The lexical meaning of the word maqam is the place where a standing person places their feet. And Maqam-e-Ibrahim refers to the stone that Ismail brought during the construction of the Kaaba so that his father Ibrahim could stand on it to build the Kaaba. Ismail (peace be upon him) would bring the stones, and Ibrahim (peace be upon him) would place them on the walls of the Kaaba with his blessed hands. When needed to ascend, the stone would miraculously rise upward. In the Tafsir-e-Tabari, in the explanation of verse 97 of Surah Al-Imran, it is mentioned:
يه علامات بينات من قدرة الله، و آثار خليله ابراهيم، منهن أثر قدم خليله ابراهيم في الحجر الذي قام عليه.
“In it are clear signs of the power of Allah and the marks of His friend Ibrahim, among them the footprints of His friend Ibrahim on the stone on which he stood.”
Since Allah greatly favored the work of building the Kaaba, He preserved the footprints of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) on that stone so that it would remain a lasting memory for his descendants and others. Saeed bin Jubair said that Allah softened the stone of Maqam-e-Ibrahim with His mercy. Ibrahim (peace be upon him) would stand on it while his son Ismail (peace be upon him) handed him the stones.
Location of Maqam-e-Ibrahim
Regarding the distance between the Kaaba and Maqam-e-Ibrahim, historians like Azraqi and others have written that the distance from Hajar Aswad to Maqam-e-Ibrahim is 29 cubits and 9 fingers. The distance from the Kaaba’s base (plinth level) to Maqam-e-Ibrahim is 26 and a half cubits. The distance from Rukn-e-Shami to the Maqam is 28 cubits and 17 fingers. The distance from the side of Zamzam to Maqam-e-Ibrahim is 24 cubits and 20 fingers.
Virtues of Maqam-e-Ibrahim
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “My Lord has agreed with me in three matters, one of which is, ‘I said, O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), it would be better if you took Maqam-e-Ibrahim as a place of prayer.’ After saying this, the following verse was revealed:
وَاتَّخِذُوا مِنْ مَقَامِ إِبْرَهِمَ مُصَلَّى.
Meaning: ‘And take the Maqam-e-Ibrahim as a place of prayer.’ (Surah Al-Baqarah: 125)
Imam Tabari, in his Tafsir, narrated from Qatadah that in this verse, Muslims are instructed to pray near Maqam-e-Ibrahim. Touching it has not been commanded. It has been mentioned that many saw the marks of Ibrahim’s (peace be upon him) heels and toes on that stone; however, due to being touched by people, those marks disappeared.
Maqam-e-Ibrahim was initially close to the wall of the Kaaba. Later, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) moved it to its current location. This was narrated by Imam Abdul Razzaq in his book through authentic chains from “Ata,” “Mujahid,” etc. Similarly, Imam Bayhaqi narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) through a strong chain. Her words are as follows: “Maqam-e-Ibrahim was attached to the Kaaba during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr. Then Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) moved it away.” The Sahabah (Companions) did not disapprove of Umar’s (may Allah be pleased with him) action, nor did those who came after them. Thus, his action became a matter of consensus.
Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) observed that if Maqam-e-Ibrahim remained attached to the Kaaba, it would restrict space for those performing Tawaf and prayer. Therefore, he relocated it to a place where it would not cause inconvenience to anyone. Moreover, this action was permissible for him because he had previously suggested making the area around it a place for prayer.
Description of the Stone of Maqam-e-Ibrahim
The stone of Maqam-e-Ibrahim is categorized as a soft and fluid-containing type of stone. It is not part of the hard stone category, where striking it with iron produces sparks. The stone is square-shaped, with its length, width, and height being approximately one cubit each.
Hussain or Salamah, a renowned historian of Makkah, stated, “In 1332 Hijri, with the special permission of Muhammad Saleh bin Ahmad bin Muhammad Shaibi, the keeper of the keys to the Kaaba, I had the opportunity to view the stone of Maqam-e-Ibrahim. It is kept inside a silver-made special case. The stone is square-shaped, and its color is a mixture of white, black, and yellow. I observed the footprints of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) on it.”
In the center of the stone are the footprints of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), with oval-shaped depressions present. These depressions were formed due to frequent touching by people’s hands and washing with Zamzam water. Excessive touching has caused the area of the footprints to deepen into pits.
Another renowned historian of Makkah, Sheikh Tahir Kurdi, was the last to see the stone with his own eyes. The case of Maqam-e-Ibrahim was opened for him. What he observed inside is as follows:
The stone of Maqam-e-Ibrahim is placed on a small, sturdy marble platform. The dimensions of the marble platform are the same as the stone. The height of this platform is 13 centimeters. The stone is secured to the sturdy platform with silver.
This small, sturdy platform is surrounded by a larger marble platform. The dimensions of the larger platform are one meter on each side, with its height being 36 centimeters from the ground. The marble of both platforms is white. Surrounding the larger platform, there was a pyramid-shaped box with four corners, reaching about head height. There were no windows, and its color was between yellow and red, with a slight inclination toward white.
The shape of the stone of Maqam-e-Ibrahim is dense. Its height is 20 centimeters. From the top, the length of three sides is 36 centimeters each, while the length of the fourth side is 38 centimeters. From the top, the area of the stone is 146 square centimeters, and the bottom part is slightly flatter than the top. As a result, the bottom area is 150 square centimeters. It is not a heavy stone. Even a weak person can carry it as its weight is light.
The depth of Prophet Ibrahim’s (peace be upon him) footprints on the stone is about half the height of the stone. The depth of one footprint is 9 centimeters. No finger impressions are visible. Due to the passage of time and frequent touching, the marks of the toes have been erased. The marks of the heels are not very apparent but can be discerned with close observation.
The length of each footprint, including the silver encasing, is 27 centimeters, and the width is 14 centimeters. Without the silver encasing, the length of each footprint is 22 centimeters, and the width is 11 centimeters. The distance between the two footprints is about one centimeter. Due to the blessings people seek by touching it, this gap has narrowed. Frequent touching has also slightly extended the apparent length and width of the footprints from above. Despite the passage of 4,000 years, the footprints on Maqam-e-Ibrahim remain unchanged and will continue to do so until the Day of Judgment, as Allah has mentioned it as a permanent sign in the Quran. The verse is:
فِيهِ آيَاتٌ بَيِّنَاتٌ مَقَامُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ
Meaning: “In it are clear signs, the standing place of Ibrahim.”
The stone of Maqam-e-Ibrahim is encased in silver. Not all parts of the actual stone are visible. Only the depressions of the footprints and the sides of the two feet are visible. The bottom of the feet is not entirely flat, as there are some small raised parts.
This stone was placed inside a square copper enclosure with a dome built on four pillars. The dimensions of the enclosure were 306 meters.
Taher Kurdi’s description is quite detailed. In 578 Hijri, Ibn Zubayr of Spain visited Makkah for Hajj and provided an account stating that the marks of Prophet Ibrahim’s (peace be upon him) toes and feet were clearly visible on the stone. He also mentioned that the stone was encased in silver and that its top was wider than its bottom.
The Preservation of Maqam Ibrahim
In 160 Hijri, Caliph Muhammad Mahdi performed Hajj. While he was residing in Darun Nadwa, during a quiet noon, Ubaidullah bin Ibrahim Hajabi came to him and showed him the stone of Maqam Ibrahim. Mahdi was pleased. He kissed it, wiped it, poured water over it, drank the water, and let his family and others touch the stone, and they all drank from that water. The stone was then returned to its place at Maqam Ibrahim. Mahdi gave Ubaidullah a huge reward and many lands in the Nakhlah Valley. Later, Ubaidullah sold those lands and made a profit of 7,000 dinars.
In 161 Hijri, the caretakers of the Kaaba wrote to Caliph Mahdi, expressing concern that the stone of Maqam Ibrahim might break and be destroyed. In response, Caliph Mahdi sent 1,000 dinars, and the stone was reinforced and covered entirely with silver for the first time under his supervision. Before this, the stone used to be moved as needed.
During the reign of Caliph Harun al-Rashid, in 179 Hijri, it was found that the silver covering on the stone had become loose. It was then strengthened and recovered with silver. Later, in 236 Hijri, Caliph Mutawakkil Abbasi covered the silver with 8,000 mithqals of gold and 70,000 dirhams worth of silver and fixed it firmly in place. Subsequently, the governors of Mecca, Jafar bin Fadl and Muhammad bin Hatim, used the gold and silver that Mutawakkil had added to fund a war against the seditionist Ismail bin Yusuf Alawi in 251 Hijri.
Until 256 Hijri, the stone of Maqam Ibrahim remained reinforced with the silver applied by Caliph Mahdi. In 256 Hijri, the caretakers of the Kaaba informed the governor of Mecca, Ali bin Hasan Abbasi, that the foundation of Maqam Ibrahim was weakening and that the stone was at risk of being destroyed. In response, the governor created a frame of 1,992 mithqals of gold and another frame of silver to reinforce the stone. The stone was then firmly set back into its place at Maqam Ibrahim. Fasi mentioned that during this time, Maqam Ibrahim was under a tall wooden dome with carved narrow pillars. It had four iron windows, and each pair of pillars housed one window. The eastern side had an entrance door, and the dome’s interior was adorned with gold and other decorations, while its exterior was coated in white paint.
In 810 Hijri, the king of Egypt, Nasir Faraj, constructed a shaded dome supported by four pillars at the prayer area behind Maqam Ibrahim. The interior of the dome was covered in gold, and the exterior was painted white. During Hajj season, a wooden dome was replaced by an iron dome, as the latter provided better protection for Maqam Ibrahim amidst the crowd.
In 579 Hijri, the Andalusian traveler Ibn Jubayr, during his Hajj, noted in his writings that Maqam Ibrahim was not always in its specific location. At times, it was placed at its designated site, while at other times, it was moved to the base of the staircase leading to the roof of the Kaaba. He also mentioned that there was a wooden dome over it, which was replaced by an iron dome during Hajj. Fasi mentioned that it is unclear when Maqam Ibrahim was permanently placed in its current location.
In 900 and 915 Hijri, Khwaja Muhammad bin Abdullah Rumi rebuilt the dome over Maqam Ibrahim and added significant amounts of gold to its structure. Gold was also incorporated into the pillars and wooden components of the dome.
In Hijri 1,000, under the instruction of Sharif Sultan, Sheikh Ali al-Khalwati noticed the roof of Maqam Ibrahim deteriorating. In 1001 Hijri, he replaced all the wooden parts and restored the roof.
Sanjari mentioned that, under the order of Sultan Murad bin Ahmed Khan, Maqam Ibrahim was rebuilt in 1049 Hijri with designs in gold and various layers of color. The governor of Mecca and Jeddah, Suleiman Beg, financed this construction with the assistance of Aga Muhammad Kuzlar.
In 1072 Hijri, Maqam Ibrahim was renovated again under the orders of Sultan Muhammad bin Ibrahim Khan. In 1099 Hijri, Muhammad Beg restored the upper section of Maqam Ibrahim. In 1112 Hijri, Ibrahim Beg demolished all previous structures and reconstructed Maqam Ibrahim’s foundation using marble stone. He reinforced the stone with lead and strengthened its attachment to its base. The wooden dome was replaced, the silver was removed, and gold-plated sheets and paint were used for its reconstruction.
In 1133 Hijri, Muhammad Afandi constructed a new wooden box for the stone of Maqam Ibrahim, replacing the old silver covering with new silver. It was noted that Sultan Abdul Aziz Usmani raised the dome of Maqam Ibrahim by one and a half hands’ height.
During the Ottoman period, when the covering of the Kaaba (Ghilaf) was replaced, the covering of Maqam Ibrahim was also updated. Following the Kaaba’s covering, Maqam Ibrahim was given a door covering and an enclosure with threads of silver mixed with gold. This covering was placed over the wooden box, which was positioned over the stone inside the iron frame.
The various domes and enclosures over Maqam Ibrahim began to cause congestion in the Mataf area due to the increasing number of pilgrims and Tawaf performers. Discussions arose about how to address the issue, and scholars expressed varying opinions. Finally, in 1384 Hijri, a proposal from Rabita al-Alam al-Islami suggested removing the additional structures around Maqam Ibrahim and replacing them with a crystal glass enclosure. This enclosure would prevent contact with pilgrims performing Tawaf while also offering a visually appealing appearance. King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz ordered the creation of a sturdy crystal stone enclosure, surrounded by an iron frame. Inside, a marble base measuring 180×130 cm and less than 75 cm in height was prepared to hold the stone. This project was completed in 1387 Hijri, resulting in a more spacious Mataf area, allowing pilgrims to perform Tawaf more comfortably.
