameen," as they do after the prayers. This gathering for supplication after the prayer is not part of the Sunnah in any way. The ruling there is that each person faces the Ka'bah and remembers Allah with what is prescribed, such as the tahlil, and supplicates for what he is most in need of, as a sinner before Allah and a sinner before the servants of Allah. He asks Allah, Mighty and Majestic, to forgive him and to respond to his requests for good in this world and the Hereafter. So each person does this for himself, and no one shares with another. If there are women present, they should be placed in the rear, meaning near the remaining part of the mountain, because there is very severe crowding, especially during the Hajj season and the 'Umrah season in Ramadan. When he finishes the tahlil and the supplication between them, he also does the takbir.

The questioner : It is a recommended practice to begin with what Allah began with. And the verse?

The Shaykh : The verse, yes. The brother mentioned that, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said, we begin with what Allah began with, and we recite the verse: to its end. Therefore, those who prepare themselves for this 'Umrah must keep these recitations and remembrances in mind in their entirety. Then he descends and performs the sa'y. The beginning and end of the sa'y are normal walking, but between the two markers, he runs.