Twenty-Three Great Objectives of Rebuilding the House of Allah [Ka‘Bah] by Hazrat Ibrahim (as)

Friday Sermon, March 31, 1967, Mubarak Mosque, Rabwah.

“God Almighty commanded Hazrat Ibrahim (as) to rebuild the House of Allah and took a covenant from him that he and his descendants should devote their lives in the cause of Allah for a long time to come and that they discharge certain responsibilities relating to the construction of the House of Allah. They should strive in their prayers and efforts to enable their progeny to accept the final law-bearing Prophet once he appears in the world. Having accepted Islam, they should make immense sacrifices for the sake of God to glorify His name. There are many objectives of the House of Allah mentioned in the Holy Quran which, in fact, relate to the advent of the Holy Prophet (sas).”

After Tashahhud, Ta‘awwuz and Surah Al-Fatihah, Huzoor recited the following verses of the Holy Quran:

“Surely, the first House founded for mankind is that at Becca1, abounding in blessings and a guidance for all peoples. In it are manifest Signs; it is the place of Abraham; and whoso enters it, enters peace. And pilgrimage to the House is a duty which men–those who can find a way thither–owe to Allah. And whoever disbelieves, let him remember that Allah is surely independent of all creatures.”2

“And remember the time when We made the House a resort for mankind and a place of security; and take ye the station of Abraham as a place of Prayer. And We commanded Abraham and Ishmael, saying, ‘Purify My House for those who perform the circuit and those who remain therein for devotion and those who bow down and fall prostrate in Prayer.’ And remember when Abraham said, ‘My Lord, make this a town of peace and provide with fruits such of its dwellers as believe in Allah and the Last Day,’ He said, ‘And on him too who believes not will I bestow benefits for a little while; then will I drive him to the punishment of the Fire, and an evil destination it is.’ And remember the time when Abraham and Ishmael raised the foundations of the House, praying, ‘Our Lord, accept this from us; for Thou art All-Hearing, All-Knowing. Our Lord, make us submissive to Thee and make of our offspring a people submissive to Thee. And show us our ways of worship, and turn to us with mercy; for Thou art Oft-Returning with compassion and Merciful. And, our Lord, raise up among them a Messenger from among themselves, who may recite to them Thy Signs and teach them the Book and Wisdom and may purify them; surely, Thou art the Mighty, the Wise.”3

Huzoor said:

I started this subject on Eid ul-Adha and told you that God Almighty commanded Hazrat Ibrahim (as) to rebuild the House of Allah and took a covenant from him that he and his descendants should devote their lives in the cause of Allah for a long time to come and discharge certain responsibilities relating to the construction of the House of Allah. They should strive in their prayers and efforts so as to enable their progeny to believe in the final law-bearing Prophet once he appeared in the world. Having accepted Islam, they should make immense sacrifices for the sake of God to glorify His name.

I said that various aims and objectives that are associated with the House of Allah and mentioned in the Holy Quran relate to the advent of the Holy Prophet (sas). A careful perusal of the verses I have recited draws our attention towards the following objectives. It was in view of these objectives that Allah the Almighty had His House rebuilt and subsequently received sacrifices from Hazrat Ibrahim (as) and his progeny for more than two and a half thousand years.

The first objective has been mentioned in (founded for mankind), second in (abounding in blessings), third in (a guidance for all peoples), fourth in (manifest signs), fifth in (place of Ibrahim), sixth in (whoso enters it, enters peace), seventh in (and pilgrimage to the House is a duty upon those who can find a way thither), eighth in (We made the House a resort for mankind), ninth in (and a place of security), tenth in (and take ye the station of Ibrahim as a place of prayer) and the eleventh objective has been mentioned in (purify my House). The twelfth objective is mentioned in (those who perform the circuit), thirteenth in (those who remain therein for devotion) and fourteenth in (those who bow down and fall prostrate in prayer). The fifteenth objective has been mentioned in (My Lord, make this a town of peace), sixteenth in (and provide its dwellers with fruits), seventeenth in (Our Lord, accept this from us) and eighteenth in (All-Hearing). The nineteenth objective in (All-Knowing), twentieth in (and make of our offspring a people submissive to Thee), twenty-first in (and show us our ways of worship), twenty-second in (and turn to us with mercy) and the twenty-third objective has been mentioned in (our Lord, raise up among them a Messenger from among themselves).

Allah the Almighty observes that the first House founded for all mankind was built in Mecca. From various traditions [of the Holy Prophet (sas)] and Quranic verses I have reached the conclusion that when “our Adam (as)” was born and raised to Prophethood the world was populated in only a small region. (I have used the word “our Adam” purposely on account of the fact that the Holy Prophet (sas) had said that as many as 100,000 Adams were born in the world prior to our Adam. Some Muslim saints have mentioned in their books that they have seen the progeny of other Adams in visions). God Almighty, in His perfect Wisdom, vouchsafed the revelation to Adam (as) and had His House rebuilt for all the peoples of that time and linked all the descendants of that Adam to it. However, later, when this race grew larger and inhabited various regions of the world, God, in view of their spiritual and intellectual development, raised Prophets from amongst each people of every region. Their objective, being servants of God, was to lead their people to the paths which lead one to discharge the responsibilities to the best of one’s ability. The Hadith literature also confirms that over 100,000 Prophets have been raised in the world. The progeny of Adam who had dispersed to become separate and distinct nations and who enjoyed the company of their exclusive Prophets, lost all interest in the House of Allah founded for all mankind. They neglected the House of Allah to such an extent that, in consequence of vicissitudes of life, lack of maintenance, and for not being inhabited, even the traces of this House, the Ka‘bah, were obliterated. But when the time came for the fulfilment of God’s will, that is, for mankind to be united under one belief, He decided to rebuild the House and decreed that Ibrahim (as) and his progeny should dedicate themselves to rebuilding and maintaining it. This was done in order to bring a people into being who should relate to the House of Allah and possess all the faculties required to be the first people to receive the message of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas) and the Holy Quran. Thus, on account of dedication and prayers for two and a half thousand years, a group of people was created who would possess all human faculties required to lead mankind in spiritual matters provided they became God’s. Since human faculties and capabilities had reached their perfection, their misuse or wrong application could have resulted in the gravest consequences. As long as they were astray they opposed the Holy Prophet (sas) vehemently and oppressed him more than any nation had oppressed their Prophet. In short, they possessed many capabilities, which remained hidden until a particular time. They remained under the sway of Satan for some time but when their dormant faculties activated and recognized their Creator and Lord they made such incredible sacrifices in the cause of God Almighty as had never been witnessed before by mankind. In brief, they were the people who were raised as a result of the sacrifices and prayers of Hazrat Ibrahim (as) and his progeny.

In fact, the connotation of (founded for mankind) relates to the Holy Prophet (sas) just as all the other aims and objectives of the Ka‘bah relate to him exclusively. God Almighty had communicated to Hazrat Ibrahim (as) that He was going to have the House rebuilt, which was His House, to achieve the objectives for which he would have to make sacrifices.

In short, the first objective of the House of Allah is that it is the first House of Allah which contains temporal and spiritual benefits for all mankind. It was built for the welfare of all the people, who, irrespective of the colour, race and difference of certain other distinctions which distinguish one from the other, would derive both material and spiritual benefits from this House. This is the first objective of rebuilding this House.

The second objective of building the House of Allah is that He wants to make it (abounding in blessings). And is a place which is declivitous from all around where water gathers from all sides when it rains. The point of discussion here is not the rain, rather it is the welfare and success of mankind in worldly and spiritual matters. The connotation of , therefore, is of dual nature. Firstly, the representatives of all the peoples will continue gathering here. Secondly, I [God] had the House built and inhabited to establish a shariah here; a law-bearing Prophet would be raised here in whose shariah would be converged numerous forms of guidance and also all spiritual veracities which were to be found individually in various shariahs; and no veracity would have been left out of it. Allah says that He wants to make this House from the spiritual point of view and that this will become the birthplace of a shariah that will combine in itself all the paths of righteousness found in the shariahs of the previous Prophets, and it will carry blessings with it. That is to say, all the injunctions which had never been previously made obligatory by God, because mankind was not mature enough to bear with them, would also form a part of it. In essence, this will be a comprehensive shariah which will be for the welfare of the people of every nation, and this place and this House on account of this comprehensive and everlasting shariah will be entitled as the “mother of towns”.

The third objective of this House is explained in (a guidance for all peoples). Remember, it was stated in the beginning of these verses that He [God] would build this House for the entire world, all nations, and all times to come. Allah the Almighty, in these verses, has repeatedly stated the relationship of the House with all the nations. The third objective of building this House, Allah says, is to guide mankind. The word, (guidance) also refers to (all the worlds), because wisdom, prudence, knowledge and intelligence, which are equally shared by all human beings, are in fact different forms of guidance, without which spiritual matters cannot progress. As, for instance, a person having no wit will be called a lunatic. He is not liable for his crime, that is to say, the injunctions of shariah do not apply to him. Sanity, therefore, provides the bedrock for shariah and the meanings of the word (guidance). Allah says in this verse that by virtue of this House He will prove that all peoples in the world have been endowed with equal capabilities as regards wisdom, prudence, understanding and knowledge. No nation in this regard is superior to any other.

This also points to the fact that after the advent of the Holy Prophet (sas) when the time comes for the manifestation of (a guidance for all peoples), there will be some nations which will claim to be wiser, more prudent, and more knowledgeable than others; [and will claim that] certain people have been created solely to remain subjugated to them. Allah says that by means of the House He will prove that no distinction can be made between people as regards sanity, prudence or knowledge of basic sciences. Allah the Almighty has created all mankind for His worship. And to achieve this objective, all people have been invested with equal proportion of wisdom, prudence and knowledge of certain sciences required. They possess equal capabilities. Individual capabilities may vary, but no nation is superior to any other.

The second implication of (a guidance for all peoples) is that Allah the Almighty will commence the revelation of the Holy Quran from the place of this House. One implication of (Hidayah) mentioned in Mufridat-e-Raghib is the Divine guidance to which Allah called mankind; firstly through his Prophets and then through the Holy Quran, saying, come this way for such are the means of guidance; tread on these paths so that you may reach me. Thus, the Holy Prophet (sas) and all the past Prophets equally share this meaning of (guidance). But the meaning of (a guidance for all peoples) in effect, applies only to the Holy Prophet (sas) and to none else. All the past Prophets were raised for their own people and age only. Allah the Almighty says that the House of Allah is the place for the revelation of the Holy Quran. It will commence here. It is for this reason that I [God] am guarding it and providing means for its purification.

The third implication of referred to by Allah the Almighty is that this House of Allah is the birthplace of that shariah which will open the doors of infinite advancement to mankind. The third meaning of Hidayah defined by Imam Raghib is that when a person, following the path of righteousness, performs certain good deeds, consequently, in His grace God guides him to further righteousness. Hence every good deed that he performs leads him to even dearer deeds for Allah the Almighty. That is to say, gradually man will go on progressing to lofty stations in spiritual advancement. Thus, due to that, doors of infinite advancement will be opened to mankind. Another objective of the House of Allah (according to the fourth meaning of Hidayah) is to raise such a Muslim umma who shall be recipient of such favours as have never been received by any other people previously. And humankind will continue receiving such immaculate, perfect and wholesome reward and Allah’s grace and favours until the end of days. Further Imam Raghib has stated , that is, Hidayah (guidance) will lead to Paradise in the next world. To Imam Raghib, the Paradise will be awarded only in the hereafter, therefore, he added the word, (in the next world) from himself. Otherwise, literally it only means, that is, man will ultimately achieve the objective for which he has been created. The Holy Quran says that the heaven cannot be achieved only in the hereafter, it can be achieved in this temporal life as well. Allah the Almighty meant here that He founded this House and provided means for its protection with the aim of raising a people who would be awarded with such a reward and they would abide in such a heaven of God’s pleasure that had never been bestowed upon the past peoples. The best possible result of good deeds by any human being will be the result of the deeds of this umma, because the shariah granted to them is immaculate and perfect in every respect. The shariahs of the former people were relatively deficient; therefore, even if they had been acted upon in full, our common sense tells us, they could never have produced the same result as that of deeds according to the shariah which is perfect in all respects. Here Allah the Almighty says that the fountain of that universal shariah will gush forth from this House and by following it, man will be granted a heaven both in this world and in the hereafter. Thus, the third objective (which is subdivided into further objectives) of the House of Allah is (a guidance for all peoples).

The fourth objective of building this House is suggested in (manifest Signs). A study of the Holy Quran reveals that it holds the promise of certain types of manifest signs to man or prophecies about them. In my view, at this point (manifest signs) does not refer to the general meaning, rather it denotes those manifest signs which are associated with the first House which is (founded for mankind), (abounding in blessings) and (a guidance for all peoples). Having suggested this connotation Allah the Almighty says, (in it are manifest signs) which means that such manifest signs will be related to this House and it will become the fountainhead of such signs and heavenly favours that will last ad infinitum. Signs vouchsafed to the past Prophets or their peoples terminated with their appointed term. Everyone of the past people found some unsatisfactory excuse to declare that no such communion could be sought with Allah the Almighty whereby man could attain His nearness, receive His revelation, true dreams and visions, or prophecies regarding future. Thus, everyone of the past people closed the doors of His nearness on themselves. Allah the Almighty says that by the virtue of rebuilding the House, He is aiming to establish such a Muslim umma who will go on exhibiting His signs until the end of days. With their signs, instances of acceptance of prayers, and with fruit of their sacrifices in this world, that umma will prove that there exists the Creator of the world, Who is a Living and a Mighty God. He is the Gracious and very Loving. He does not allow them to go to waste who bow down to Him. On the contrary, He establishes a bond with them. To establish their honour in this world and to prove to the world that He loves them, He vouchsafes to them revelation, visions and true dreams and responds to their prayers. Such servants of Allah will continue appearing in this umma until the end of days and prove that their God is a Living God and that those, who seek to establish a bond with Him, are vouchsafed manifest signs.

The fifth objective of the House of Allah stated in the Holy Quran is the spiritual station of Prophet Ibrahim (as). Allah says, look! My obedient Ibrahim (as) and many amongst his progeny, self-negating themselves in adoration of God and immersing themselves in His love like a true lover and adorer, raised the slogan of (I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds)4 and set an example for the world. Allah says, I have arranged to inhabit this House so as to raise a party of adorers of God who, having removed all the barriers, shunning away all mundane connections, abandoning all their wishes and desires for Allah’s sake, and sacrificing every desire of theirs, attain the station of being one with God; and perform the worship emanating from love and sacrifice in an excellent and perfect manner. The Promised Messiah (as) has elaborated this point that worship is of two kinds. The first kind of worship is based on humility and lowliness while the other is based on love and sacrifice. Our daily prayer is the kind of worship which is based on humility and lowliness. As the Holy Prophet (sas) is reported to have said, prayer is a supplication, and observance of the uttermost lowliness and humility is an integral part of it. The prayer of a person who entertains even a fraction of arrogance before his Lord is never accepted. Thus, our prayers can be rendered as true worship only when they attain the status of lowliness and humility in real terms. In comparison to this the other kind of worship is based on love and sacrifice. The worship of Ibrahim (as), which is related to the building and protecting of the Ka‘bah, and to devoting himself and his progeny in the cause of the House of Allah, and to praying for it, is the worship of love. The demonstration of love and adoration that Hazrat Ibrahim (as) rendered was unparalleled. Allah the Almighty says that this is the place of Ibrahim and from this place He shall raise a people in millions who would prevail in every age. Allah says that the sacrifice of that umma will not be less by any means than that of Hazrat Ibrahim (as).

That umma was to be raised in consequence of the holy influence of the Holy Prophet (sas). But to spread the effects of that holy influence effectively in the world, the foundation stone of the Ka‘bah was laid a new about two and a half thousand years ago. What God Almighty wants to point out here is that the outward form of the Hajj (Pilgrimage) rituals is such that it demonstrates love; for example, the circuit of the Ka‘bah. The idea of circuit is common in almost all the peoples. History bears testimony that once a son of a king fell ill. The king went around the ailing son and prayed that his own life be granted to his son. Thus, the concept of sacrificing life is deeply connected with (Tawaf) circuit. In short, at this point, Allah the Almighty says that a people will be raised from this place who will always be making a circuit of their Beloved and paying homage to His abode. On the one hand they will keep the memory of Hazrat Ibrahim (as) alive, while on the other hand they will manifest the holy influence of the Holy Prophet (sas) with exquisite glory. Allah the Almighty raised such people not only in the past and not among the inhabitants of Arabia only, rather in every region of the world and this would continue in every age until the end of the world. God Almighty will raise such people who will entertain that adoration for their Lord which was exhibited by Hazrat Ibrahim (as) and they will be ever ready to render every kind of sacrifice in His cause.5