In the Quran there is a moment of building that everyone who sees the Kaaba pauses at: a prophet and his son raising the foundations, praying as they work that it be accepted from them.
﴿وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ﴾“And when Ibrahim was raising the foundations of the House, and Isma‘il: “Our Lord, accept from us. Indeed, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.”
al-Baqarah 2:127 · translation of the meaning · Quran.com
The Quran tells us that Ibrahim and Isma‘il (peace be upon them) raised the foundations of the House, meaning the base on which the building stands, and that they were praying while they worked.
The verses then continue their prayer: that Allah make them submissive to Him, and from their descendants a nation submissive to Him; that He show them their rites and accept their repentance; and that He send among their descendants a messenger from among them who would recite His verses to them (al-Baqarah 2:128–129).
The scholars of tafsir mention that this last prayer was fulfilled with the sending of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from the descendants of Isma‘il (peace be upon him).
A moment of reflection
The greatest work ever done in that valley was accompanied by a prayer for acceptance, not by talk about the work itself.
This is a meaning to carry with you into tawaf: even the noblest deeds need acceptance, so no one should be deceived by their own deeds.
What do we know? What don’t we know?
- We know: that Ibrahim and Isma‘il (peace be upon them) raised the foundations of the House and prayed for acceptance, by the text of the Quran.
- We do not know for certain: the shape of the first building, its measurements, how long it took or the tools used. Most of the details narrated about this are not established.
Sources
- The Quran: al-Baqarah 2:127–129.
- The tafsir of Ibn Kathir and the tafsir of al-Tabari on these verses.
Which deed do you need to finish this week by saying: “Our Lord, accept from us”?