Seerah / Before Prophethood
Carrying stones for the Ka'bah
- Date
- Before prophethood (c. 605 CE) · approximate
- Location
- Makkah
- People
- Al-'Abbas (RA)
Jabir (RA) narrates in Sahih al-Bukhari that the Prophet ﷺ carried stones with the people of Makkah when the Ka'bah was rebuilt, and how his modesty was protected.
As it was narrated
The story, in the words of those who were there
Read slowly. These are the Companions' own words, from the verified hadith collections.
حَدَّثَنَا مَطَرُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا رَوْحٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا زَكَرِيَّاءُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ دِينَارٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَنْقُلُ مَعَهُمُ الْحِجَارَةَ لِلْكَعْبَةِ وَعَلَيْهِ إِزَارُهُ. فَقَالَ لَهُ الْعَبَّاسُ عَمُّهُ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي، لَوْ حَلَلْتَ إِزَارَكَ فَجَعَلْتَ عَلَى مَنْكِبَيْكَ دُونَ ال…
Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah:While Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was carrying stones (along) with the people of Mecca for (the building of) the Ka`ba wearing an Izar (waist-sheet cover), his uncle Al-`Abbas said to him, "O my nephew! (It would be better) if you take off your Izar and put it over your shoulders underneath the stones." So he took off his Izar and put it over his shoulders, but he fell unconscious and since then he had never been seen naked
Lessons
- He took part in honest community work before he was a Prophet.
- Modesty (haya') was part of his nature from youth.
Lessons are editorial reflections drawn from the event and its sources.
Pause for a moment
Which moment of your own life does this remind you of? Sit with it for a minute, then send salawat on the one who lived it ﷺ.
Send salawat ﷺBibliography
- Sahih al-Bukhari 364 (Jabir) · primary source
- Ibn Hisham, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah (further reading)
- Ibn Kathir, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah (further reading)
- Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtum (further reading)