Jābir, in a hadith, says: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he completed the saʿy (ritual walking) at the hill of Marwa, said:
'If I had known from the beginning that this matter would be difficult for you, I would not have brought my sacrificial animal (and, like you, I would have exited from the state of ihram).'"
This is narrated by Muslim.
This hadith is an argument in favor of those who hold that the saʿy between Ṣafā and Marwa consists of fourteen circuits. According to them, a passage from one hill to the other and back counts as a single circuit (shawṭ). A group among the leading Shāfiʿīs have also said this. However, this hadith refutes their view, because according to their opinion, the saʿy would end at Ṣafā, not at Marwa. For this reason, Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, in his narration regarding Jābir's hadith, said: 'If the seventh circuit (shawṭ) had ended at Marwa, then the Messenger of God would have said to the people:
"O people, if I had known from the beginning that this matter would be difficult for you, I would not have brought my sacrificial animal and I would have converted this rite (nusuk) into ʿumra. Whoever does not have a sacrificial animal with him should exit from ihram and convert this rite (nusuk) into ʿumra." Upon the Messenger of God's saying this, all those present exited from ihram.'
Muslim said: All the people exited from ihram and shortened their hair. Only the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and those who had brought sacrificial animals with him remained in ihram.