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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 2:124). 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.
Maqam Al-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 processes
and still up till now.
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