The history of Makkah starts with the story of our beloved prophet Ibraheem. Soon after the birth of his son Isma’eel, Ibraheem (as) was ordered by Allah to undertake a journey. Ibraheem (as) started out with his wife Hajar and their son Isma’eel, who was still nursing and not yet weaned.
Prophet Ibraheem left Haajar and their baby son Isma’eel in a place which is present-day Makkah. When he left her and was leaving, Haajar said to him, “where are you leaving us in this area where there are no humans, nothing, just an empty valley?” He did not respond to her and he continued walking forward. She went after him and asked him: “aallaahu amaraka bi haadhaa?”, which means: “did Allah order you to do this?” He said, “yes”. She said, “then Allah will not let us down, we will obey”. Thus Prophet Ibraheem (as)continued to depart and Haajar stayed with her baby son Isma’eel (as).
Ibraheem (as) invoked Almighty Allah: “0 our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley with no cultivation, by Your Sacred House (the Kaba at Mecca); in order, 0 our Lord, that they may offer prayers perfectly (Iqamat-as-Salat), so fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (0 Allah) provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks. 0 our Lord! Certainly, You know what we conceal and what we reveal. Nothing on the earth or in the heaven is hidden from Allah.” [Surah 14: 37-38]
Ibn Abbas narrated: “Ishmael’s mother went on suckling Ishmael and drinking from the water (she had). When the water in the water-skin had all been used up, she became thirsty and her child also became thirsty. She started looking at him (i.e. Ishmael) tossing in agony. She left him, for she could not endure looking at him, and found that the mountain of As-Safa was the nearest mountain to her on that land. She stood on it and started looking at the valley keenly so that she might see somebody, but she could not see anybody. Then she descended from As-Safa and when she reached the valley, she tucked up her robe and ran in the valley like a person in distress and trouble, till she crossed the valley and reached the mountain of Al-Marwa. There she stood and started looking, expecting to see somebody, but she could not see anybody. She repeated that (running between Safa and Marwa) seven times.”
The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: “This is the source of the tradition of the Sa’i (One of the rituals of the hajj, or pilgrimage) the going of people between them (i.e. As-Safa and Al-Marwa). When she reached Al- Marwa (for the last time) she heard a voice and she asked herself to be quiet and listened attentively. She heard the voice again and said: ‘0, (whoever you may be)! You have made me hear your voice; have you got something to help me?’ And behold! She saw an angel at the place of zam-zam, digging the earth with his heel (or his wing) till water flowed from that place. She started to make something like a basin around it, using her hand in this way, and started filling her water-skin with water with her hands, and the water was flowing out after she had scooped some of it.”
The Prophet (saw) added: “May Allah bestow mercy on Ishmael’s mother! Had she let the Zam-zam (flow without trying to control it or had she not scooped from that water to fill her water-skin), Zam-zam would have been a stream flowing on the surface of the earth.”
The Prophet continued: “Then she drank (water) and suckled her child. The angel said to her: ‘Don’t be afraid of being neglected, for this is the House of Allah which will be built by this boy and his father, and Allah never neglects His people.’ The House (i.e. Ka’bah) at that time was on a high place resembling a hillock, and when torrents came, they flowed to its right and left.
“She lived in that way till some people from the tribe of Jurhum or a family from Jurhum passed by her and her child, as they (i.e. the Jurhum people) were coming through the way of Kada’. They landed in the lower part of Makkah where they saw a bird that had the habit of flying around water and not leaving it. They said: ‘This bird must be flying around water, though we know that there is no water in this valley.’ They sent one or two messengers who discovered the source of water and returned to inform them of the water. So, they all came (towards the water). Isma’eel’s mother was sitting near the water. They asked her: ‘Do you allow us to stay with you?’ She replied: ‘Yes, but you will have no right to possess the water.’ They agreed to that. Ism’eael’s mother was pleased with the whole situation, as she used to love to enjoy the company of the people. So, they settled there, and later on they sent for their families, who came and settled with them so that some families became permanent residents there. The child (i.e. Isma’eel) grew up and learned Arabic from them and (his virtues) caused them to love and admire him as he grew up, and when he reached the age of puberty they made him marry a woman from amongst them.”
Ibn Abbas (ra) continued: “Once more Ibraheem (as) thought of visiting his family he had left (at Makkah), so he told his wife (Sarah) of his decision. He went and found Isma’eel behind the Zam-zam well, mending his arrows. He said: ‘0 Isma’eel, your Lord has ordered me to build a house for Him.’ Isma’eel said: ‘Obey (the order of) your Lord.’ Abraham said: ‘Allah has also ordered me that you should help me therein.’ Ishmael said: Then I will do so.’ So both of them rose and Ibraheem started building (the Ka’bah) while Isma’eel went on handing him the stones, and both of them were saying: “0 our Lord ! Accept (this service) of us, verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All Knower.” [Surah 2: 127]. When the building became high and the old man (i.e. Ibraheem) could no longer lift the stones (to such a high position), he stood over the stone of AlMaqam and Isma’eel carried on handing him the stones.
Allah mentions this in Qur’an:
“And (remember) when Ibraheem and (his son) Isma’eel were raising the foundations of the House (the Ka’bah at Makkah), (saying), ‘Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily! You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.’”
‘Our Lord! And make us submissive unto You and show us of our offspring a nation submissive unto You, and show us our Manasik (all the ceremonies of pilgrimage – Hajj and ‘Umrah, etc.), and accept our repentance. Truly, You are the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful.’
