Narrated `Urwa:I asked `Aisha (regarding the Sai between As Safa and Al-Marwa). She said, "Out of reverence to the idol Manat which was placed in Al-Mushailal, those who used to assume Ihram in its name, used not to perform Sai between As-Safa and Al-Marwa, so Allah revealed: 'Verily! The As-Safa and Al-Marwa (two mountains at Mecca) are among the symbols of Allah.' (2.158). Thereupon, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and the Muslims used to perform Sai (between them)." Sufyan said: The (idol) Manat was at Al-Mushailal in Qudaid. `Aisha added, "The Verse was revealed in connection with the Ansar. They and (the tribe of) Ghassan used to assume lhram in the name of Manat before they embraced Islam." `Aisha added, "There were men from the Ansar who used to assume lhram in the name of Manat which was an idol between Mecca and Medina. They said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! We used not to perform the Tawaf (Sai) between As-Safa and Al-Marwa out of reverence to Manat."
حَدَّثَنَا الْحُمَيْدِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، حَدَّثَنَا الزُّهْرِيُّ، سَمِعْتُ عُرْوَةَ، قُلْتُ لِعَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ فَقَالَتْ إِنَّمَا كَانَ مَنْ أَهَلَّ بِمَنَاةَ الطَّاغِيَةِ الَّتِي بِالْمُشَلَّلِ لاَ يَطُوفُونَ بَيْنَ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى {إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ} فَطَافَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ. قَالَ سُفْيَانُ مَنَاةُ بِالْمُشَلَّلِ مِنْ قُدَيْدٍ. وَقَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ خَالِدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ قَالَ عُرْوَةُ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ نَزَلَتْ فِي الأَنْصَارِ كَانُوا هُمْ وَغَسَّانُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسْلِمُوا يُهِلُّونَ لِمَنَاةَ. مِثْلَهُ. وَقَالَ مَعْمَرٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ كَانَ رِجَالٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ مِمَّنْ كَانَ يُهِلُّ لِمَنَاةَ ـ وَمَنَاةُ صَنَمٌ بَيْنَ مَكَّةَ وَالْمَدِينَةِ ـ قَالُوا يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ كُنَّا لاَ نَطُوفُ بَيْنَ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ تَعْظِيمًا لِمَنَاةَ. نَحْوَهُ.
Bukhari
Prophetic Commentary on the Qur'an (Tafseer of the Prophet (pbuh)) • Hadith 382