A soothing breeze shall flow until the Day of Resurrection

والصَّلَاةُ والسَّلاَمُ عَلَى سَيّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَشْرَفِ اْلمُرْسَلِيْنَ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ الطَّيّبِيْنَ الطَّاهِرِيْن

Hijr‘Isma^il is a semicircular structure rising 1.30 metres above the ground, with a width of six cubits and a span (approximately 3 metres). Positioned north of the revered Ka^bah, one end of Hijr ‘Isma^il aligns with its northern corner, while the other aligns with the western corner. This site is also called Al-Hatim because it was broken and excluded from it.

The reason for its naming as Hijr ‘Isma^il

It is referred to as Hijr ‘Isma^il because Prophet ‘Ibrahim (peace be upon him) constructed a shelter of arāk wood adjacent to the Ka^bah for ‘Isma^il (peace be upon him) and his mother (peace be upon her). This signifies that the Hijr was not originally part of the Ka^bah. However, the section of the Ka^bah that the Quraysh dismantled and included within the Hijr is unequivocally considered part of the Ka^bah.

It is reported that Lady ^Aʾishah (may Allah accept her deeds) said:

سَأَلْتُ النبيَّ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ عَنِ الجَدْرِ: أَمِنَ البَيْتِ هُوَ؟ قالَ: نَعَمْ. قُلتُ: فَما لهمْ لَمْ يُدْخِلُوهُ في البَيْتِ؟ قالَ: إنَّ قَوْمَكِ قَصَّرَتْ بهِمُ النَّفَقَةُ"

"I asked the Prophet ﷺ about the wall [i.e., Al-Hatim]: 'Is it part of the house [i.e., the Ka^bah]?' He ﷺ replied, 'Yes.' I then asked, 'Why did they not include it in the house?' He ﷺ answered, 'Your people were limited by financial resources.'"

This narration is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhariyy.

Some narrations indicate that Prophet ‘Isma^il (peace be upon him) and his mother (peace be upon her) are buried in this site, deeply within the earth.

In a letter attributed to Al-Hasan al-Basriyy, it is mentioned that Prophet ‘Isma^il (peace be upon him) expressed to his Lord the hardship caused by the intense heat of Makkah. Allah revealed to him, "I shall open for you a door from Paradise within the Hijr, through which a soothing breeze shall flow upon you until the Day of Resurrection."

Its Virtue

Among its virtues is a narration from ^Aliyy (may Allah accept his deeds): The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to ‘Abu Hurayrah:

“إن على باب الحِجْر مَلَكًا يقول لمن دخله وصلى فيه ركعتين : مغفورًا لك، امض فاستأنف العمل، وعلى بابه الآخر ملك منذ خلق الله الدنيا إلى يوم يرفع الله البيت، يقول لمن صلى فيه وخرج : مرحومًا إن كنت من أمة محمد تقيًا”

"At the door of the Hijr is an angel who says to anyone who enters it and prays two units of prayer: 'You are forgiven; proceed and begin anew.' At its other door stands an angel, from the time Allah created the world until the day Allah raises the House, saying to anyone who prays within and exits: 'You are shown mercy, provided you are a pious member of the nation of Muhammad.'"

This narration is recorded in Al-Jami^u l-Latif by Ibnu Dhahirah.