Mount Abu Qubays

This is a noble mountain about 100 metres east of the noble Kaaba, standing on the hill of Safa at a height of 420 metres. Today a hotel stands upon it. Mount Abu Qubays was already regarded as a sacred site by the people in pre-Islamic times. The devout and ascetics of Mecca would climb up here to retire in seclusion (i'tikaf). When the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) was returning to Mecca al-Mukarramah from Ta'if in sorrow, the angel who came to him pointed to the mountains of Abu Qubays and Quaiqi'an and said, "If you wish, I will bring these two mountains together upon the Meccans." The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) replied: "No, I hope that Allah will bring forth from the descendants of these idolaters people who worship Him alone and associate nothing with Him."

The name Abu Qubays is said to derive from:

• The fact that Adam (a.s.) took the first spark of fire (qabas) from this mountain,
• The fact that the Black Stone was taken from here,
• The fact that a man from the tribe of Iyad or Madhhij once attempted to build a structure here.

Many events have taken place here throughout history:

• From the Flood of Noah until the time of Abraham (a.s.), the Black Stone was kept on the summit of this mountain.
• The miracle of the Splitting of the Moon (Shaqq al-Qamar), mentioned in Surah al-Qamar, occurred over this mountain. A mosque called Masjid al-Inshiqaq al-Qamar was built in its memory. This mosque was removed during the last expansion of the Masjid al-Haram.
• According to the most well-known account, Abraham (a.s.), upon Allah's command "Proclaim the Hajj among mankind," called the people to Hajj from the summit of this mountain.
• Adam (a.s.) was buried here after his death.
• The Prophet (s.a.w.) prayed here, and a mosque was later built on the spot where he prayed.
• Bilal al-Habashi (r.a.) gave the call to prayer (adhan) here at the conquest of Mecca al-Mukarramah.

On Mount Abu Qubays there stood, until the 1980s, the "Mosque of Abraham," built in memory of Abraham's proclamation of the Hajj from this spot and of the Prophet's (s.a.w.) prayer here. The Meccans also called this mosque the Mosque of Bilal al-Habashi. Later the whole of Abu Qubays was expropriated; palaces were built above it, and beneath it tunnels connecting the Sacred Precinct with Aziziyyah and Mina.