Allah says in the Quran - "Behold, the first House (of Prayer) established for mankind is the one at Bakkah: it is full of blessing and a centre of guidance for the whole world." (Surah Al-Imran Ayat 96)
Together, Prophet Ibrahim (as) and Prophet Ismail (as) continued to call people to worship Allah but there was no place solely for praying to Him. Prophet Ibrahim (as) wished that there was a special place for people to find peace and focus completely on the praise of Allah. Soon after, Allah (SWT) ordered Prophet Ibrahim (as) to build the Sacred House, or the Kaaba. Prophet Ibrahim (as) and his son worked together to build the Kaaba. They chose a hillock, elevated from the surrounding land and began laying foundations. Prophet Ismail (as) found the stones, while his father placed them to build high walls. When the construction was finished, the Angel Jibreel (as) came down from heaven to teach Prophet Ibrahim (as) the rituals of Hajj. Using a large stone as a platform, Prophet Ibrahim (as) addressed his people, urging them to obey Allah (SWT). This large stone can still be seen near the Kaaba. It is known as ‘Makam Ibrahim’.
When man’s conscience is awakened, he looks at the universe around him and realizes that it is made for his benefit, either directly or through the harmony between its laws and human life and needs. When he looks around him, he finds it all made friendly by Allah’s grace, and by His power and permission it is both helpful and useful. When man considers and contemplates, he must stand in awe of his Lord, prostrate himself and express his gratitude. He always looks up to his Lord to replace with ease any hardship he may be going through, and to preserve any aspect of grace and happiness he may be enjoying. The perfect example of a human being who always remembers Allah (SWT) and expresses his gratitude to Him is Prophet Ibrahim (as), the father of prophets. His truly thankful character imparts a definite ambience and reflects Allah’s grace and how it is received with gratitude or ingratitude. Prophet Ibrahim (as) is shown here in a scene of devotion, making a heartfelt appeal to Allah (SWT). His melodious supplication made around 2000 B.C after building the Ka'bah is inspirational as it rises to Allah (SWT) in heaven:
وَاِذۡ قَالَ اِبۡرٰهِيۡمُ رَبِّ اجۡعَلۡ هٰذَا الۡبَلَدَ اٰمِنًا وَّاجۡنُبۡنِىۡ وَبَنِىَّ اَنۡ نَّـعۡبُدَ الۡاَصۡنَامَؕ
And call to mind when Abraham prayed: "My Lord! Make this city secure, and keep me and my sons away from worshipping the idols. (Surah 14:35)
رَبِّ اِنَّهُنَّ اَضۡلَلۡنَ كَثِيۡرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِۚ فَمَنۡ تَبِعَنِىۡ فَاِنَّهٗ مِنِّىۡۚ وَمَنۡ عَصَانِىۡ فَاِنَّكَ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِيۡمٌ
My Lord! They have caused many people to go astray. Now, if anyone follows my way, he is from me; and if anyone follows a way opposed to mine, then surely You are Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Surah 14:36)
رَبَّنَا إِنِّي أَسْكَنتُ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِي زَرْعٍ عِنْدَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا الصَّلاَةَ فَاجْعَلْ أَفْئِدَةً مِنْ النَّاسِ تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِمْ وَارْزُقْهُمْ مِنْ الثَّمَرَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُونَ
"Our Lord! I have settled one of my offspring in a barren valley near Your Sacred House so that, O Lord, they may establish the prayer. Thus make the hearts of people incline towards them, and provide them with fruits, so that they may give thanks." (Surah 14:37)
رَبَّنَاۤ اِنَّكَ تَعۡلَمُ مَا نُخۡفِىۡ وَمَا نُعۡلِنُ ؕ وَمَا يَخۡفٰى عَلَى اللّٰهِ مِنۡ شَىۡءٍ فِى الۡاَرۡضِ وَلَا فِى السَّمَآءِ
Our Lord! Surely You know all that we conceal and all that we reveal, and nothing in the earth or in the heaven is hidden from Allah. (Surah 14:38)
اَلۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِىۡ وَهَبَ لِىۡ عَلَى الۡـكِبَرِ اِسۡمٰعِيۡلَ وَاِسۡحٰقَؕ اِنَّ رَبِّىۡ لَسَمِيۡعُ الدُّعَآءِ
All praise be to Allah Who, despite my old age, has given me Ishmael and Isaac. Surely my Lord hears all prayers. (Surah 14:39)
رَبِّ اجۡعَلۡنِىۡ مُقِيۡمَ الصَّلٰوةِ وَمِنۡ ذُرِّيَّتِىۡ ۖ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلۡ دُعَآءِ
My Lord! Enable me and my offspring to establish Prayer, and do accept, our Lord, this prayer of mine. (Surah 14:40)
رَبَّنَا اغۡفِرۡ لِىۡ وَلـِوَالِدَىَّ وَلِلۡمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ يَوۡمَ يَقُوۡمُ الۡحِسَابُ
Our Lord! Forgive me and my parents and the believers on the Day when the reckoning will take place. (Surah 14:41)
Here Prophet Ibrahim (as) is shown in front of the House he built for Allah (SWT) in Makkah, and whose custody has passed to the Quraysh, an Arabian tribe bent on disbelief in Allah, yet benefiting by the House built for the worship of Allah alone. Prophet Ibrahim (as) is shown addressing his supplication with perfect devotion and heartfelt gratitude. This should make the ungrateful reflect and revise their attitude. It should make the unbelievers turn back to faith, and the oblivious remember Allah (SWT). It should make people generally follow Prophet Ibrahim (as) in his exemplary attitude.
In this last prayer we see Prophet Ibrahim (as), the caring, forbearing and compassionate.
He does not pray to Allah (SWT) to destroy those of his offspring who leave his path of guidance.
He does not precipitate Allah’s punishment. Indeed he does not even mention punishment.
Instead, he leaves them to Allah (SWT), to His forgiveness and mercy.
Thus Prophet Ibrahim (as) lends to the whole scene an air of forgiveness and compassion, leaving the taint of disobedience to disappear altogether. Compassionate as he is, Prophet Ibrahim (as) does not let it appear again.
Prophet Ibrahim (as) follows this prayer with an acknowledgement that Allah (SWT) knows all that people harbour in their hearts and when they turn to Allah (SWT) with thanks and sincere supplication. It is not vocal appearances that are meant here. It is what a person feels deep in his heart, and the way he addresses Allah (SWT), who knows what we reveal and conceal. Indeed, nothing in heaven and earth is hidden from Allah’s knowledge: “Our Lord, You certainly know all that we conceal and all that we bring into the open: for nothing whatever, on earth or in heaven, can be hidden from Allah.” (Ayat 38) Prophet Ibrahim (as) then mentions an aspect of grace which Allah (SWT) has shown him, and he praises Allah (SWT) for it and thanks Him, providing an example for all believers. They must not forget Allah’s grace, and they must always be thankful for it. “All praise is due to God who has given me, in my old age, Ishmael and Isaac. Surely my Lord hears all prayers.” (Ayat 39) Giving a person children when he has attained to old age is felt more keenly, because children represent the extension of one’s life into another generation. This is a great feeling for an elderly person who begins to think life is approaching its end. The need to feel the continuity represented by children is thus instinctive. Hence, Prophet Ibrahim (as) praises Allah (SWT) and prays for more of God’s grace: “Surely my Lord hears all prayers.” (Ayat 39)
Prophet Ibrahim (as) follows his thanksgiving with a supplication to Allah (SWT) to make him always thankful. His thanks take the form of prayer, worship and obedience to Allah (SWT). Thus he declares his determination to always be a devout worshipper, but fears that something may divert him from it. Hence, he prays that Allah (SWT) may help him to carry out his intention: “My Lord, cause me and [some of] my offspring to establish regular prayers. My Lord, accept my prayer.” (Ayat 40) Prophet Ibrahim's (as) supplication shows the irony in the Quraysh’s attitude, the Arab tribe which had custody of the Ka'bah. Prophet Ibrahim (as) is appealing to Allah (SWT) for help to attend to his prayers, and to enable him to perform these at all times. They, however, turn away from it, denying the truth of what Allah’s Messenger tells them of how Prophet Ibrahim (as) prayed for himself and his offspring.
Now, Prophet Ibrahim (as) concludes his humble supplication by appealing to Allah (SWT) to forgive him and forgive his parents and all believers. He prays for that forgiveness to be forthcoming on the Day of Judgement when nothing is of benefit to anyone except the good works he or she may have done in life and Allah’s forgiveness for what they might have committed or omitted to do: “Our Lord, grant Your forgiveness to me and my parents, and all the believers on the Day when the reckoning will come to pass.” (Ayat 41) Prophet Ibrahim (as) included his mushrik father in his prayer because he had made promise that he would pray to his Lord for his forgiveness.
وَ اَعۡتَزِلُـكُمۡ وَمَا تَدۡعُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ وَاَدۡعُوۡا رَبِّىۡ ۖ عَسٰٓى اَلَّاۤ اَكُوۡنَ بِدُعَآءِ رَبِّىۡ شَقِيًّا
I shall withdraw from you and all that you call upon beside Allah. I shall only call upon my Lord. I trust the prayer to my Lord will not go unanswered." (Surah 19:48)
But afterwards, when he realized that he should not pray for his forgiveness because he was an enemy of Allah, he absolved himself of that promise.
وَمَا كَانَ اسۡتِغۡفَارُ اِبۡرٰهِيۡمَ لِاَبِيۡهِ اِلَّا عَنۡ مَّوۡعِدَةٍ وَّعَدَهَاۤ اِيَّاهُ ۚ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهٗۤ اَنَّهٗ عَدُوٌّ لِّلّٰهِ تَبَرَّاَ مِنۡهُ ؕ اِنَّ اِبۡرٰهِيۡمَ لَاَوَّاهٌ حَلِيۡمٌ
And Abraham's prayer for the forgiveness of his father was only because of a promise which he had made to him. Then, when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of Allah, he dissociated himself from him. Surely Abraham was most tender-hearted, God-fearing, forbearing. (Surah 9:114)
The Pilgrimage to Makkah and to the Ka'bah, as well as involving the continuity of a number of ancient rites, contains potent spiritual symbolism.
The physical journey from one’s homeland is a reminder that one must eventually leave this world forever.
Wearing the ihram reminds one that each will be buried in a shroud when they die and shall meet their Maker, shorn of any ability to hide behind clothes of pretension or of status.
The huge multitudes of people camped out on the plain of Arafat, or under the desert sky of Muzdalifah, brings to mind the tumult and terror of the Resurrection, when all shall be marshalled together for judgement.
But of course, the most potent symbol, and the one that most links us to the Abrahamic legacy, is the ritual sacrifice, in remembering Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son. For Prophet Ibrahim’s story is a story of loving submission – and it is loving submission and surrender that lie at the very heart of Islam.
Every year, millions of Muslims from all over the world travel to Makkah in Saudi Arabia to circle the Kaaba that Ibrahim (as) and Ismail (as) built and run between the two hills of al-Marwa and as-Safa, just like Hajar did. We also commemorate the obedience of the Prophet Ibrahim (as) by sacrificing an animal (usually a sheep or a camel), or paying for an animal to be sacrificed on their behalf and the meat distributed to the poor.
What Allah (SWT) has prepared for those unbelievers who deny Allah’s blessings, and tells when they will face their inevitable destiny. This comes in quick images of the Day of Judgement which fill our hearts with fear: “Never think that God is unaware of what the wrongdoers are doing. He only grants them respite till the Day when eyes will stare fixedly in horror, when they will be dashing in confusion, with their heads lifted up, unable to turn their eyes from what they behold, and their hearts an utter void.” (Surah 14, Ayats 42-43) The Prophet (PBUH) does not think that Allah (SWT) may ever be unaware of what the wrongdoers are perpetrating. It might appear so to some people who see the wrongdoers enjoying a comfortable life in this world. Such people hear Allah’s warning, but see nothing of it taking place in this life. This explains the deadline which is fixed for their final punishment when they are given no further respite. That takes place on the day when eyes stare fixedly in horror, unable even to wink. The fear is so great that there is no blinking of a single eyelid.
Rest Allah knows best.
Source: Quran, Hadith, Tafseer Ibn Kathir, In the Shade of the Quran
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