Hadith record

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn abu Nasr who has said the following: “I once asked abu al-Hassan, al-Rida (a.s.), about the Sacred Area, about its landmarks and why certain ones of its landmarks are closer than others, and others are farther?’ He (the Imam) replied, ’When Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, sent Adam down from paradise, he landed on abu Qubays (hill). He complained before his Lord against loneliness and that he does not hear what he used to hear in paradise. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, then sent for him a piece of red ruby. He placed it on the site of the House. Adam walked around it. The light from it fell on certain surrounding sites of the landmarks which are distinguished as such (the landmarks). Allah made them the boundary of the Sacred Area.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.