Author: Abdul Hai Lay'yan
The Divine Education Model in the Family of the Prophets (Part 38)
The Kaaba and al-Bayt al-Ma‘mur
The Kaaba is located directly beneath al-Bayt al-Ma‘mur, such that if al-Bayt al-Ma‘mur were to descend, it would fall upon it. Likewise, in each of the seven heavens there exists a house in which the inhabitants of that heaven worship Allah, and that house is for them what the Kaaba is for the people of the earth. This has been stated by some of the predecessors.
The Construction of the Kaaba by Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Esmayil (peace be upon them)
The Kaaba was built by the command of Allah Almighty through Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Esmayil (peace be upon them). The verses and Hadiths mentioned earlier also point to this matter.
In a Hadith from the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) concerning Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), it is mentioned: “ثم مكث عنهم ما شاء الله، ثم أتاهم بعد ذلك، وإسماعيل يبري نبلا له تحت دوحة قريبًا من زمزم. فلما رآه قام إليه، فصنعا كما يصنع الوالد بالولد والولد بالوالد، ثم قال: يا إسماعيل! إن الله أمرني بأمر. قال: فاصنع ما أمرك ربك. قال: وتعينني؟ قال: وأعينك. قال: فإن الله أمرني أن أبني ها هنا بيتًا، وأشار إلى أكَمَة مرتفعة على ما حولها.”[1] Translation: “Then, after a period of separation by the will of Allah, he returned. At that time, Esmayil(peace be upon him) was near the well of Zamzam under a tree, sharpening his arrows. When Ibrahim (peace be upon him) saw him, they embraced as a father and son would. Then Ibrahim (peace be upon him) said: ‘O Esmayil, Allah has commanded something.’ Ishmael (peace be upon him) replied: ‘Do what your Lord has commanded you.’ Ibrahim (peace be upon him) asked: ‘Will you help me?’ He replied: ‘I will help you.’ Abraham (peace be upon him) said: ‘Allah has commanded me to build a house here,’ and he pointed to a mound higher than its surroundings.”
This Hadith, along with the Qur’anic verses mentioned earlier, demonstrates that the Sacred House (Baytullah al-Haram) was built by Prophet Ibrahim with the help of his son Esmayil(peace be upon them).
Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) holds the same view, saying: “There is no authentic narration proving that the Kaaba was built before Ibrahim, the Friend of Allah (peace be upon him). Whoever refers to the verse ‘the site of the House’ (in Surah al-Hajj) has no conclusive evidence, because what is meant by ‘the site’ is the position decreed in Divine Knowledge, which had a special status with the Prophets (peace be upon them) from the time of Adam until the time of Ibrahim.”[2]
Completion of the Structure and the Supplication of the Prophets (peace be upon them)
After Ibrahim and Esmayil (peace be upon them) agreed on the construction of the House, they began raising its foundations. Esmayil (peace be upon him) would bring stones, while Ibrahim (peace be upon him) built. When the structure became higher, Abraham (peace be upon him) brought the stone (the Maqam of Ibrahim), stood on it, and continued building, while Esmayil (peace be upon him) handed him the stones. Both of them would say: رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِیعُ الْعَلِیمُ[3] Translation: “Our Lord! Accept this from us; indeed, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.”
In another narration it is said: “فلما ارتفع البناء وضعف الشيخ عن نقل الحجارة، قام على الحجر، فجعل الغلام يناوله الحجارة، وهما يقولان: ربنا تقبل منا إنك أنت السميع العليم.”[4] Translation: “When the structure became high and the elder (Ibrahim, peace be upon him) was unable to carry stones, he stood on the stone (Maqam), and Esmayil (peace be upon him) would hand him the stones. Both of them said: ‘Our Lord! Accept this from us; indeed, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.’”
The word qawa‘id (قواعد) is the plural of qa‘idah (قاعده), meaning foundation or base. Raf‘ al-qawa‘id (رفع قواعد) means raising or building upon the foundations, because by building upon them, the structure rises upward.[5]
The Glad Tidings of the Birth of Eshaq (peace be upon him)
This glad tidings, mentioned in several places in the Holy Qur’an, is one of the significant events in Ibrahim’s life.
In Surah Hud, Allah says: “وَلَقَدْ جَاءتْ رُسُلُنَا إِبْرَاهِیمَ بِالْبُشْرَى قَالُواْ سَلاَماً قَالَ سَلاَمٌ فَمَا لَبِثَ أَن جَاء بِعِجْلٍ حَنِیذٍ فَلَمَّا رَأَى أَیدِیهُمْ لاَ تَصِلُ إِلَیهِ نَكِرَهُمْ وَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِیفَةً قَالُواْ لاَ تَخَفْ إِنَّا أُرْسِلْنَا إِلَى قَوْمِ لُوطٍ * وَامْرَأَتُهُ قَآئِمَةٌ فَضَحِكَتْ فَبَشَّرْنَاهَا بِإِسْحَاقَ وَمِن وَرَاء إِسْحَاقَ یعْقُوبَ قَالَتْ یا وَیلَتَى أَأَلِدُ وَأَنَاْ عَجُوزٌ وَهَذَا بَعْلِی شَیخاً إِنَّ هَذَا لَشَیءٌ عَجِیبٌ قَالُواْ أَتَعْجَبِینَ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللّهِ رَحْمَتُ اللّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ عَلَیكُمْ أَهْلَ الْبَیتِ إِنَّهُ حَمِیدٌ مَّجِیدٌ.”*[6] Translation: “Our messengers came to Ibrahim with glad tidings. They greeted him with peace, and he answered, ‘Peace.’ Not long after, he brought them a roasted calf. But when he saw their hands did not reach for it, he mistrusted them and felt some fear. They said, ‘Do not fear. We have been sent to the people of Lot.’ His wife, standing by, laughed; so We gave her good tidings of Isaac, and after Isaac, Jacob. She said, ‘Woe to me! Shall I bear a child when I am an old woman, and my husband is an old man? This is indeed a strange thing!’ They said, ‘Do you marvel at Allah’s decree? The mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you, O people of the house. Indeed, He is Praiseworthy, Glorious.’”
In Surah al-Hijr, Allah says: “وَنَبِّئْهُمْ عَن ضَیفِ إِبْراَهِیمَ * إِذْ دَخَلُواْ عَلَیهِ فَقَالُواْ سَلاماً قَالَ إِنَّا مِنكُمْ وَجِلُونَ * قَالُواْ لاَ تَوْجَلْ إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلامٍ عَلِیمٍ * قَالَ أَبَشَّرْتُمُونِی عَلَى أَن مَّسَّنِی الْكِبَرُ فَبِمَ تُبَشِّرُونَ * قَالُواْ بَشَّرْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَلاَ تَكُن مِّنَ الْقَانِطِینَ * قَالَ وَمَن یقْنَطُ مِن رَّحْمَةِ رَبِّهِ إِلاَّ الضَّآلُّونَ.”[7] Translation: “And inform them about Ibrahim’s guests. When they entered upon him, they greeted him with peace. He said, ‘Indeed, we fear you.’ They said, ‘Do not fear. We bring you glad tidings of a knowledgeable son.’ He said, ‘Do you give me such glad tidings despite old age having touched me? With what do you bring me glad tidings?’ They said, ‘We bring you glad tidings in truth, so do not be among the despairing.’ He said, ‘And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord except those astray?’”
In Surah al-Dhariyat, Allah says: “هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِیثُ ضَیفِ إِبْرَاهِیمَ الْمُكْرَمِینَ إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَیهِ فَقَالُوا سَلَاماً قَالَ سَلَامٌ قَوْمٌ مُّنكَرُونَ فَرَاغَ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ فَجَاء بِعِجْلٍ سَمِینٍ * فَقَرَّبَهُ إِلَیهِمْ قَالَ أَلَا تَأْكُلُونَ * فَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِیفَةً قَالُوا لَا تَخَفْ وَبَشَّرُوهُ بِغُلَامٍ عَلِیمٍ * فَأَقْبَلَتِ امْرَأَتُهُ فِی صَرَّةٍ فَصَكَّتْ وَجْهَهَا وَقَالَتْ عَجُوزٌ عَقِیمٌ * قَالُوا كَذَلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْحَكِیمُ الْعَلِیمُ.”[8] Translation: “Has the story of Ibrahim’s honored guests reached you? When they entered upon him and said, ‘Peace,’ he said, ‘Peace, strangers.’ Then he went quietly to his family and brought a fat calf. He placed it before them and said, ‘Will you not eat?’ When he saw they did not eat, he felt a fear of them. They said, ‘Do not fear,’ and they gave him glad tidings of a knowledgeable son. Then his wife came forward with a cry, struck her face, and said, ‘I am an old barren woman!’ They said, ‘Thus has your Lord decreed; indeed, He is the Wise, the All-Knowing.’”
In Surah al-Saffat, Allah says: “وَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِإِسْحَاقَ نَبِیاً مِّنَ الصَّالِحِینَ * وَبَارَكْنَا عَلَیهِ وَعَلَى إِسْحَاقَ وَمِن ذُرِّیتِهِمَا مُحْسِنٌ وَظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ مُبِینٌ.”[9] Translation: “And We gave him good tidings of Eshaq, a prophet from among the righteous. We blessed him and Eshaq, and among their descendants are those who do good and those who clearly wrong themselves.”
These verses of the Quran are about the angels announcing the birth of Eshaq (peace be upon him) to Prophet ibraham (peace be upon him) and his wife Sarah.
This good news was brought by angels whom Allah Almighty had sent to destroy the cities of Lot’s people because of their disbelief and sins. On their way to the cities of Lot’s people, they passed by Prophet ibraham (peace be upon him) and conveyed this good news to him.
It seems that this event was a reward for Prophet Ibrahim(PBUH) for his patience, perseverance and all the valuable sacrifices he had made in the way of obedience to Allah Almighty.
Continues…
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References:
[1]. Narrated by al-Bukhari in – Book of the Prophets – Hadith number 166, 167.
[2]. Imad al-Din Abi al-Fada Ismail, Ibn Kathir, Qasas al-Anbiya, Misr: Dar Taba’ah and Al-Nashr al-Islamiyya, 1412 AH, p. 215.
[3]. Al-Bukhari’s narration in the book – The Prophets – Hadith number 166.
[4]. Al-Bukhari’s narration in the book – The Prophets – Hadith number 167.
[5]. Abdullah bin Ahmed bin Mahmud, Al-Nasafi, Tafsir al-Nasafi, Beirut: Dar al-Kitab al-Arabi, 1402 AH, vol.1, p.74.
[6]. Hood: 69-73.
[7]. Hajar: 51-56.
[8]. Dhariyat: 24-30.
[9]. Al-Safat: 112-113.
