65/2.10. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4484 — Wisdom in Rebuilding the Kaaba
"And (remember) when Ibrãhim (Abraham) and (his son) Isma'il (Ishmael) were raising the foundations of the House (Ka'bah at Makkah) (saying): 'Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily! You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knower'." (V.2:127)
الْقَوَاعِدُ أَسَاسُهُ، وَاحِدَتُهَا قَاعِدَةٌ، وَالْقَوَاعِدُ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ وَاحِدُهَا قَاعِدٌ.
Hadith About Rebuilding the Kaaba on Ibrahim's Foundations
Sahih Bukhari : 4484
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4484
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ سَالِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، أَخْبَرَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " أَلَمْ تَرَىْ أَنَّ قَوْمَكِ بَنَوُا الْكَعْبَةَ وَاقْتَصَرُوا عَنْ قَوَاعِدِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ". فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَلاَ تَرُدُّهَا عَلَى قَوَاعِدِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ " لَوْلاَ حِدْثَانُ قَوْمِكِ بِالْكُفْرِ ". فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ لَئِنْ كَانَتْ عَائِشَةُ سَمِعَتْ هَذَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَا أُرَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم تَرَكَ اسْتِلاَمَ الرُّكْنَيْنِ اللَّذَيْنِ يَلِيَانِ الْحِجْرَ، إِلاَّ أَنَّ الْبَيْتَ لَمْ يُتَمَّمْ عَلَى قَوَاعِدِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ.
A'isha Narrated from:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Don't you see that when your people built the Ka`ba, they did not build it on all Abraham's foundations?" I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Why don't you rebuild it on Abraham's foundations?" He said, "Were your people not so close to (the period of Heathenism, i.e. the Period between their being Muslims and being infidels), I would do so."The sub-narrator, `Abdullah bin `Umar said, "Aisha had surely heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying that, for I do not think that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) left touching the two corners of the Ka`ba facing Al-Hijr except because the Ka`ba was not built on all Abraham's foundations."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4484In-book reference : Book 65, Hadith 11USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 11
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4484
This hadith about rebuilding the Kaaba shows the Prophet's صلى الله عليه وسلم care in handling people. Aisha was told that her people had built the Kaaba but had not completed it on all the foundations of Ibrahim. When she asked why it was not rebuilt on those foundations, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said that if her people were not still close to the period of unbelief, he would do so. The hadith does not say that the original foundations were unimportant. It shows that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم weighed the people's condition before making a major public change. Ibn Umar's comment also connects this to why the two corners near Al-Hijr were not touched.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Kaaba's link to the foundations of Ibrahim is stated clearly.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم considered people's recent background before a major change.
- Not every right action is done at every moment in the same way.
- Ibn Umar connected the untouched corners to the Kaaba's incomplete foundation.
