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Ibrahim and Isma'il (AS): Building the Ka'bah

Ages 5–9 Story 8 of 30

Years passed, and Isma'il grew into a strong young man. One day Prophet Ibrahim (AS) came back to Makkah and found Isma'il sharpening arrows near the well of Zamzam. They greeted each other warmly, as a father and son do.

Ibrahim said, "Isma'il, Allah has given me a command." Isma'il said, "Do what your Lord has commanded." Ibrahim asked, "Will you help me?" Isma'il said, "I will help you." Ibrahim pointed to a small hill and said, "Allah has commanded me to build a House here."

So they began. Isma'il carried the stones, and Ibrahim built the walls. When the walls became too high to reach, Isma'il brought a stone for his father to stand on. That stone is called Maqam Ibrahim, and you can still see it near the Ka'bah today.

As they worked, they made dua: Rabbana taqabbal minna, innaka antas-Sami'ul-'Alim, "Our Lord, accept this from us. You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing." They also asked Allah to send a messenger to the people of Makkah. Many years later, Allah answered this dua by sending Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Then Allah told Ibrahim to call all people to come for Hajj, and Muslims have answered that call ever since.

Where this story comes from

Qur'an 2:125–129 · Al-Baqarah
وَإِذۡ جَعَلۡنَا ٱلۡبَيۡتَ مَثَابَةࣰ لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمۡنࣰا وَٱتَّخِذُواْ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمَ مُصَلࣰّىۖ وَعَهِدۡنَآ إِلَىٰٓ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسۡمَٰعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيۡتِيَ لِلطَّآئِفِينَ وَٱلۡعَٰكِفِينَ وَٱلرُّكَّعِ ٱلسُّجُودِ 125 وَإِذۡ قَالَ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمُ رَبِّ ٱجۡعَلۡ هَٰذَا بَلَدًا ءَامِنࣰا وَٱرۡزُقۡ أَهۡلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ مَنۡ ءَامَنَ مِنۡهُم بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأٓخِرِۚ قَالَ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَأُمَتِّعُهُۥ قَلِيلࣰا ثُمَّ أَضۡطَرُّهُۥٓ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ ٱلنَّارِۖ وَبِئۡسَ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ 126 وَإِذۡ يَرۡفَعُ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمُ ٱلۡقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ ٱلۡبَيۡتِ وَإِسۡمَٰعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلۡ مِنَّآۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ 127 رَبَّنَا وَٱجۡعَلۡنَا مُسۡلِمَيۡنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَآ أُمَّةࣰ مُّسۡلِمَةࣰ لَّكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبۡ عَلَيۡنَآۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ 128 رَبَّنَا وَٱبۡعَثۡ فِيهِمۡ رَسُولࣰا مِّنۡهُمۡ يَتۡلُواْ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَايَٰتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمۡۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ 129

Read and listen in the surah →

Qur'an 22:26–27 · Al-Hajj
وَإِذۡ بَوَّأۡنَا لِإِبۡرَٰهِيمَ مَكَانَ ٱلۡبَيۡتِ أَن لَّا تُشۡرِكۡ بِي شَيۡـࣰٔا وَطَهِّرۡ بَيۡتِيَ لِلطَّآئِفِينَ وَٱلۡقَآئِمِينَ وَٱلرُّكَّعِ ٱلسُّجُودِ 26 وَأَذِّن فِي ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلۡحَجِّ يَأۡتُوكَ رِجَالࣰا وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرࣲ يَأۡتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقࣲ 27

Read and listen in the surah →

Hadith: Sahih al-Bukhari 3364

💬 What did you learn?

Talk about these together. There is no right or wrong answer.

  • Ibrahim and Isma'il worked hard and still asked Allah to accept their work. Why do we ask Allah to accept our good deeds?
  • How can you help your parents the way Isma'il helped his father?

❓ Questions from the story

Answer out loud, then tap to see the answer. Tick the ones you knew.

  1. What was Isma'il doing when his father came?

    Show the answer

    Sharpening arrows near Zamzam

  2. Who carried the stones, and who built the walls?

    Show the answer

    Isma'il carried, Ibrahim built

  3. What is the stone Ibrahim stood on called?

    Show the answer

    Maqam Ibrahim

  4. Which dua did they say while building?

    Show the answer

    Rabbana taqabbal minna…, 2:127

✂️ Things to do

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