In Digging
The Foundation They Came To A Green Stone, Like A Camel’S Hunch, Which,
Struck With A Pickaxe, Sent Forth Blinding Lightning, And Prevented
Further Excavation.
The Kuraysh, amongst other alterations, raised the
walls
[P.323] from nine to eighteen cubits, built a staircase in the northern
breadth, closed the western door and placed the eastern entrance above
the ground, to prevent men entering without their leave.
When the eighth house was being built Mohammed was in his twenty-fifth
year. His surname of Al-Amin, the Honest, probably induced the tribes
to make him their umpire for the decision of a dispute about the
position of the Black Stone, and who should have the honour of raising
it to its place.[FN#63] He decided for the corner chosen by Abraham,
and distributed the privilege amongst the clans. The Benu Zahrah and
Benu Abd Manaf took the front wall and the door; to the Benu Jama and
the Benu Sahm was allotted the back wall; the Benu Makhzum and their
Kuraysh relations stood at the southern wall; and at the “Stone” corner
were posted the Benu Abd al-Dar, the Benu As’ad, and the Benu Ada.
9. Abdullah bin Zubayr, nephew of Ayishah, rebuilt the Ka’abah in A.H.
64. It had been weakened by fire, which burnt the covering, besides
splitting the Black Stone into three pieces, and by the Manjanik
(catapults) of Hosayn ([Arabic]) bin Numayr, general of Yazid, who
obstinately besieged Meccah till he heard of his sovereign’s death.
Abdullah, hoping to fulfil a prophecy,[FN#64] and seeing that the
people of Meccah fled in alarm, pulled down the building by means of
“thin-calved Abyssinian slaves.” When they came to Abraham’s foundation he
saw that it included Al-Hijr, which part the Kuraysh had been unable to
build.
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