Who Built the Ka’aba, and What Did Allah Command After It Was Finished?
مَن بنى الكعبة، وبمَ أمر الله بعد الفراغ من بنائها؟
Allah Almighty commanded Ibrahim and his son Ismael to build the Ka’aba, and when they had finished building it, He instructed him to call the people to come for pilgrimage to this Sacred House, and He taught him the rites of Hajj. “And remember when We made the Sacred House a centre and a sanctuary for the people, saying, ‘You may take the standing-place of Abraham as a site of prayer.’ And We entrusted Abraham and Ishmael to purify My House for those who circle it, who meditate in it, and who bow and prostrate themselves in prayer” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:125). “And remember when Abraham raised the foundation of the House with Ishmael, both praying, ‘Our Lord! Accept this from us. You are indeed the All-Hearing, All-Knowing'” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:127). “And remember when We assigned to Abraham the site of the House, saying, ‘Do not associate anything with Me in worship, and purify My House for those who circle the Ka’bah, stand in prayer, and bow and prostrate themselves. Call all people to the pilgrimage. They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel from every distant path, so they may obtain the benefits in store for them, and pronounce the Name of Allah on appointed days over the sacrificial animals He has provided for them. So eat from their meat and feed the desperately poor. Then let them groom themselves, fulfil their vows, and circle the Ancient House'” (Surah Al-Hajj 22:26-29).
الله تعالى أمر إبراهيم عليه السلام وابنه إسماعيل عليه السلام أن يبنيا الكعبة، ولما انتهيا من بنائها أمره أن يؤذّن حتى يأتي الناس إلى الكعبة للحج، وعلّمه مناسك الحج، قال الله تعالى: وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًا وَاتَّخِذُوا مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى ۖ وَعَهِدْنَا إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْعَاكِفِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ (سورة البقرة: 125)، وقال تعالى: وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ (سورة البقرة: 127)، وقال تعالى: وَإِذْ بَوَّأْنَا لِإِبْرَاهِيمَ مَكَانَ الْبَيْتِ أَن لَّا تُشْرِكْ بِي شَيْئًا وَطَهِّرْ بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْقَائِمِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ ﴿٢٦﴾ وَأَذِّن فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِجَالًا وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَأْتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ ﴿٢٧﴾ لِّيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ وَيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّـهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَاتٍ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّن بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ ۖ فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْبَائِسَ الْفَقِيرَ ﴿٢٨﴾ ثُمَّ لْيَقْضُوا تَفَثَهُمْ وَلْيُوفُوا نُذُورَهُمْ وَلْيَطَّوَّفُوا بِالْبَيْتِ الْعَتِيقِ ﴿٢٩﴾ (سورة الحج: 26-29).
1. Building the House Was Only the First Command | لم يكن بناء البيت إلا الأمر الأول
Raising the walls of the Ka’aba, the single act covered in detail in Who Raised the Foundations of the Ka’aba in Mecca?, was accompanied by another commission: to purify it and open it permanently to pilgrims. Construction and purification are treated in the Quran as two connected but distinct duties given to the same father and son (2:125, 2:127).
اقترن رفع قواعد الكعبة، وهو ما فصّلناه في الجواب عمّن رفع قواعد الكعبة في مكة، بتكليف آخر: تطهيرها، وجعلها مفتوحة للحجاج على الدوام. وقد ذكر الله تعالى البناء والتطهير واجبين متصلين متمايزين، كلّف بهما الأب والابن معًا (البقرة 2: 125) و(البقرة 2: 127).
2. A Call Made by One Man, Answered Across Generations | نداءُ رجل واحد لبّته الأجيال
Ibrahim was told to “call all people to the pilgrimage,” and the Quran describes the response as people arriving “on foot and on every lean camel from every distant path.” Ibn Kathir relates, from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), Mujahid, ‘Ikrimah, Sa’id ibn Jubayr and others among the early generations, that Ibrahim asked how his voice could reach the people, and was told: Call, and the delivery is upon Us. A single man’s call in a barren valley still draws millions of pilgrims every year from every part of the world.
أُمر إبراهيم عليه السلام: (وَأَذِّن فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ) (الحج 22: 27)، ووصف القرآن الاستجابة بأن الناس يأتونه (رِجَالًا وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَأْتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ) (الحج 22: 27). وذكر ابن كثير عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما ومجاهد وعكرمة وسعيد بن جبير وغير واحد من السلف أن إبراهيم قال: يا رب، وكيف أبلغ الناس وصوتي لا ينفذهم؟ فقيل: نادِ وعلينا البلاغ. ولا يزال نداء رجل واحد في وادٍ قاحل يجمع ملايين الحجاج كل عام من أقطار الأرض كلها.
3. The Rites Taught to Ibrahim Are Still Performed Today | مناسكُ علّمها الله إبراهيم ولا تزال تُؤدّى
Surah Al-Hajj 22:26-29 lists specific acts that remain part of Hajj as performed by Muslims today: grooming after ihram, fulfilling vows, and circling the Ancient House. The rites of pilgrimage are not a later addition to Ibrahim’s mission; Ibrahim and Ismael prayed, “Show us our rituals” (2:128).
وذكر الله تعالى في سورة الحج أعمالًا بعينها لا تزال من مناسك الحج كما يؤديها المسلمون اليوم: قضاء التفث عند التحلل من الإحرام، والوفاء بالنذور، والطواف بالبيت العتيق (الحج 22: 29). فليست مناسك الحج إضافة متأخرة عن رسالة إبراهيم عليه السلام، فقد دعا هو وإسماعيل ربهما: (وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا) (البقرة 2: 128).
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Who built the Ka’aba in Mecca?
Ibrahim and his son Ismael, under Allah’s command, as recorded in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:127.
What did Allah command after the Ka’aba was finished?
To call all people to pilgrimage there (Surah Al-Hajj 22:27); the command to keep it pure for worshippers is given with the assignment of its site (22:26).
How did people from far away come to answer Ibrahim’s call?
The Quran describes them arriving on foot and on camel from every distant path, a call still answered by pilgrims today.
Are the rites of Hajj today the same ones taught to Ibrahim?
Their core goes back to Ibrahim: Surah Al-Hajj 22:26-29 lists rites, including circling the Ka’aba, still practiced by pilgrims in the present day.