AtlasIslamica

Mount Abu Qubays

Everyone knows about the famous story of Mount Safa and Marwa but not everyone knows about Mount Abu Qubays which holds prestigious value as well in the Islamic history. History that dates back to the creation of the world and the first man

Mecca Sharif, Saudi Arabia

Coordinates: 21.429365, 39.822063

According to the historians, Mount Abu Qubays was the first mountain ever created by Allah.

The Holy Kaabah was built by Prophet Ibrahim عليه اسلام . According to some traditions Hz. Adam عليه اسلام was given the order to build Kaabah for the first time. For this he went on this mount to collect rocks to build Kaaba. So the very first Kaaba built on earth by Hz. Adam عليه اسلام used foundation rocks from the mount of Abu Qubays.

According to some historians, Mount Abu Qubays is the precious mountain on which Hz. Adam عليه اسلام took his last breath and was buried later.

Burial Place of Adam عليه اسلام
Although there are disagreements over the place where Hz. Adam عليه اسلام was buried, some believe that he عليه اسلام was buried in Mount Qubays. At Tabari also views that Prophet Adam عليه اسلام breathed his last at the foot of the mountain and thereby was buried there.

It is said that after the expulsion of Hz. Adam عليه اسلام and Bibi Hawwa رضي الله عنه from the heaven, they descended on the mount Abu Qubays near a cave. Hz. Adam عليه اسلام called the cave “Gharat al-Kanz” (Treasure Cave) and implored Allah to make it a holy place.

According to Islamic traditions Prophet Ibrahim عليه اسلام used this mountain to preach Islam
This mountain was at a high place and quite above the earth, therefore Prophet Ibrahim عليه اسلام used this mountain to preach people about the message of Allah and call them towards Islam.

This mountain was called Amin at the Age of Jahiliyyah. Because, it is said that al-Hajar al-Aswad (the Black Stone) was temporarily put by Hz. Adam عليه اسلام and afterwards by Hz. Nuh عليه اسلام in the mount Abu Qubays. They were put in these mountains during the deadly floods at the time of Hz. Nuh عليه اسلام era, to protect from the disaster. Hajr-e-Aswad of the Holy Kaabah has its own significance due to the fact that it came from heaven to be fixed at one corner of the Holy Kaabah.

It is also said that when the Prophet ﷺ was seven, famine struck. The people of Quraysh asked Hz. Abd al-Muttalib رضي الله عنه to say rain prayer. Therefore, together with a group of noblemen and royalties of Quraysh, he رضي الله عنه went to the mount Abu Qubays and said prayer.

The disbelievers asked Prophet PBUH to split the moon into two halves, only then they would put faith in Allah Almighty. It was this prestigious Mount Abu Qubays where Hz. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ showed the miracle of breaking the moon into two pieces and then re-attaching those pieces on demand of disbelievers of the Makkah.

When Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was ordered to leave Mecca and migrate to Madinah sharif in the midnight, he رضي الله عنه gave the various things kept by him for safekeeping by the people to Hz. Ali رضي الله عنه. Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) told him to give these things back to the ones who owe them. It was that time when Hz. Ali رضي الله عنه climbed this mountain to make an announcement to give these things to whomsoever they belonged.

At the time of Yazid, Hz. Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr رضي الله عنه did not pay allegiance to Yazid, Husayn bin Numayr put catapults on the mount Abu Qubays and threw stones and fiery balls on the people visiting Ka’ba and burned Ka’ba. Also at the time of ‘Abd al-Malik b. Marwan, al-Hajjaj b. Yusuf, who was sent by Abd al-Malik b. Marwan to fight with Hz. Ibn al-Zubayr رضي الله عنه in 691-2, stoned the Ka’ba with arbalests from this mountain.