Skip to content

The Whispered Prayers of the Kaaba’s Founders

In manual tasks, it is common for workers to murmur quietly as they labor. For the frivolous, these whispers may consist of idle songs, while for those with a deeper sense of purpose, their whispers are words of truth—remembrances, intimate conversations, and supplications. Each person murmurs what resonates with them, and these whispers help to occupy their minds, reducing fatigue. It is narrated in a hadith that the murmur of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (a.s.), while digging and plowing the garden, was the noble verse, “Does man think that he will be left neglected?” until the end of Surah al-Qiyamah. The connection between this verse and the act of cultivating life through plowing reminds us that man should not imagine himself to be aimless or forgotten, nor that death and rest in the grave signify the end, for he will one day be resurrected.

Similarly, as Abraham and Ishmael raised the walls of the Kaaba, their continuous murmur was, “Our Lord, accept [this] from us.” The use of the present tense verb “raising” (yarfaʿu), which implies continuity, suggests that they built the Kaaba with this repeated invocation, not merely addressing God after completing its construction. This continuous state is conveyed by the choice of words, as the verse avoids using “they said” (qālā) or similar terms.

Thus, every part of the Kaaba was raised with this remembrance, reflecting the pure sincerity of the architect and his assistant. This structure was marked by sincerity from its inception through its completion.

Their supplication expressed the following sentiment: “O our Lord, who hears these whispers and knows our secrets, as we obey Your command and seek Your pleasure, accept this deed from us: ‘Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.’” As a sign of complete acceptance of their sincere act, God attributed the result of their work—the Kaaba—to Himself, saying, “Purify My House”: “and purify My House.”

Note:

  1. As these two great prophets sought God’s special favor, they used the term “accept” (taqabbal) rather than “receive” (qabūl). The distinction lies in the additional care and heightened attention implied by taqabbal, not in any sense of affectation. This choice is not, as Abū Ḥayyān suggested, an inappropriate affectation when directed toward God, as this interpretation does not align with the intended reverence.

  2. Given the differences in people’s spiritual ranks, reflected in the strength or weakness of their knowledge, some individuals perceive their deeds as significant and worthy of presentation to God. After completing an act, they specifically name it and ask for God’s acceptance. However, others, with humility and a deep sense of respect toward God, do not view their deeds as presentable and only seek acceptance itself. The omission of the object of “accept” in the supplication of Abraham and Ishmael suggests that they did not regard their act of establishing the Kaaba as remarkable but, with humility, saw it as modest in the presence of God, hence omitting it by name in their prayer (Verse 2:125). This leads into their next supplication (Verse 2:127).

  3. Although the term “House” (bayt) is commonly understood to refer to the Kaaba, the prayer for its acceptance clarifies that it is not a residence but a place of worship, as one would not offer a prayer for a residential house.