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Building of the Ka'bah

Question

How many times has the Ka'bah been built since Adam?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

The Ka'bah was built several times. The following are the names of those who built the Ka'bah according to the consensus of scholars.

1) Prophet Ibraaheem  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention

2) The Quraysh

3) Ibn az-Zubayr  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him

4) Al-Hajjaaj ibn Yoosuf acting on the order of Ameer Abd al-Malik ibn Marwaan

The following are the constructions which are doubtful:

1) The construction done by Aadam  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention

2) The construction done by the Angels before Aadam  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention

3) Sheeth ibn Aadam  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention

4) The Amalekites who might have built it after Ibraaheem  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention

5) The tribe of Jurhum after the giant people who lived in the era that followed the era of Ibraaheem  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention

6) Qusay ibn Kilaab

7) The construction done by Abd al-Muttalib after Qusay

There is no consensus on who built the Ka'bah first. Some believe that Allaah The Almighty first put it on earth for Aadam  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention and it was not built by anybody. Others believe that the Angels built it first, then Aadam  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention then his son Sheeth  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention. A third group believes that Sheeth  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention was the first to build it.

A fourth group even believes that Ibraaheem  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention was the first one to build the Ka'bah.

The opinion that is preferred, being the most backed by evidence, is one of following two opinions: The first one is that Ibraaheem  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention was the first to build the Ka'bah and this is the choice of Ibn Katheer  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him who said in this respect, "Ibn Abbaas  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him said, "Had the people not performed Hajj to this House (Ka'bah) Allaah would have let the sky fall on the earth (hence destroying life on earth)."

No doubt that the honor of this goes back to Prophet Ibraaheem  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention who was the first to build it, as Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And (remember) when We showed Ibraaheem (Abraham) the site of the (Sacred) House (the Ka'bah at Makkah) (saying): "Associate not anything (in worship) with Me, [Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah Islamic Monotheism] …} [Quran 22: 26].

Allaah The Almighty also Says (what means): {And (remember) when We showed Ibraaheem (Abraham) the site of the (Sacred) House (the Ka'bah at Makkah) (saying): "Associate not anything (in worship) with Me, [Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allâh Islâmic Monotheism], In it are manifest signs (for example), the Maqaam (place) of Ibraaheem (Abraham); whosoever enters it, he attains security…} [Quran 3: 96-97].

Those who chose this opinion add the following verse to their evidence, Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And (remember) when Ibraaheem (Abraham) and (his son) Ismaa'eel (Ishmael) 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."} [Quran 2: 127]. On the other hand, there is no sound evidence that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "The Ka'bah was built before Ibraaheem."

The second opinion is that Aadam  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention was the first to build the Ka'bah. The only evidence for this is the Hadeeth reported by Al-Bayhaqi  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him in Ad-Dalaa'il from Ibn Umar  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him and which tells the story of the construction of the Ka'bah by Aadam  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention. However, there is some weakness in the chain of this Hadeeth. It was also reported from Ibn Abbaas  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him. Al-Zarqani  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said in his explanation of Al-Muwattaa that some information in these weak Hadeeth strengthen each other and it fits into the category of what can be proved through opinions.

Allaah Knows best.

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