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Before the advent of Islam, Allah, Most High,
protected the Sacred House and Quraish (the Pagans) maintained and
shouldered the responsibility of watering thirsty pilgrims until
the time had come that Quraish were forced due to several
circumstances to rebuild the Ka`bah.
Scholars of Sirah (the Prophetic Biography)
mentioned several reasons for this act; the most important of them
are as follows:
1- A torrent came from the outskirts of Makkah;
the thing which caused grave harm to the Sacred House and
accordingly they feared that water may leak into it.
2- A woman was scenting the Ka`bah and a spark
threw off and caused fire to set off the garment of the Ka`bah.
3- The Ka`bah had no roof and their plan was to
demolish it and rebuild it altogether and to roof it.
It is worth mentioning that the Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings be upon him) shared in this operation that
took place when he was thirty-five years old.
The compilations of Authentic Hadiths state that
when Quraish commenced in acts of rebuilding the Honorable Ka`bah,
he (the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him) used to carry
stones along with his people. He carried them on his shoulders
while his loincloth wrapped around his hips. His uncle Al-`Abbas
told him, “O my nephew! It is better to raise your loincloth on
your shoulder; the thing which he did but he instantly fell to the
ground unconscious. Then, his loincloth was to be fastened around
his hips and he then stood once again to carry stones.
This incident bears the lesson of covering the
private parts and purification of honor.
Interestingly enough, (people of) Quraish have
made several decisions indicating their glorification to that
Ancient House including the following:
Firstly, they were very anxious to keep all
expenditures of the construction of the Ka`bah away from
ill-gained money to the point that one of them said, “O people
of Quraish do not let into this building anything but lawful
gains: so no money gained through prostitution or usury or usurp
is to be funded for that holy purpose.”
Secondly, books of Sirah cite that people were
afraid to proceed with the act of demolishing the Ka`bah and they
were greatly afflicted with awe. Then, Al-Walid Ibn Al-Mughirah
said, “I will begin the act of demolishing it.” He then took
up a pickaxe and said while going to the Ka`bah, “O God, we do
not intend to violate Your Sacred House.” In another version he
said, “O God, we have not disbelieved (in Your religion), O God,
we intend nothing but good.” Thereupon he knocked down part
between the two corners; but the rest of the people held back
watching out what may afflict Al-Mughirah (of Allah’s anger).
The night passed without mishap and Al-Walid was again at work
early next morning, so the others became sure of Allah’s
pleasure with their work and accordingly they joined him in works
of demolition.
Thirdly, all clans of Quraish gathered to share in
the honor of reconstructing the Ka`bah. They worked separately in
collecting more stones so as to increase the height of the
building, until the walls were high enough for the Black Stone to
be built once more into its corner. Then a violent disagreement
broke out amongst them, for each clan wanted to possess the honor
of putting it into its original place and the tension increased to
the point that allies were made and preparations for war begun.
The deadlock lasted for about four or five days.
Then, they held a meeting in the Sacred House and discussions
started. Al-Walid Ibn Al-Mughirah said, “O men of Quraish, take
as arbiter the first man who shall enter in through the gate of
this House.”
They all agreed to follow this opinion; and the
first man to enter the House was Muhammad Ibn `Abdullah, peace and
blessings be upon him.
When they saw him they said, “Here is the
trustworthy. We accept his judgement. It is Muhammad.
When they explained the matter to him, he said,
“Bring me a cloak.” And when they brought it, he took up the
Black Stone and laid it on the middle of the garment.” “Let
each clan take hold of a border of the cloak, then lift it up, all
of you together,” he said. And when they raised it to the right
height he took the Stone and placed it in its original place with
his own hands; and the reconstruction went on.
Thus, peace and tranquility took the place of
dissension and discord due to the blessing and wisdom of Prophet
Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.
It is worthy noticing here that they could not
raise the building on the foundation of Ibrahim (peace and
blessings be upon him) and thereby they took out (raised it above)
the Stone which is six or seven cubits (from Isma`il’s
Enclosure).
They also made one door for the Ka`bah eastward
and they were keen to make it high so as to be able to control
those who want to get therein and thus they can give permission of
entrance to those whom they want and prevent those whom they do
not want.
But the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be
upon him) had a better point of view. It was reported in the two
Sahihs on the authority of the Mother of the Believers `A’ishah
(may Allah be pleased with her) that Allah’s Messenger (peace
and blessings be upon him) told her, “If your people, had not
been recent converts to Islam, I would have spent the treasure of
the Ka`bah in the way of Allah and would have constructed its door
just on the level of the ground and would have encompassed in it
the space of Hijr (the unroofed portion of the Ka`bah which is at
present in the form of a compound towards the northwest of the
Ka`bah).” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Imam Ibn Kathir commented on this Hadith saying,
“So, when Ibn Az-Zubair took authority, he rebuilt it according
to the aforementioned directions of the Messenger of Allah (peace
and blessings be upon him). It came much better and rightly on
those very foundations (laid by) Ibrahim, having two doors at a
level with the ground, one towards the east and one towards the
west, through which people can enter from one door and exit from
the other.
When Ibn Az-Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him)
was killed, Al-Hajjaj wrote to `Abd Al-Malik Ibn Marwan informing
him about the doing of Ibn Az-Zubair, thinking that he did so of
his own accord and thereby, `Abd Al-Malik (the Caliph at that
time) ordered that it be rebuilt on its previous foundations.
Accordingly, they demolished the Syrian wall and took its stones
and then they leveled up its stones in the ground of the Ka`bah.
Thus, its door became high and then they walled up the western
door.
During the caliphate of Al-Mahdi or his son
Al-Mansur, he consulted Imam Malik in rebuilding it as it had been
done by Ibn Az-Zubair but Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him)
said, “I fear that kings may make this act (demolition and
reconstruction of the Ka`bah) as a game.” He, thereby, left it
as it was and so far it continues to be so.
It is worth mentioning that the Ka`bah and the
Sacred House are two different things since the Ka`bah is that
very building which was firstly established by Ibrahim and Isma`il
(peace and blessings be upon them) and it may be called the Sacred
Mosque due to considering it a place of prostration and the
direction towards which people turn their faces in prayer. As for
the Sacred Mosque, it is the precinct around the Ka`bah which was
firstly built by `Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with
him) who bought the houses around the Ka`bah and demolished them
and then built the Sacred Mosque in their place. When `Uthman Ibn
`Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) assumed caliphate, he
extended the area of the Mosque through buying the nearby houses
to the Ka`bah and attaching them to the Sacred Mosque.
Ever since that time, extensions and improvements
have been made to the Sacred Mosque and its precincts in order for
it to be spacious enough for the Pilgrims coming to it from all
over the globe.
The question now is: Is there any indication
referring to that the Ka`bah had been previously built before the
time of Ibrahim?
No doubt, the clear texts of the Qur’an and the
Sunnah indicate that Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him) was
the addressee regarding the order of building the Ancient House
and that he was the one appointed to raise its foundations and to
direct a (historic) call to people to perform pilgrimage to it.
In this regard, Almighty Allah says, […and We
covenanted with Ibrahim and Ishmael, that they should sanctify My
House for those who compass it round, or use it as a retreat, or
bow, or prostrate themselves (therein in Prayer)] (Al-Baqarah
2:125).
He also says, [Behold! We gave the site, to
Ibrahim, of the (sacred) house, (saying): associate not anything
(in worship) with Me; and sanctify my House for those who compass
it round, or stand up, or bow, or prostrate themselves (therein in
prayer). And proclaim the pilgrimage among men: they will come to
thee on foot and (mounted) On every kind of camel, lean on account
of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways] (Al-Hajj
22:26-27)
And when the Ever-Glorious Qur’an talked about
the first House (of worship) it linked it to Ibrahim in Almighty
Allah’s saying, [The first House (of worship) appointed for men
was that at Bakka: full of blessing and of guidance for all kinds
of beings. In it are Signs manifest; (for example), the Station of
Ibrahim…] (Aal `Imran 3:96-97).
It was also reported in the two Sahihs that Abu
Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated, “I said,
‘Messenger of Allah, which mosque was set up first on the
earth?’ He said, ‘Al-Masjid Al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque).’ I
(again) said, ‘Then which next?’ He said, ‘It was Al-Masjid
Al-Aqsa.’ I (again) said, ‘How long the space of time (between
them) was?’ He (the Prophet) said, ‘It was forty years.’”
Finally, it is well known that the Aqsa Mosque was
built by Ya`qub (Jacob) Ibn Isaac Ibn Ibrahim (peace and blessings
be upon them all). Thus, Jacob gained the construction skill from
his grandfather Al-Khalil (Allah’s intimate friend) (peace and
blessings be upon him) and followed his example in building
Allah’s Houses. All what people narrated regarding the Sacred
House before the time of Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him)
was groundless and thus could not stand as proof.
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