The Invasion of Tubba‘ and People of Elephant Against the House; ‘Abd al-Muttalib Digs the Well of Zamzam, Quraysh Destroys al-Ka‘bah and Rebuilds It and Hajjaj Destroys al-Ka‘bah and Rebuilds It

كُنْتُ فِيمَا بَيْنَ مَكَّةَ وَ الْمَدِينَةِ أَنَا وَ صَاحِبٌ لِي فَتَذَاكَرْنَا الْأَنْصَارَ فَقَالَ أَحَدُنَا هُمْ نُزَّاعٌ‌[1] مِنْ قَبَائِلَ وَ قَالَ أَحَدُنَا هُمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ قَالَ فَانْتَهَيْنَا إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ هُوَ جَالِسٌ فِي ظِلِّ شَجَرَةٍ فَابْتَدَأَ الْحَدِيثَ وَ لَمْ نَسْأَلْهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ تُبَّعاً لَمَّا أَنْ جَاءَ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْعِرَاقِ وَ جَاءَ مَعَهُ الْعُلَمَاءُ وَ أَبْنَ

“In between Makkah and al-Madinah, my companion and I were discussing about people called al- Ansar. One of us said that they were individuals from different people who did not belong to well- known tribes, and one of them said that they were from the people of Yemen. We then arrived near abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.). He was

لَمَّا أَقْبَلَ صَاحِبُ الْحَبَشَةِ بِالْفِيلِ يُرِيدُ هَدْمَ الْكَعْبَةِ مَرُّوا بِإِبِلٍ لِعَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ فَاسْتَاقُوهَا فَتَوَجَّهَ عَبْدُ الْمُطَّلِبِ إِلَى صَاحِبِهِمْ يَسْأَلُهُ رَدَّ إِبِلِهِ عَلَيْهِ فَاسْتَأْذَنَ عَلَيْهِ فَأَذِنَ لَهُ وَ قِيلَ لَهُ إِنَّ هَذَا شَرِيفُ قُرَيْشٍ أَوْ عَظِيمُ قُرَيْشٍ وَ هُوَ رَجُلٌ لَهُ عَقْلٌ وَ مُرُوَّةٌ فَأَكْرَمَهُ وَ أَدْنَاهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِتَرْجُمَانِهِ سَلْهُ مَا

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that when the Ethiopian king came with elephants to destroy the Ka‘bah, they passed by the camels of ‘Abd al-Muttalib and took them for themselves. ‘Abd al-Muttalib went to the king, asking him to release his camels. He asked permission for a meeting, which was granted. He (the king) wa

إِنَّ قُرَيْشاً فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ هَدَمُوا الْبَيْتَ فَلَمَّا أَرَادُوا بِنَاءَهُ حِيلَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَ بَيْنَهُ وَ أُلْقِيَ فِي رُوعِهِمُ الرُّعْبُ‌[1] حَتَّى قَالَ قَائِلٌ مِنْهُمْ لَيَأْتِي كُلُّ رَجُلٍ مِنْكُمْ بِأَطْيَبِ مَالِهِ وَ لَا تَأْتُوا بِمَالٍ اكْتَسَبْتُمُوهُ مِنْ قَطِيعَةِ رَحِمٍ أَوْ حَرَامٍ فَفَعَلُوا فَخُلِّيَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَ بَيْنَ بِنَائِهِ فَبَنَوْهُ حَتَّى انْتَهَوْا إِلَى مَوْضِعِ الْحَجَرِ الْأ

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Nu’man from Sa‘id ibn ‘Abd Allah al-’A‘raj who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that during the days of ignorance Quraysh had destroyed the House, but when they wanted to rebuild, something came between them and the House

إِنَّمَا هَدَمَتْ قُرَيْشٌ الْكَعْبَةَ لِأَنَّ السَّيْلَ كَانَ يَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ أَعْلَى مَكَّةَ فَيَدْخُلُهَا فَانْصَدَعَتْ وَ سُرِقَ مِنَ الْكَعْبَةِ غَزَالٌ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ رِجْلَاهُ مِنْ جَوْهَرٍ وَ كَانَ حَائِطُهَا قَصِيراً وَ كَانَ ذَلِكَ قَبْلَ مَبْعَثِ النَّبِيِّ ص بِثَلَاثِينَ سَنَةً[2] فَأَرَادَتْ قُرَيْشٌ أَنْ يَهْدِمُوا الْكَعْبَةَ وَ يَبْنُوهَا وَ يَزِيدُوا فِي عَرْصَتِهَا ثُمَّ أَشْفَقُوا مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَ خَاف

“They have said that Quraysh had demolished al-Ka‘bah because of flood that would come from the upper part of Makkah and enter al-Ka‘bah. Damages would take place and a deer made of gold with its legs made of diamond was stolen. The walls were not high enough. This happened thirty years before Allah commanded His proph

إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص سَاهَمَ قُرَيْشاً فِي بِنَاءِ الْبَيْتِ فَصَارَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص مِنْ بَابِ الْكَعْبَةِ إِلَى النِّصْفِ‌[6] مَا بَيْنَ الرُّكْنِ الْيَمَانِيِّ إِلَى الْحَجَرِ الْأَسْوَدِ وَ فِي رِوَايَةٍ أُخْرَى كَانَ لِبَنِي هَاشِمٍ مِنَ الْحَجَرِ الْأَسْوَدِ إِلَى الرُّكْنِ الشَّامِيِّ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, took part with Quraysh in building the House. The share of the Messenger of Allah was from the door of al-Ka‘bah up to half of the way between al-Yemeniy corner to

كَانَ فِي الْكَعْبَةِ غَزَالانِ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ وَ خَمْسَةُ أَسْيَافٍ فَلَمَّا غَلَبَتْ خُزَاعَةُ- جُرْهُمَ عَلَى الْحَرَمِ أَلْقَتْ جُرْهُمُ الْأَسْيَافَ وَ الْغَزَالَيْنِ فِي بِئْرِ زَمْزَمَ وَ أَلْقَوْا فِيهَا الْحِجَارَةَ وَ طَمُّوهَا وَ عَمَّوْا أَثَرَهَا[1] فَلَمَّا غَلَبَ قُصَيٌّ عَلَى خُزَاعَةَ لَمْ يَعْرِفُوا مَوْضِعَ زَمْزَمَ وَ عَمِيَ عَلَيْهِمْ مَوْضِعُهَا فَلَمَّا غَلَبَ عَبْدُ الْمُطَّلِبِ وَ كَانَ يُفْرَشُ

“He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said that in al-Ka‘bah there were two gazelles made of gold and five swords. When Khuza‘ah dominated Jurhum in the Sacred area, Jurhum threw the two deer and the swords in the well of Zamzam. They threw stones in it, filled it up and disguised its marks. When Qusay dominated Khuza‘ah, they di

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ ع يَقُولُ‌ لَمَّا احْتَفَرَ عَبْدُ الْمُطَّلِبِ زَمْزَمَ وَ انْتَهَى إِلَى قَعْرِهَا خَرَجَتْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ إِحْدَى جَوَانِبِ الْبِئْرِ رَائِحَةٌ مُنْتِنَةٌ أَفْظَعَتْهُ فَأَبَى أَنْ يَنْثَنِيَ‌[1] وَ خَرَجَ ابْنُهُ الْحَارِثُ عَنْهُ ثُمَّ حَفَرَ حَتَّى أَمْعَنَ فَوَجَدَ فِي قَعْرِهَا عَيْناً تَخْرُجُ عَلَيْهِ بِرَائِحَةِ الْمِسْكِ ثُمَّ احْتَفَرَ فَلَمْ يَحْفِرْ إِلَّا ذِرَاعاً حَتَّى تَج

‘When ‘Abd al-Muttalib dug the well of Zamzam and reached its bottom, a foul odor emerged from one side of the well that frightened him severely. He could not bend himself down and his son, al-Harith, moved out of the well. He then dug until he found in the bottom of the well a fountain with the fragrance of musk. He t

لَمَّا هَدَمَ الْحَجَّاجُ الْكَعْبَةَ فَرَّقَ النَّاسُ تُرَابَهَا فَلَمَّا صَارُوا إِلَى بِنَائِهَا فَأَرَادُوا أَنْ يَبْنُوهَا خَرَجَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ حَيَّةٌ فَمَنَعَتِ النَّاسَ الْبِنَاءَ حَتَّى هَرَبُوا فَأَتَوُا الْحَجَّاجَ فَأَخْبَرُوهُ فَخَافَ أَنْ يَكُونَ قَدْ مُنِعَ بِنَاءَهَا فَصَعِدَ الْمِنْبَرَ ثُمَّ نَشَدَ النَّاسَ وَ قَالَ أَنْشُدُ اللَّهَ عَبْداً[3] عِنْدَهُ مِمَّا ابْتُلِينَا بِهِ عِلْمٌ لَمَّا أَخْبَرَنَ

“When al-Hajjaj destroyed al-Ka‘bah, people scattered its soil. When they wanted to rebuild it, a serpent came out on them, stopped people from rebuilding and they ran away. They went to al-Hajjaj and informed him of the matter. He feared that its rebuilding might have been prohibited. He went on the pulpit and swore p