Tafsir of Al Imran 3:96

"Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind..."

"Established for mankind" This is an adjective describing the "House." The One who established it is Allah (Mighty and Majestic is He). This is indicated by the reading of those who read it as wada‘a (active voice), naming the doer, who is Allah. The meaning of Allah establishing a house for mankind is that He made it a place of worship for them; it is as if He said: "The first place of worship for mankind is the Kaaba."

It is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that he was asked about the first mosque established for mankind, and he said: "The Sacred Mosque, then the Farthest Mosque (Bayt al-Maqdis)." He was asked how much time was between them, and he said: "Forty years."

It is narrated from Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man asked him, "Is it the first house?" He replied, "No, there were houses before it, but it is the first house established for mankind, blessed with guidance, mercy, and blessing." The first to build it was Abraham, then it was built by a group of Arabs from Jurhum, then it was demolished, then the Amalekites built it, then it was demolished, and the Quraysh built it.

Ibn Abbas said: "It is the first house performed Hajj to after the Flood." It is also said that it was the first house to appear on the surface of the water when the heavens and the earth were created; Allah created it two thousand years before the earth. It was a white foam on the water, and the earth was spread out beneath it. Others say it was the first house built by Adam on earth. It is also said that when Adam descended, the angels said to him, "Circumambulate this house, for we circumambulated it two thousand years before you." In its place, before Adam, there was a house called al-Darah, which was raised to the fourth heaven during the Flood, where the angels of the heavens circumambulate it.

"For that which is in Bakkah" The House which is in Bakkah. Bakkah is a proper name for the Sacred City, and Makkah and Bakkah are two dialects for it, similar to Nabīt and Namīt for a place in the Dahna. It is said that Makkah is the city and Bakkah is the location of the Mosque. Its derivation is from bakkah (crowding), due to the crowding of people within it. Qatadah said: "People crowd one another—men and women—praying in front of one another; this is not appropriate except in Makkah." It is as if it were named Bakkah because of this crowding. It is also said that it "breaks" (tabukku) the necks of tyrants, meaning it crushes them; no tyrant has ever intended it with evil but that Allah (Exalted is He) has crushed him.

"Blessed" Abundant in goodness for those who perform Hajj and Umrah there, stay near it, and circumambulate it, in terms of reward and the expiation of sins. Its grammatical position is as a state (hal) from the hidden pronoun in the prepositional phrase, because the estimation is: "For that which is in Bakkah, it is blessed."

"And a guidance for the worlds" Because it is their qiblah (direction of prayer) and their place of worship.

"The Station of Abraham" This is an explanatory apposition (‘atf bayan) to the phrase "clear signs." If you ask: "How is it valid to explain a plural with a singular?" I say: There are two aspects. First, to treat it as equivalent to many signs due to its prominence and the strength of its indication of Allah’s power and Abraham’s prophethood—such as the impression of his foot in solid stone, as in the verse: "Indeed, Abraham was a nation" (An-Nahl: 120). Second, that it contains multiple signs: the footprint in the solid rock is a sign, its sinking up to the ankles is a sign, the softening of some parts of the rock while others remained hard is a sign, and its preservation—unlike the signs of other prophets—is a sign specifically for Abraham, as is its survival for thousands of years despite the multitude of his enemies among the polytheists, the People of the Book, and the atheists.

It is also possible that "clear signs" refers to the Station of Abraham and the security of those who enter it, as two things can constitute a plural category. Or, these two signs are mentioned while others are omitted to indicate the abundance of signs, as if it were said: "In it are clear signs: the Station of Abraham, the security of those who enter it, and many others."

Regarding the reading of Ibn Abbas, Ubayy, Mujahid, and Abu Ja'far al-Madani: "A clear sign" (ayah bayyinah) in the singular, it provides evidence that the Station of Abraham is a singular explanatory apposition.

If you ask: "How did you permit the Station of Abraham and the security to be an explanatory apposition to 'signs,' while the verse 'And whoever enters it shall be safe' is an independent sentence?" I say: I permitted it based on the meaning, because the statement "And whoever enters it shall be safe" indicates the security of those who enter it. It is as if it were said: "In it are clear signs: the Station of Abraham and the security of those who enter it."

Regarding the cause of this impression: It is said that when the building of the Kaaba rose and Abraham became too weak to lift the stones, he stood on this stone, and his feet sank into it. It is also said that he came visiting from the Levant to Makkah, and Ishmael’s wife said to him, "Dismount so I may wash your head." He did not dismount, so she brought him this stone, and he placed his foot on it until she washed one side of his head, then she moved it to his other side until she washed the other.

The meaning of "And whoever enters it shall be safe" is like the verse: "Have they not seen that We have made a sanctuary safe, while people are being snatched away from all around them?" (Al-Ankabut: 67). This is due to the supplication of Abraham (peace be upon him): "My Lord, make this a secure city" (Al-Baqarah: 126). If a man committed every crime and then sought refuge in the Sanctuary, he would not be pursued. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "If I were to find the killer of al-Khattab in it, I would not touch him until he leaves it." According to Abu Hanifah, if someone is liable for execution for a crime committed outside the Sanctuary, or adultery, and seeks refuge in the Sanctuary, he is not to be molested, but he is not to be sheltered, fed, given water, or traded with until he is forced to leave. It is also said it means safe from the Fire.

"Whoever is able" This is a substitute (badal) for "mankind." It is narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) interpreted "ability" as provisions and a mount. This is also the view of Ibn Abbas, Ibn Umar, and the majority of scholars. Ibn al-Zubayr said it is according to one's strength. Malik’s school holds that if a man is confident in his strength, it is obligatory upon him. Others say it is according to one's capacity. Some say if one is able to hire himself out, he is "able."

The pronoun in "to it" refers to the House or the Hajj. This text contains various types of emphasis and strictness. Among them is: "And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House," meaning it is a binding right upon the necks of the people from which they cannot be absolved until they perform it. Among them is the substitution of "whoever is able" for "mankind," which serves as clarification after ambiguity. Among them is the use of "whoever disbelieves" instead of "whoever does not perform Hajj," as a form of harshness toward the one who abandons Hajj. Among them is the mention of "the worlds" (as in "independent of the worlds"), which indicates complete independence and the greatness of the displeasure toward those who abandon it.

It is narrated that when the verse was revealed, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) gathered the people of all religions and said: "Allah has prescribed Hajj for you, so perform Hajj." One group believed—the Muslims—while five groups disbelieved, saying: "We do not believe in it, nor do we pray toward it, nor do we perform Hajj to it." Then "Whoever disbelieves" was revealed.

It is narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him): "Perform Hajj before you are unable to, for the House has been demolished twice and will be raised [to heaven] the third time." And: "Perform Hajj before you are unable to; perform Hajj before the land denies its sides." Ibn Mas'ud said: "Perform Hajj to this House before a tree grows in the desert such that no beast eats from it without dying." Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "If people were to abandon Hajj for a single year, they would not be given respite."