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