Hagar and Ishmael had a hard time traveling in the desert, and she nearly gave up when an angel of God appeared and told her to be strong and know that Ishmael will become the father to many nations. And so it was that Ishmael and his descendants became the ancestor of many prominent Arab tribes and the forefather of Mohammad. Since Isaac and Ismael have the same father, it’s understandable to know why many regard Jews (and as a result, Christians) and Islam as family (half-brothers and half-sisters to one another) since they are connected through the bloodline of Ibrahim.

The story of Ibrahim, as related in the Quran and Abraham in the Bible or Jewish Tanakh, is well known. According to the Quran, Ibrahim built the Kaaba as instructed by God (Allah) to be a safe sanctuary where He could be worshipped.  Although Ishmael was thought to have been sent away by his father Ibrahim, they met again some years later. It was during this time that Ibrahim told his son Ishmael of the instructions he received from God Allah to build a ‘house.’

Ibrahim then asked Ishmael to help, and he willingly obliged. It is said Ishmael carried the stones while Ibrahim completed the actual building process. Ibrahim also brought a black stone with him that was placed within the house, as instructed by Allah. 

Impressively, the building Ibrahim constructed was some four-and-a-half meters in height, with two doors at ground level; but it had no roof. Ibrahim placed the black stone, named Hajar al-Aswad, in one. When the building was completed, Ibrahim asked Allah to bless the city of Makkah (Mecca) and those living in it. (Although the original building was later rebuilt, some controversy surrounds the process. Some say the new building was not directly on the original foundation laid by Ibrahim.)

After the construction period was complete, Ibrahim was then instructed to call on his people to come on pilgrimage to it. As decreed by Allah, all Muslims had to make a pilgrimage to the house at least once in a lifetime until the Day of Judgment. In those days, pilgrims arrived on foot and camel. In the modern-day era, the faithful arrive by plane, bus, and car.

The black stone left by Ibrahim in the building is believed to date back to the time of Adam and Eve. It was later set into the wall by the prophet Muhammad in 605 CE.  Later on, it was broken into fragments and cemented into the side of the Kaaba. (Traditionally, the belief is that the stone was part of a meteorite that fell to Earth. The Israelites of the time believed it to be a sign for a place where Adam and Eve should build an altar and later the first temple on Earth.)

Early Muslims believed that the stone of the Kaaba was white as snow, but was turned black by the sins of humankind. As the story goes, the Kaaba was lost during Noah’s flood but recovered by Ibrahim.