Ahadith

Ibn Abbas relates: Abraham brought Ismael and his mother while she was giving him suck and placed them near the site of the house under a big tree above where Zam Zam is in the higher part of the mosque. At that time there was no one in Mecca nor was there any water. He put both of them there and placed with them a bag of dates and a water-skin full of water. He then turned away and Ishmael’s mother followed him and said: Abraham, where are you going, leaving us in this valley where there is no friend nor anything? She repeated this several times but Abraham paid no attention to her. Then she asked him: Has Allah commanded you to do this? He answered: Yes. She said: Then He will not let us perish; and she turned back. Abraham went forward till he arrived at Semiyah where he was not visible to them. He faced towards the side of the House and raising his hands supplicated: Our Lord, [ have settled some of my progeny in a barren valley near Thy Sacred House, that they may perform Prayer with due observance, our Lord. So make people's hearts incline towards them and provide them with fruits of all kinds that they may be grateful (14. 18). Ishmael’s mother would give suck to Ishmael and would herself drink of the water till the water-skin became empty. She then felt thirsty and her boy felt thirsty and she saw him rolling about. She walked away in one direction being unable to witness his agony. The nearest elevation to her was Safa. She stood on top of it and looked to see whether she could spot anyone but she saw no one and descended from Safa and when she was in the valley she raised a portion of her garment and began to run like a person distracted till she arrived at the top of Marwah and stood there to see if she could spot anyone. But she did not see anyone. This she did seven times. Ibn Abbas relates that the Holy Prophet said: That is why people run between the two. When she arrived on Marwah the seventh time she heard a voice and she ejaculated: Sshs! (silencing herself) and she lent ear and heard a sound again and said: You have made yourself heard; if you have any succour for us then hear my supplication. Then she saw an angel at the spot where Zam Zam is. He struck the earth with his heel (or with his wings) till the water appeared. She dug a sort of cistern for it and began to fill her water-skin from it with her hands. While she was doing it the water continued to increase in quantity egual to that which she took of it. Ibn Abbas relates that the Holy Prophet said: May Allah have mercy on Ishmae!'s mother, if she had left the Zam Zam" alone (or if she had not filled her water-skin with it) Zam Zam would have become a running spring for us). So she drank of it and gave suck to the child. The angel said to her: Be not afraid of perishing for here is the site on which this boy and his father shall build a House for Allah and Allah will not let those around it perish. The site of the House was a little higher than the surrounding earth like a dome. When rainwater came it passed on its right or on its left. Ishmael and his mother continued thus till a group of the tribe Jurhum coming by way of Kada‘a encamped below the site of Mecca. They observed a bird circling round and round and said: This bird is circling over water. We have been passing through this valley over a period and there was no water in it, So they sent one or two men to investigate and they came upon the water and returned and told them of it. They all went and found Ishmael’s mother neat the water. They said to her: Will you permit us to make our camp near you? She said: Yes, but you will have no right over the water. They agreed. (Ibn Abbas relates that the Holy Prophet said: Ishmael’s mother got her wish, for she had wanted company). So they made camp there and sent for their families who joined them and they were quite a number of households. Ishmael grew up and learnt Arabic from them. He was handsome and was everybody’s favourite. When he came of age they gave him one of their own daughters in marriage. Ishmael’s mother died and Abraham came after Ishmael’s marriage and was looking for something which he had left behind but not finding Ishmael he inquired from his wife about him. She said: He has gone out to get (or hunt) provision for us. Then he asked her about their life and condition and she told him: We are in evil case. We live a life of straitness and privation; and she made other complaints. He said to her: When your husband comes home, convey my greetings to him and tel! him that he should change the sill of his door. When Ishmael returned he perceived something in the atmosphere and asked his wife: Did anyone come to see you? She said: Yes, such and such an old man came and asked me about you and I told him, and he asked me how we were carrying on and | told him we were hard up. He asked: Did he leave a message? She answered: Yes. He told me to convey his greetings to you and to tell you to change your door-sill. Ishmael said: This was my father, and he has directed me that 1 should part with you. So go back to your people. Then he divorced her and married another woman from among them. Abraham kept away from them for a while and then visited them. But again he did not find Ishmael at home and asked his wife about him. She told him: He has gone out to find provision for us. He asked her how they were carrying on and inquired about their condition and circumstances. She said: We are well off; and praised Allah. He asked: What is your food? She said: Meat. He asked: What is your drink? She answered: Water. He supplicated: Allah bless their meat and their water. (The Holy Prophet observed: They had no grain at the time, for if they had grain he would have blessed that also. That is why no" one except the people of Mecca can live on meat and water alone and it does not suit others). Another version is: Abraham came and inquired: Where is Ishmael? His wife said: He has gone out hunting and asked Abraham: Will you not stay and eat and drink? He asked: What is your food and drink? She answered: Our food is meat and our drink is water. He supplicated: Allah bless their food and their drink (the Holy Prophet observed: This is the blessing of the prayer of Abraham). Abraham said: When your husband returns, convey my greetings to him and tell him to strengthen his door-sill. When Ishmael returned he inquired: Did anyone come? She said: Yes, a handsome old gentleman came and she praised him. She continued: He asked me about you and I told him. He asked nie: How we were living and I told him: Well. Ishmael asked: Did he leave any message with you? She answered: Yes, he left his greetings for you and his direction that you should strengthen your door-sill. Ishmael said: This was my father, and you are the door-sill which he ordered me to hold to. Abraham kept away from them for some time and when he came again Ishmael was sitting under a big tree near Zam Zam repairing his arrows. When he perceived Abraham, he stood up and they greeted each other like father and son. Abraham told Ishmael: Allah has laid upon me a commandment. Ishmael said: Then do what your Lord has commanded you to do. He said: Will you help me? Ishmael said: I shall help you. Abraham said: Allah has commanded me to build a House here and he pointed towards the dome and its surrounding area. Then they started raising the foundations. Ishmael fetched the stones and Abraham laid them on and when the foundation had been raised Ishmael brought a stone and placed it for Abraham so that he stood on it and continued to build while Ishmael handed the stones to him. And both of them prayed: Our Lord, accept this offering from us, indeed Thou art the Afl-Hearing, the All-Knowing (2.128). Another version is: Abraham took Ishmael and his mother with him and they had a water-skin full of water. Ishmael’s mother drank of the water and gave suck to her child till they came to Mecca and Abraham put his wife under a big tree. Abraham then turned away and Ishmael’s mother followed him till when they arrived at Kada‘a she called to him from behind and said: Abraham, with whom are you leaving us? He answered: With Allah. She said: I am happy with Allah and she returned keeping on drinking from the water-skin and giving suck to her child. When the water gave out, she thought, I had better go and have a look and see if I can spot anyone. She ascended to the top of Safa and looked but did not see anyone. She descended to the valley and ran to Matwah and did it several times and then thought that she should go and look at the child. So she went and saw that he was in the same condition as if he was approaching death. She found it difficult to control herself and hoping to find someone again went and ascended Safa and looked and looked but did not see anyone. She ran between Safa and Marwah seven times altogether. She then thought of going again and looking at the child when she" heard a sound and she supplicated: If you can do anything to help, come to my aid. Suddenly, Gabriel appeared and struck the earth with his heel and water began to flow. Ishmael’s mother was greatly struck and she started digging a pit (Bokhari).

Sa‘id ibn Zaid relates that he heard the Holy Prophet say: Mushrooms are a species of manna and their water is healing for the eye (Bokhari and Muslim).