Detailed Exegesis

Idh (When): This term is a temporal adverb in the accusative case, governed by an implied “remember” and connected to the phrase “when he said” at the start of the previous verse.

Yarfaʿu (Raises): The word rafaʿa is the opposite of khafaḍa and means “to elevate.” The concept of “raising” can apply to both material and spiritual entities, whether worldly or otherworldly, depending on the context. Raising physical bodies involves lifting them up, as in the verse, “And We raised over you the mount”(1). Raising a building, on the other hand, refers to increasing its height, as illustrated in, “And [mention] when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House” (Qur’an 2:127). Raising someone’s mention means making them famous, as seen in, “And raised high for you your repute”(2). Elevating someone’s rank signifies honor, as in, “And We have raised some of them above others in degrees”(3). Lastly, raising one’s voice indicates speaking loudly, as shown in, “Do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet”(4).

In this verse, the intended meaning of raising the foundations is elevating the base of the Kaaba and renewing the construction of God’s House. The concept of raising can occur unintentionally or figuratively, such as the raising of Mount Tur, or with intent, as in the raising of the Kaaba’s foundations. Here, foundation refers specifically to the base, which does not transform into an elevated wall. Instead, as the wall is built upon the foundation, its form is modified. If the intended meaning is that the walls were raised above the foundation, then attributing raising to the walls is literal, while attributing foundation to them becomes figurative.

It is also worth noting that the correctness of attribution is stronger in cases of connective unity, like a plant stem that grows, compared to cases of collective unity, like the base of a wall being built upward. Moreover, the act of building the wall is described as raising (rafʿ) rather than building (bināʾ) to maintain consistency with the term “exalted house” (bayt rafīʿ), since the Kaaba exemplifies the verse: “In houses which God has permitted to be raised”(5).

Al-Qawāʿid (The Foundations): The term qawāʿid is the plural form of qāʿida, which originates from the root quʿūd, meaning “to settle” or “to establish.” Qāʿida has various applications, such as “al-qāʿida min al-jabal” (the base of the mountain), “qāʿidat al-bināʾ” (the foundation of a building), “imraʾa qāʿida” (a woman who has aged and does not marry, or one who does not conceive), and “imraʾa qāʿid” (without the feminine marker), referring to an elderly woman who no longer menstruates. Additionally, “al-qāʿida” can denote a general rule applicable to specific cases.

According to al-Ṭabarī, the word “qāʿid” (without the feminine marker) specifically describes a woman beyond her childbearing years, while the use of the feminine marker emphasizes the idea of origin and foundation, even though the original form of the word is masculine.

In this context, “the foundations of the House” refers to the base and pillars of the Kaaba, believed to have been originally constructed by Adam (a.s.). Although the phrase “foundations of the House” alone would have conveyed the basic meaning, the expression “the foundations from the House” adds a layer of emphasis, containing an element of both ambiguity and clarification. This subtle literary distinction offers a depth that a simple reference to “foundations of the House” does not capture.