THE KA'BAH : A History of Haj Rites

By Rosemary (Mariam) al-Attar

Taken from “The Minister” -

www.sies.co.uk

Before I went for Haj in 2003, I was fortunate enough to go for Umrah in 1996, and it was at

that time I began asking the following questions:

* What is 'Hijr Ismaeel'.

* What is the 'Standing Place of Ibraheem'.

* Why do we kiss the Black Stone.

Judging by the few replies I received it appears that many modern day Muslims do not know

the answers, and in fact, had never thought of the questions. However, I feel sure that at the

time of the Prophet (pbuh) Muslims knew the answers, and never thought that over time and

hundreds of years, people would forget them. Although the knowledge is there for those who

seek it out, generally speaking, people no longer know. So I set out to try and find some

answers, and as the Ka'bah is at the heart of them as much as it is the heart of the 'ummah', it

seems the best way is to explore the history of the Holy House itself.

The earliest tradition regarding the Ka'bah is of rather a supernatural character but that is

no reason to say it could not have happened; after all, Allah (s.w.t) gave many of His Prophets

the ability to perform miracles and supernatural signs, and they are mentioned in the Qur'an.

It is said that in the very beginning the House was a dome of light which descended with

Adam, and it settled in its present place, where in later years Prophet Ibraheem (pbuh) built

the Ka'bah, and that it remained in that place until the time of the Great Flood, and when the

earth was submerged, Allah (s.w.t) raised the dome up, and that it why it has always been

called the 'Ancient House'.

This tradition may, or may not, be true but now we come to what is sure, because it is in the

Book in which there is 'no doubt'. In Surat-ul-Baqarah, ayah 127, we read:

And remember, Ibraheem and Ismaeel raised the foundations of the House (with this prayer):

"Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: for you are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing."

(2:127)

We know from this that Ibraheem and Ismaeel (pbut) were in Mecca, and actually built

the Ka'bah. But what had brought them here.

Had they come knowing what they must do. Why did they choose that place rather than any

other.

From AI-Mizan, an explanation of the Qur'an, we learn from Imam Ja'afar-as-Sadiq (as) the

answers.

At an earlier time, before the birth of Ismaeel, Ibraheem had left the lands of Chaldea,

Babylon, and Assyria, accompanied by Sarah, his wife, and Hajer her maid. had been

persecuted there for preaching the Unity of Allah (s.w.t). They settled in Syria, and as it

seemed that Sarah could not have children, she suggested that take Hajer as his second wife.

This he did, and prayed earnestly that he would have a righteous son. Allah (s.w.t) heard his

prayer, and Hajer gave birth to a son whom they called Ismaeel (from the Arabic 'to hear').