Islamic History
The Reason for the Reduction and Narrowing of the Kaaba's Plan
The Quraysh, when they were to demolish and rebuild the Kaaba; due to the insufficiency of the construction materials provided by the collected donations, they had to shorten and narrow it by leaving the old foundation on the Hijr side outside and pulling the wall a bit inward. According to the old foundation of the Kaaba: The width of the Hijr part, which was left outside from the Sham side and included in the Kaaba, was six cubits, or six cubits and a fraction, or seven cubits or close to seven cubits; The Quraysh wanted to determine that this half-circle wall, which they would pull over the old foundation with the additional materials they would bring from the construction, is included in the Kaaba, and to ensure that the roof is made outside of this wall. The door of the Kaaba has been at ground level since the time of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and the Jurhum and Amalekites.189 Sahih, 1/35, Nasa’i, 5/206.
Abd al-Razzaq, 5/104, Azraqi, 1/163, 315, Ahmad b. Hanbal, 6/239, Bukhari, Sahih, 2/156, Ibn Maja, 2/985, Darimi, 1/382, Nasa’i, 5/216, Zehebi, Tarikh, p. 71, Ibn Kathir, Bidaya, 2/303.
- 184. Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Hisham, 4/58, Waqidi, Maghazi, 2/844, Azraqi, 2/122, Ahmad b. Hanbal, 4/31, Bukhari, Sahih, 1/36, 5/98, Baladhuri, Futuh, 1/48, Nasa’i, 5/204.
- 185. Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Hisham, 4/58, Ahmad b. Hanbal, 4/32. Ahmad b. Hanbal, 2/238, Bukhari, Sahih, 1/36 8/38. Ahmad b. Hanbal, 4/32, Bukhari, Sahih, 1/36, 8/38.
- 188. Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Hisham, 4/58, Waqidi, Maghazi, 2/844, Ibn Sa’d, 2/137, Ahmad b. Hanbal, 4/31-32, Bukhari, Ibn Kathir, Bidaya, 2/303. Ahmad b. Hanbal, 6/179, Muslim, 2/970, Ibn Kathir, Bidaya, 2/303. Azraqi, 1/163, Zehebi, Tarikh, p. 71, Diyarbekri, 1/115. Abd al-Razzaq, 5/104, Ibn Kathir, Bidaya, 2/303, Diyarbekri, 1/115. Abd al-Razzaq, 5/128, Ibn Sa’d, 1/147, Muslim, 2/972. Azraqi, 1/163, Diyarbekri, 1/115. Baladhuri, Futuh, 1/52.