Volume 3 – 93 – Praying Inside the Kaaba
It is narrated from Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with him:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, entered the Ka’bah along with Usama bin Zayd, Osman bin Talha al-Hajabi, and Bilal, may Allah be pleased with them. Osman had closed the door of the Ka’bah behind them.
Abdullah bin Umar said: When they exited, I asked Bilal, “What did the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, do?” Bilal said: He took one pillar to his left, two pillars to his right, and three pillars to his back (for that day the Ka’bah was built on six pillars), then he prayed.
It is related from Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) on the authority of a narrator who did not mention the preceding narrators, that he prayed inside the Ka'bah. There was a distance of three fingers’ breadth between him and the qibla wall.
COMMENTARY: This narration is also found in the collections of Bukhari and Abu Dawud. According to Bayhaqi, he took two pillars on his left side and one pillar on his right. In Muslim, it is related that he took one pillar on his left side and one pillar on his right. Osman bin Talha al-Hajjabi: The title "al-Hajjabi" is a special mark of honor given to those entrusted with the duty of draping the Ka'bah covering, from the lineage of Abduddar.
It is narrated from 'Abdullah ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, that the meaning of the hadith of Kanabi (no. 2023) was related. In this narration, he said, “I forgot to ask Bilal how many rak’ahs the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed in the Ka'bah.”
Abdurrahman ibn Safwan, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
I asked Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, “What did the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, do when he entered the Ka’bah?”
Umar ibn al-Khattab replied, “He prayed two rak’ahs.”
It is related from Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, when he came to Mecca, did not enter the Ka‘bah because it contained idols. He commanded that these idols be removed. From within were taken images of Abraham and Ishmael, peace be upon them, holding divination arrows.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “May Allah destroy the polytheists! I swear, they certainly knew that neither this father nor son ever concerned themselves with divination arrows, nor sought their fortune through them.”
Ibn ‘Abbas said: Then he entered the Ka‘bah. He pronounced takbir at its corners, and then exited. He did not perform prayer within the Ka‘bah.