Jabir Ibn `Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, related:
"Allah's Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, touched
the Yamani Corner. Then he made three rounds circumambulating
around the Ka`bah hastily and made the other four walking. Then he
went near the Maqam of Ibrahim and recited the Qur'anic verse, “Take
as your place of worship the place where Abraham stood (to pray)”.
(Al-Baqarah: 124) Then he stood behind the Maqam facing the Ka`bah
and performed two Rak`ahs (in Prayer)." After relating many
Hadiths about the Prophet's prayer behind the Maqam and his
circumambulation around the Ka`bah, Ibn Kathir said that the Maqam
is the rock on which Prophet Ibrahim, peace and blessings be upon
him, stood when the walls got too high for him and he needed to be
in a higher position.
Abu
Talib said that Ibrahim's footprints appear on the rock up till
now.
Anas
Ibn Malik also said that he saw the footprints of Prophet Ibrahim,
peace and blessings be upon him, on the Maqam. Then people kept on
wiping it until they disappeared.
Maqamul-Khalil
(Prophet Ibrahim)
The
Maqam is the rock on which Prophet Ibrahim, peace and blessings be
upon him, stood while building the Ka`bah. Another opinion says
that it is the rock on which he stood when he called people to
perform Hajj there. Others say that it is the rock on which he
stood while his daughter-in-law was washing his head when he went
there asking about his son Isma`il. All these opinions can be
coordinated by saying that Prophet Ibrahim, peace and blessings be
upon him, stood on that rock while doing all or most of the
mentioned things.
Description
of the Maqam:
The
Maqam is located under a wooden dome standing on four slight stony
columns, among which there are four iron windows from its four
sides. The Maqam is to be reached from the eastern side. The dome
above the Maqam is ornamented with gold, and white-colored from its
top. It was renewed in 810 A.H. upon the order of An-Nasir Farag,
king of Egypt.
Position
of the Maqam Before and After Islam:
The
current position of the Maqam is the same as it was before Islam,
upon the advent of Islam and in the eras of the Prophet, peace and
blessings be upon him, and Abu Bakr and `Umar, may Allah be pleased
with them. But in the Caliphate of `Umar, a flood happened and drew
the Maqam from its place and placed it in front of the Ka`bah. Then
`Umar returned it back to its original place in the presence of the
masses.
The
Ornament of the Maqam:
The
first one to decorate the Maqam was the Caliph Al-Mahdi Al-`Abbasi.
He feared it may decay, as it was made of soft rocks. He sent one
thousand dinars to make the necessary procedures in order to get it
strengthened. Then in the era of Al-Mutawakkil, it was ornamented
with gold in 236 A.H.
The
decoration put in the era of Al-Mahdi was removed in 256 A.H. to
mend the Maqam. So it was renewed and hardened and more gold and
silver were added to it. It was surrounded by two gold belts, made
of 992 mithqal of gold, and a silver belt. The Maqam was brought to
the palace and chemical compounds were made for it to be hardened
and mended therewith, as some pieces fell down while removing the
decoration in 255 A.H. in the process of mending it. After it was
already made stronger, the Maqam was taken to its place in the Holy
Mosque and was fixed there in 256 A.H.
The
distance between the Maqam and the Black Stone is about 29 cubits
and 9 fingers, and from the middle of the Ka`bah and the Maqam is
27 cubits, and between Shazurwan (part of the Ka`bah) and the Maqam
and the well of Zamzam 24 cubits and 20 fingers. The Maqam has been subjected to many mending process and still up till now.
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