The Hijr (Enclosure) of Isma`il, peace and blessings be upon him,
encompasses the place between the northern and the western corners
of the Ka`bah. Its floor is covered with marble and it covers about
17 cubits. It has two doors one to the eastern side of 5 cubits;
and another to the western side of 7 cubits. There is an outlet for
water beneath the stones of the Enclosure.
There
are many Hadiths showing the excellence of the Enclosure. `Urwah
reported that `A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “I
really do not care whether to pray in the Enclosure or inside the
Ka`bah.” It is a part of the Ka`bah as shown by `A’ishah.
Ibn
Abu `Alqamah reported from his father that `A’ishah, may Allah be
pleased with her, said: “I used to enter the Ka`bah to pray
therein. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, once took my
hand and entered the Enclosure and said: ‘Pray in it if you want
to pray in the Ka`bah, for it is part of the Ka`bah but your people
did not build it when they rebuilt the Ka`bah.’”
`Abdullah
Ibn Safwan reported that the grave of Isma`il is in the Enclosure.
He reported that Ibn Az-Zubair dug the ground of the Enclosure and
found some green stones therein. When he asked Quraish about them,
no one gave him a satisfying answer. He asked Ibn Safwan who said
to him: “This is the grave of Isma`il, peace and blessings be
upon him, and do not you ever move it. So, he let it as it is.”
The
Enclosure was just made of stones but when the Commander of the
Faithful then saw it, he said: “I will never sleep until the
Enclosure is covered with marble.” Later, Caliph Al-Mahdi renewed
its marble and covered it with white, green and red marbles.
Afterwards, it was broken and the emir of Makkah, `Abdullah Ibn
Dawud Ibn `Isa renewed it.
The
Enclosure has been a focus of interest and care of the successive
kings, emirs and commanders of the Faithful. The Abbaside Caliph
An-Nasir renewed it in 576, the Abbaside Caliph Al-Mustansir in
631, King Muzaffar of Yemen in 659, King Muhammad Ibn Qalawun in
720, King `Ali Ibn Al-Ashraf in 781, King Az-Zahir Barquq in 801,
King Qansouh Al-Ghuri in 916, Sultan Qaitbay in 888 and Sultan
`Abdul-Majid Khan in 1260.
Sitting
Inside The Enclosure
Ibn
Juraij reported that he used to sit with Ibn `Abbas inside the
Enclosure. `Abdul Muttalib, the Prophet’s grandfather, had a rug
that was stretched in the Enclosure and no one could ever sit on it
except the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. As the Prophet
tried, while still young, to sit in his grandfather’s place, the
people tried to prevent him but `Abdul Muttalib said: “Leave my
son, for he is honored. I hope he will achieve as honor and dignity
as no one from among the Arabs has ever achieved.”
`A’ishah,
may Allah be pleased with her, reported the Prophet, peace and
blessings be upon him, as having said: “If I had money, I would
have extended the Ka`bah and included the Enclosure in it and made
another door for people.”
Also,
Sa`id Ibn Jubair reported that `A’ishah, may Allah be pleased
with her, asked the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to
open the door of Ka`bah for her during night and thus `Uthman Ibn
Talha brought the key to the Messenger of Allah and said: “O
Messenger of Allah! It (The Ka`bah) has never been opened during
night so do not open it.” The Prophet, peace and blessings be
upon him, turned to `A’ishah and said: “When your people
rebuilt the Ka`bah, they ran short of money and thus left some of
it (un-built); that is the Enclosure. So, go and pray therein.”
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