Maqame Ebrahim

The Maqame Ebrahim refers to the stone on which Ebrahim (a.s.) stood on while he was building the Ka’bah. As Ismail (a.s.) passed stones onto Ebrahim (a.s.) and as Ebrahim (a.s.) continued laying them in place the Maqame Ebrahim miraculously continued rising higher and higher as the walls rose. Allah (swt) caused the trace of his footprints to remain on the stone as a reminder to the believers among his descendants.

 

 

 - It has been reported from Sa’eed bin Jubair (r.a.) that the Prophet (s.a.w.) said:

“The stone is the station of Ebrahim. Allah made it soft and made it a mercy. Ebrahim would stand on it and Ismail would hand the stones up to him.” [Muthir Al-Gharam]

- Ebrahim and Ismail (a.s.) used to mention the following Quranic verse as they were constructing the Holy Ka’bah,

“Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: for you are the All-Hearing, The All-Knowing.” [2:127]

- Ebrahim (a.s.) constructed the Ka’bah using rocks from five mountains; Hira, Thubayr, Labnaan, Toor and Jabalul Khayr. Toor Seenaa is actually situated in the eastern desert of Egypt.

- When Ebrahim (a.s.) completed the construction of the Ka’bah he was commanded by Allah (swt):

“And proclaim to mankind the Hajj (pilgrimage). They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every deep and distant (wide) mountain highway (to perform Hajj).” [al-Hajj 22:27] 

  Ibn Katheer says in his commentary that this verse means: Proclaim (O Ebrahim) the Hajj to the people, calling them to come on pilgrimage to this House which We have commanded you to build. It was mentioned that he said, “O Lord, how can I proclaim it to the people when my voice does not reach them?” He said, “Call and We will convey it.” So he stood at his Maqam (station) – or according to some narrations on al-Safa, or on mount Abu Qubays – and said: “O people, your Lord has taken a House, so come to it on pilgrimage.” And it was said that the mountains lowered themselves so that his voice could reach all parts of the earth and those who were still in the wombs or in men’s loins also heard, and everything that heard him, cities, nomad encampments and trees, and everyone whom Allah has decreed should perform Hajj until the Day of Resurrection responded (saying) Labbayk Allahumma labbayk (Here I am, O Allah, here I am).

This is the summary of what was narrated from Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, ‘Ikrimah, Saeed ibn Jubayr and others (r.a.).

- Umar (r.a.) reports that Allah (s.w.t.) fulfilled three wishes that he had. One of these is that when he proposed to the Prophet (s.a.w.) that the Maqame Ebrahim should be made a place for performing salah (prayer). Allah (s.w.t.) revealed the following verse in the Holy Quran in Surah al-Baqarah:

“Take the Maqam of Ebrahim as a place of salah (a place behind which you perform two rakahs of salah after Tawaf)” [2:125]

- At the time of Ebrahim (a.s.) the Maqam was attached to the Ka’bah. Umar (r.a.), seeing that leaving it where it was would make the space too crowded for Tawaf or for prayers had it moved to the place it is now to make it easier for people. There was consensus among the Sahabah for Umar (r.a.) action, for he was the one who had suggested it should be taken as a place of prayer.

- Juhm bin Hudhayfah (r.a.), a Sahabi who was present when the Quraysh rebuilt the Ka’bah as well as when Abdullah bin Zubair (r.a.) rebuilt it says that the blessed footprints of the Prophet (s.a.w.) very closely matches those of Ebrahim (a.s.). The Prophet (s.a.w.) also mentioned:

“From all the children of Ebrahim (a.s.) it is I who resembles him the most.” [Bukhari]

- Although the Arabs worshipped stones during the Period of Ignorance, no one ever worshipped the Hajar al-Aswad or the Maqame Ebrahim even though the Arabs revered them. It appears that it was Allah’s explicit intention to protect the Maqame Ebrahim from Shirk and all types of worship.

- Note that the significance of the Maqame Ebrahim is that it is a place for the performance of salah and not for touching or kissing. When there are lots of people performing tawaf it is better to perform salah some distance away from the Maqame Ebrahim to avoid causing unnecessary inconvenience to others.

 

 

References:
The History of Makkah – Dr Muhammad Ilyas Abdul Ghani
Holy Makkah – Shaikh Safiur-Rahman Mubarakpuri

Hateem/Hijr Ismail

The Hateem is the crescent shaped area immediately adjacent to the Ka’bah. Part of it is also known as the ‘Hijr Ismail’ as this was the place where Ebrahim (a.s.) constructed a shelter for Ismail (a.s.) and his mother Hajrah (a.s.).

 

 

 

 - The grandfather of the Prophet (s.a.w.), Abdul Muttalib, loved to be near the Ka’bah and he would sometimes order a couch to be spread for him in this space. One night, when he was sleeping there a shadowy figure came to him in a vision and instructed him where he would find the Zamzam well, which had laid buried from the time of the Jurhum tribe.

- When the Prophet (s.a.w.) was 35 years old, a devastating flood damaged the Ka’bah and, as it had already been weakened by an earlier fire, was in danger of collapse. Seeing that their house of worship was under threat, the Quraysh decided to rebuild the Ka’bah. They resolved not to taint the project with resources gained through usury (interest), prostitution, or thieving. They came to know of a Roman ship that had become wrecked at a nearby port and a contingent went to purchase the wood of the ship. They also contracted a carpenter, named Baqoom and who had been one of the passengers on the ship to come and reconstruct the walls. The construction started with each tribe being allocated specific duties. The nobles among them carried pieces of stone and piled them up in one place. The Prophet (s.a.w.) and his uncle Abbas were among those carrying stones. However, the tribes were unable to collect enough money to rebuilt the Ka’bah completely so a small wall was built showing the boundaries of the original foundation laid by Ebrahim (a.s.). This small walled enclosed an area on the northern side of the Ka’bah and is called Hijr Ismail.

- Some scholars have mentioned that the graves of Ismail (a.s.) and his mother Hajra (r.a.) lie buried beneath the Hijr Ismail. However, others have dismissed the narrations as being Da’eef (weak).

- Aisha (r.a.) reports that when she asked the Prophet (s.a.w.) whether the Hateem was part of the Ka’bah, he replied that it was. When she further asked why it was then not included in the walls of the Ka’bah, the Prophet (s.a.w.) replied, “Because your people (the Quraysh) did not have sufficient funds.” [Bukhari]

- Aisha (r.a.) says, “When I expressed the wish to perform salah within the Ka’bah, the Prophet (s.a.w.) took me by the hand and led me into the Hijr (Hateem) where he said, ‘Perform salah here if you wish to enter the Ka’bah because this is part of the Baytullah.”

- It must be noted here that an area of approximately 3 meters adjacent to the wall on the side of the Hateem actually constitutes as being part of the Ka’bah, the rest falls outside the Ka’bah. It is however clear that Tawaf must be performed outside the complete area of the Hateem.

- Another narration states that Rasulullah (s.a.w.) said, “O Aa’isha! Had your people not very recently been in the Period of Ignorance, I would have had the Ka’bah demolished and included the left-out portion within its walls. I would have also brought the inside of the Ka’bah to ground level and added two doors, with one on the eastern wall and the other on the western wall. In this manner, it would be according to the building and foundation of Ebrahim (a.s.).” In the year 65 AH., Abdullah bin Zubayr (r.a) had the Ka’bah constructed according to this wish of the Prophet (s.a.w.).

- There is a water outlet that channels water from the roof of the Ka’bah down to the Hateem area. This was first constructed by the Quraysh and is known as the ‘Mizaab Rahmah’ (the water outlet of mercy).

References:
The History of Makkah Mukarramah – Dr. Muhammad Ilyas Abdul Ghani
Holy Makkah – Shaikh Safiur-Rahman Mubarakpuri
When the Moon Split - Shaikh Safiur-Rahman Mubarakpuri

Hateem/Hijr Ismail

Meezab

The Meezab is the golden spout from where rainwater on the roof of the Ka’bah falls onto the Hijr Ismail. It is reported that the Prophet (s.a.w.) supplicated under the Meezab.

 

- It is commonly referred to as the 'Meezab-e-Rahmah' (The water outlet of mercy).

- The Quraysh were the first to construct a roof on the Ka’bah and therefore the first to attach this downpipe. Before their construction, there was neither a roof nor a downpipe.

- The Meezaab was remodelled when the Ka’bah was renovated in the year 1417 A.H. The dimensions were retained as they were when the Ottoman Emperor Sultaan Abdul Majeed Khan renovated the Meezaab in the year 1273 A.H.

References:
Guide to visiting Makka and Madina – Sh. Abdul Aziz Ahmed
The History of Makkah Mukarramah – Dr. Muhammad Ilyas Abdul Ghani

Rukan Yamani

This corner of the Ka’bah is called the Rukan Yamani because it is situated on the side of the Ka’bah which faces the land of Yemen. It is on the wall opposite to that of the Hajar al-Aswad.

 

 

- Because this corner is still standing on the foundation that Ebrahim (a.s.) built, the narration of Abdullah bin Abbas (r.a.) states that the Prophet (s.a.w.) made “Istilaam” of it.

- “Istilaam” refers to the touching of the corner whether this is done by hand or by kissing. As the Prophet (s.a.w.) touched the Rukn Yamaani by hand, this practise is Sunnah. However, there is no harm if one is unable to touch it due to the crowds.

- It was the practice of the Prophet (s.a.w.) that when he passed between the Rukn Yamani and the Hajar al-Aswad, he recited the following du’aa:

“O Rabb, grant us (all that which is) good in this world, (all that which is) good in the Aakhirah and save us from the punishment of the fire (of Jahannam).” [Surah Baqarah, verse 201]

References:
The History of Makkah Mukarramah – Dr. Muhammad Ilyas Abdul Ghani

Door of Ka’bah

This is entrance of the Ka’bah on its eastern side. Originally it was at ground level but was raised when the Quraysh rebuilt the Ka’bah.

 

 

- When Ebrahim (a.s.) built the Ka’bah, the entrances of the Ka’bah were on ground level. People entered from the eastern entrance and exited through the western entrance.

- Aisha (r.a.) once asked the Prophet (saw) what reason the Quraysh had for raising the door above the ground. The Prophet (saw) replied, “Your people did it so that they could permit into the Ka’bah only those people whom they approved of and could prevent those whom they pleased. Had your people not been recently removed from ignorance and had I not feared that they would be averse to change, I would have included the Hateem within the Ka’bah and brought the door level with the ground.”

- At the top of each door is inscribed: "Allah Jal jalaalah Muhammad sallallaahu alaihi wasallam"

Beneath all of this is inscribed: "In the name of Allaah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful."

“Enter with peace and safety” [Surah Hijr, verse 46]

"Allah has made the Ka’bah the sacred house, as well as the sacred months a means by which (the physical and spiritual safety and well-being of) mankind is maintained." [Surah Maa’idah, verse 97]

Say, “O my Rabb! Allow me to enter a pleasant place, allow me to leave pleasantly and grant me such authority from Yourself that is coupled with (Your) assistance.” [Surah Israa, verse 80]

"Your Rabb has made mercy (towards you) compulsory upon himself." [Surah An’aam, verse 5]

Your Rabb says, “Supplicate to Me and I shall respond.” [Surah Mu’min, verse 60]

Beneath all of this is inscribed: Say, “O My bondsmen who have wronged their souls (by committing kufr or other sins)! Never lose hope of Allah’s mercy.” [Surah Zumar, verse 53]

The words “Allahu Akbar” is inscribed on the two rings and Surah Faatiha has been engraved beneath the lock.

References:
The History of Makkah Mukarramah – Dr. Muhammad Ilyas Abdul Ghani