Did the Prophet ﷺ Pray Inside the Kaʿbah?
Source: Fatawa Amanpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri❀ Question:
Did the Prophet ﷺ ever perform prayer inside the Kaʿbah?
❀ Answer:
Yes, it is established that the Prophet ﷺ prayed inside the Kaʿbah. Two seemingly contradictory narrations exist regarding this matter:
❀ Narration of Ibn ʿUmar (RA):
لقيت بلالا فسألته : هل صلى فيه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم؟ قال : نعم
"I met Bilal (RA) and asked him: Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ pray inside the Kaʿbah? He said: Yes."
References: [صحيح البخاري: 1598 ، صحيح مسلم: 1329]
❀ Narration of Fadl ibn ʿAbbas (RA):
إنه دخل مع النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم البيت، وأن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم لم يصل فى البيت حين دخله
"He entered with the Prophet ﷺ into the Kaʿbah, and the Prophet ﷺ did not pray when he entered it."
Reference: [مسند أحمد: 212/1] – Isnad Sahih
Reconciling the Narrations:
- The first narration affirms that the Prophet ﷺ prayed inside the Kaʿbah.
- The second denies it.
- Affirmation is stronger than negation (as held by Imam al-Bukhari).
- Imam Ibn Hibban (رح) reconciled by explaining that the Prophet ﷺ entered the Kaʿbah multiple times:
- When Bilal (RA) was with him, he prayed.
- When Fadl ibn ʿAbbas (RA) was with him, he did not.
Reference: [صحيح ابن حبان: 3208]
❀ Hafiz Ibn Hajar (رح) said:
هذا جمع حسن
"This reconciliation is excellent."
References: [فتح الباري: 469/3 ، تغليق التعليق: 33/3]
