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الفتح الربانی
Fath al-Rabbani
أبواب المساجدChapters on Mosques
بَابُ أَوَّلِ مَسْجِدٍ وُضِعَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَفَضْلِ بِنَاءِ الْمَسَاجِدِChapter on the First Mosque Established on Earth and the Virtue of Building Mosques
Hadith 1316
اُردوEn
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي ثَنَا عَفَّانُ ثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ وَسُلَيْمَانُ الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ التَّيْمِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: كُنْتُ أَعْرِضُ عَلَيْهِ وَيَعْرِضُ عَلَيَّ وَقَالَ أَبُو عَوَانَةَ: كُنْتُ أَقْرَأُ عَلَيْهِ وَيَقْرَأُ عَلَيَّ فِي السِّكَّةِ فَيَمُرُّ بِالسَّجْدَةِ فَيَسْجُدُ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: أَتَسْجُدُ فِي السِّكَّةِ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، سَمِعْتُ أَبَا ذَرٍّ يَقُولُ: سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! أَيُّ مَسْجِدٍ وُضِعَ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَوَّلًا؟ قَالَ: ((الْمَسْجِدُ الْحَرَامُ)) قَالَ: قُلْتُ: ثُمَّ أَيٌّ؟ قَالَ: ((ثُمَّ الْمَسْجِدُ الْأَقْصَى)) قَالَ: قُلْتُ: كَمْ بَيْنَهُمَا؟ قَالَ: ((أَرْبَعُونَ سَنَةً)) ثُمَّ قَالَ: ((أَيْنَمَا أَدْرَكَتْكَ الصَّلَاةُ فَصَلِّ فَإِنَّهُ مَسْجِدٌ، وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ فَكُلُّهَا مَسْجِدٌ))
Abu Awanah says: While walking in the street, I would recite the Qur'an to Ibrahim Taimi and he to me. When Ibrahim recited a verse of prostration, he would perform prostration. I said: Do you perform prostration in the street? He said: Yes! I heard from Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): O Messenger of Allah! Which mosque was built first on the earth? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Al-Masjid al-Haram. I said: Then which one? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Then Al-Masjid al-Aqsa. I said: What was the time span between the two? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Forty years. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Wherever prayer overtakes you, pray there, for that is a mosque. And in another narration: The whole earth is a mosque.
Brief Explanation
Benefits: … Who were the first founders of Masjid al-Haram and Masjid al-Aqsa? Please consider the following answer. Allah the Exalted says: {اِنَّ اَوَّلَ بَیْتٍ وُّضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِیْ بِبَکَّۃَ} (Surah Aal Imran: 96), meaning: The first house established for mankind is that which is in Makkah.
From general texts, it is established that Ibrahim (alayhis salam) is the founder of Masjid al-Haram and Sulayman (alayhis salam) is the founder of Masjid al-Aqsa. Historical knowledge shows that there is a gap of more than a thousand years between these two personalities, but in this hadith, the interval between the construction of these two mosques is stated as forty years. This is an important objection, the answer to which is as follows: Ibrahim (alayhis salam) and Sulayman (alayhis salam) are not the original founders of Masjid al-Haram and Masjid al-Aqsa, whereas the Noble Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in his hadith has indicated towards the first construction of these mosques. According to one narration, Adam (alayhis salam) built the Ka‘bah for the first time, then his progeny spread throughout the earth; it is possible that one among them constructed Masjid al-Aqsa, and later Ibrahim (alayhis salam) and Sulayman (alayhis salam) renovated them, and due to this renovation, the construction was attributed to them. It is also said that Adam (alayhis salam), or the angels, or Sam bin Nuh, or Ya‘qub (alayhis salam) built Masjid al-Aqsa. Ibn Hisham has mentioned this incident in Kitab al-Tijan: When Adam (alayhis salam) built the Ka‘bah, Allah the Exalted commanded him to go towards Bayt al-Maqdis and construct it and offer a sacrifice there. According to the narration of Ibn Abi Hatim, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin al-As (radi Allahu anhu) said: During the time of the flood, the Baytullah was lifted up, then the prophets continued to perform Hajj but did not know its location, then Allah the Exalted prepared the Baytullah for Ibrahim (alayhis salam) and informed him of its place. Imam Bayhaqi has narrated in al-Dala’il the following marfu‘ narration from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (radi Allahu anhu): Allah the Exalted sent Jibril (alayhis salam) to Adam (alayhis salam) and commanded him to build the Baytullah, so Adam (alayhis salam) constructed this house, then he was commanded to perform tawaf, and it was said: You are the first human and this is the first house built for mankind. (Summarized from Fath al-Bari: 6/504, 496)
Whatever the status of these narrations, in any case, it is apparent that the Ka‘bah was constructed before Ibrahim (alayhis salam), because Allah the Exalted has declared it the first house, while it is certain that the prophets and messengers and their communities before Ibrahim (alayhis salam) had places of worship; the logical result of this is that the construction of Masjid al-Haram occurred earlier. And Allah knows best what is correct. Furthermore, the following narration and the deduction made from it are worthy of consideration: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) says: Then Ibrahim (alayhis salam) brought Lady Hajar and her son Isma‘il and settled them near the Baytullah, and left with them a bag of dates and a water skin, and then departed. Umm Isma‘il followed him and repeatedly said: Ibrahim! Where are you going, are you leaving us in this valley where there is no human and nothing? But Ibrahim (alayhis salam) paid no attention. Then Umm Isma‘il said: Has Allah commanded you to do this? He (alayhis salam) said: Yes. Then she said: Then Allah will not let us perish … When Ibrahim (alayhis salam) reached a hill and was out of sight of Umm Isma‘il and Isma‘il, he turned towards the Baytullah, raised his hands, and supplicated: {رَبَّنَا اِنِّیْ أَسْکَنْتُ مِنْ ذُرِّیَّتِیْ بِوَادٍ غَیْرِ ذِیْ زَرْعٍ عِنْدَ بَیْتِکَ الْمُحَرَّمِ} meaning: O our Lord! I have settled some of my offspring in a barren valley near Your Sacred House. (Sahih Bukhari: 3364) Consider that after this incident, Ibrahim (alayhis salam) constructed the Ka‘bah, but in this verse and incident, the Baytullah is mentioned in clear words, which means that Allah’s House was already present there, and later Ibrahim (alayhis salam) renovated it. And Allah knows best what is correct.
From general texts, it is established that Ibrahim (alayhis salam) is the founder of Masjid al-Haram and Sulayman (alayhis salam) is the founder of Masjid al-Aqsa. Historical knowledge shows that there is a gap of more than a thousand years between these two personalities, but in this hadith, the interval between the construction of these two mosques is stated as forty years. This is an important objection, the answer to which is as follows: Ibrahim (alayhis salam) and Sulayman (alayhis salam) are not the original founders of Masjid al-Haram and Masjid al-Aqsa, whereas the Noble Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in his hadith has indicated towards the first construction of these mosques. According to one narration, Adam (alayhis salam) built the Ka‘bah for the first time, then his progeny spread throughout the earth; it is possible that one among them constructed Masjid al-Aqsa, and later Ibrahim (alayhis salam) and Sulayman (alayhis salam) renovated them, and due to this renovation, the construction was attributed to them. It is also said that Adam (alayhis salam), or the angels, or Sam bin Nuh, or Ya‘qub (alayhis salam) built Masjid al-Aqsa. Ibn Hisham has mentioned this incident in Kitab al-Tijan: When Adam (alayhis salam) built the Ka‘bah, Allah the Exalted commanded him to go towards Bayt al-Maqdis and construct it and offer a sacrifice there. According to the narration of Ibn Abi Hatim, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin al-As (radi Allahu anhu) said: During the time of the flood, the Baytullah was lifted up, then the prophets continued to perform Hajj but did not know its location, then Allah the Exalted prepared the Baytullah for Ibrahim (alayhis salam) and informed him of its place. Imam Bayhaqi has narrated in al-Dala’il the following marfu‘ narration from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (radi Allahu anhu): Allah the Exalted sent Jibril (alayhis salam) to Adam (alayhis salam) and commanded him to build the Baytullah, so Adam (alayhis salam) constructed this house, then he was commanded to perform tawaf, and it was said: You are the first human and this is the first house built for mankind. (Summarized from Fath al-Bari: 6/504, 496)
Whatever the status of these narrations, in any case, it is apparent that the Ka‘bah was constructed before Ibrahim (alayhis salam), because Allah the Exalted has declared it the first house, while it is certain that the prophets and messengers and their communities before Ibrahim (alayhis salam) had places of worship; the logical result of this is that the construction of Masjid al-Haram occurred earlier. And Allah knows best what is correct. Furthermore, the following narration and the deduction made from it are worthy of consideration: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) says: Then Ibrahim (alayhis salam) brought Lady Hajar and her son Isma‘il and settled them near the Baytullah, and left with them a bag of dates and a water skin, and then departed. Umm Isma‘il followed him and repeatedly said: Ibrahim! Where are you going, are you leaving us in this valley where there is no human and nothing? But Ibrahim (alayhis salam) paid no attention. Then Umm Isma‘il said: Has Allah commanded you to do this? He (alayhis salam) said: Yes. Then she said: Then Allah will not let us perish … When Ibrahim (alayhis salam) reached a hill and was out of sight of Umm Isma‘il and Isma‘il, he turned towards the Baytullah, raised his hands, and supplicated: {رَبَّنَا اِنِّیْ أَسْکَنْتُ مِنْ ذُرِّیَّتِیْ بِوَادٍ غَیْرِ ذِیْ زَرْعٍ عِنْدَ بَیْتِکَ الْمُحَرَّمِ} meaning: O our Lord! I have settled some of my offspring in a barren valley near Your Sacred House. (Sahih Bukhari: 3364) Consider that after this incident, Ibrahim (alayhis salam) constructed the Ka‘bah, but in this verse and incident, the Baytullah is mentioned in clear words, which means that Allah’s House was already present there, and later Ibrahim (alayhis salam) renovated it. And Allah knows best what is correct.
