While the mother of Isma‘īl was breastfeeding her son Isma‘īl, Ibrahīm brought them to a place near the House; under a tree on the spot of Zamzam and the highest place in the Mosque. During those days there was nobody in Makkah nor was there any water

عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال: جاء إبراهيم صلى الله عليه وسلم بأم إسماعيل وبابنها إسماعيل وهي ترضعه، حتى وضعها عند البيت، عند دَوْحَة فوق زمزم في أعلى المسجد، وليس بمكة يومئذ أحد، وليس بها ماء، فوضعهما هناك، ووضع عندهما جِرَابًا فيه تمر، وسِقاء فيه ماء، ثم قَفَّى إبراهيم منطلقا، فتبعته أم إسماعيل فقالت: يا إبراهيم، أين تذهب وتتركنا بهذا الوادي الذي ليس فيه أنيس ولا شيء؟ فقالت له ذلك مِرارا، وجعل لا يلتفت إليها، قالت له: آلله أمرك بهذا؟ قال: نعم، قالت: إذا لا يُضَيِّعُنَا؛ ثم رجعت، فانطلق إبراهيم صلى الله عليه وسلم حتى إذا كان عند الثَّنِيَّة حيث لا يرونه، استقبل بوجهه البيت، ثم دعا بهؤلاء الدَّعَوَات، فرفع يديه فقال: {رب إني أسكنت من ذريتي بواد غير ذِي زَرْعٍ} حتى بلغ {يشكرون} [إبراهيم: 37]. وجعلت أم إسماعيل ترضع إسماعيل وتشرب من ذلك الماء، حتى إذا نفد ما في السِّقَاء عطشت، وعطش ابنها، وجعلت تنظر إليه يتلوى -أو قال يَتَلَبَّطُ- فانطلقت كراهية أن تنظر إليه، فوجدت الصفا أقرب جبل في الأرض يليها، فقامت عليه، ثم استقبلت الوادي تنظر هل ترى أحدا؟ فلم تر أحدا. فَهَبَطَتْ من الصفا حتى إذا بلغت الوادي، رفعت طَرَفَ دِرْعِهَا، ثم سعَت سعي الإنسان المجهود حتى جاوزت الوادي، ثم أتت المروة فقامت عليها، فنظرت هل ترى أحدا؟ فلم تر أحدا، ففعلت ذلك سبع مرات. قال ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما: قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: «فلذلك سعى الناس بينهما»، فلما أشرفت على المروة سمعت صوتا، فقالت: صَهْ -تريد نفسها- ثم تَسَمَّعَتْ، فسمعت أيضا، فقالت: قد أسمعت إن كان عندك غَوَاث، فإذا هي بالملك عند موضع زمزم، فبحث بعقبه -أو قال بجناحه- حتى ظهر الماء، فجعلت تُحَوِّضُهُ وتقول بيدها هكذا، وجعلت تَغْرِفُ من الماء في سِقائها وهو يفور بعد ما تَغْرِفُ. وفي رواية: بقدر ما تَغْرِفُ. قال ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما : قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : «رحم الله أم إسماعيل لو تركت زمزم - أو قال لو لم تَغْرِفُ من الماء - لكانت زمزم عَيْنًا مَعِينًا» قال: فشربت وأرضعت ولدها، فقال لها الملك: لا تخافوا الضَّيْعَةَ فإن هاهنا بيتا لله يبنيه هذا الغلام وأبوه، وإن الله لا يضيع أهله، وكان البيت مرتفعا من الأرض كَالرَّابِيَةِ، تأتيه السيول، فتأخذ عن يمينه وعن شماله، فكانت كذلك حتى مرت بهم رُفْقَةٌ مِنْ جُرْهُم، أو أهل بيت من جُرْهُم مقبلين من طريق كَدَاءَ، فنزلوا في أسفل مكة؛ فرأوا طائرا عائِفًا، فقالوا: إنّ هذا الطائر ليدور على ماء، لعهدنا بهذا الوادي وما فيه ماء. فأرسلوا جَرِيًّا أَوْ جَرِيَّيْن، فإذا هم بالماء. فرجعوا فأخبروهم؛ فأقبلوا وأم إسماعيل عند الماء، فقالوا: أتأذنين لنا أن ننزل عندك؟ قالت: نعم، ولكن لا حق لكم في الماء، قالوا: نعم. قال ابن عباس: قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : «فَألْفَى ذلك أم إسماعيل، وهي تحب الأنس» فنزلوا، فأرسلوا إلى أهلهم فنزلوا معهم، حتى إذا كانوا بها أهل أبيات، وشَبَّ الغلام وتعلم العربية منهم، وأنفسهم وأعجبهم حين شَبَّ، فلما أدرك زوجوه امرأة منهم: وماتت أم إسماعيل، فجاء إبراهيم بعدما تزوج إسماعيل يطالع تركته، فلم يجد إسماعيل؛ فسأل امرأته عنه فقالت: خرج يبتغي لنا - وفي رواية: يصيد لنا - ثم سألها عن عيشهم وهيئتهم، فقالت: نحن بشر، نحن في ضيق وشدة؛ وشكت إليه، قال: فإذا جاء زوجك اقرئي عليه السلام، وقولي له يغير عَتَبَةَ بابه. فلما جاء إسماعيل كأنه آنس شيئا، فقال: هل جاءكم من أحد؟ قالت: نعم، جاءنا شيخ كذا وكذا، فسألنا عنك فأخبرته، فسألني: كيف عيشنا، فأخبرته أنا في جَهْد وشدة. قال: فهل أوصاك بشيء؟ قالت: نعم، أمرني أن أقرأ عليك السلام، ويقول: غير عَتَبَةَ بابك، قال: ذاك أبي وقد أمرني أن أفارقك! الْحَقِي بأهلك. فطلقها وتزوج منهم أخرى، فلبث عنهم إبراهيم ما شاء الله، ثم أتاهم بعد فلم يجده، فدخل على امرأته فسأل عنه. قالت: خرج يبتغي لنا قال: كيف أنتم؟ وسألها عن عيشهم وهيئتهم، فقالت: نحن بخير وسَعَة، وأثنت على الله. فقال: ما طعامكم؟ قالت: اللحم، قال: فما شرابكم؟ قالت: الماء، قال: اللهم بارك لهم في اللحم والماء. قال النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم: ولم يكن لهم يومئذ حَبّ، ولو كان لهم دعا لهم فيه، قال: فهما لا يخلو عليهما أحد بغير مكة إلا لم يوافقاه. وفي رواية: فجاء فقال: أين إسماعيل؟ فقالت امرأته: ذهب يصيد؛ فقالت امرأته: ألا تنزل، فتطعم وتشرب؟ قال: وما طعامكم وما شرابكم؟ قالت: طعامنا اللحم وشرابنا الماء، قال: اللهم بارك لهم في طعامهم وشرابهم. قال: فقال أبو القاسم - صلى الله عليه وسلم: بركة دعوة إبراهيم. قال: فإذا جاء زوجك فَاقْرَئِي عليه السلام مُرِيِهِ يُثَبِّتُ عَتَبَةَ بابه. فلما جاء إسماعيل قال: هل أتاكم من أحد؟ قالت: نعم، أتانا شيخ حسن الهيئة، وأثنت عليه، فسألني عنك فأخبرته، فسألني كيف عيشنا فأخبرته أنا بخير. قال: فأوصاك بشيء؟ قالت: نعم، يقرأ عليك السلام ويأمرك أن تُثَبِّتَ عَتَبَةَ بابك. قال: ذاك أبي، وأنت العَتَبة، أمرني أن أُمْسِكَك. ثم لبث عنهم ما شاء الله، ثم جاء بعد ذلك وإسماعيل يَبْرِي نَبْلًا له تحت دَوْحَةٍ قريبا من زمزم، فلما رآه قام إليه، فصنعا كما يصنع الوالد بالولد والولد بالوالد. قال: يا إسماعيل، إن الله أمرني بأمر، قال: فاصنع ما أمرك ربك؟ قال: وَتُعِينُنِي، قال: وأعينك، قال: فإن الله أمرني أن أبني بيتا هاهنا، وأشار إلى أكَمَة مرتفعة على ما حولها، فعند ذلك رفع القواعد من البيت، فجعل إسماعيل يأتي بالحجارة وإبراهيم يبني حتى إذا ارتفع البناء، جاء بهذا الحجر فوضعه له فقام عليه، وهو يبني وإسماعيل يناوله الحجارة وهما يقولان: {ربنا تَقَبَّلْ منا إنك أنت السميع العليم} [البقرة: 127]. وفي رواية: إن إبراهيم خرج بإسماعيل وأم إسماعيل، معهم شَنَّةٌ فيها ماء، فجعلت أم إسماعيل تشرب من الشَّنَّة فَيَدِرُّ لبنها على صبيها، حتى قدم مكة، فوضعها تحت دَوْحَة، ثم رجع إبراهيم إلى أهله، فاتبعته أم إسماعيل حتى لما بلغوا كَدَاءَ نادته من ورائه: يا إبراهيم إلى من تتركنا؟ قال: إلى الله، قالت: رضيتُ بالله، فرجعتْ وجعلتْ تشرب من الشَّنَّة ويدر لبنها على صبيها، حتى لما فني الماء قالت: لو ذهبت فنظرت لعلي أحس أحدا. قال: فذهبت فصعدت الصفا، فنظرت ونظرت هل تحس أحدا، فلم تحس أحدا، فلما بلغت الوادي سعت، وأتت المروة، وفعلت ذلك أشواطا، ثم قالت: لو ذهبت فنظرت ما فعل الصبي، فذهبت فنظرت فإذا هو على حاله، كأنه يَنْشَغُ للموت، فلم تُقِرَّهَا نفسها فقالت: لو ذهبت فنظرت لعلي أحس أحدا، فذهبت فصعدت الصفا، فنظرت ونظرت فلم تحس أحدا، حتى أتمت سبعا، ثم قالت: لو ذهبت فنظرت ما فعل، فإذا هي بصوت، فقالت: أَغِثْ إنْ كان عندك خير، فإذا جبريل فقال بِعقِبِهِ هكذا، وغمز بِعقِبِهِ على الأرض، فانبثق الماء فدهشت أم إسماعيل، فجعلت تَحْفِنُ ... وذكر الحديث بطوله".

Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “While the mother of Isma‘īl was breastfeeding her son Isma‘īl, Ibrahīm (peace be upon him) brought them to a place near the House (the Ka‘bah); under a tree on the spot of Zamzam and the highest place in the Mosque. During those days there was nobody in Makkah nor was there any water. He settled them there and placed a leather bag containing some dates and a small waterskin containing some water near them, and then set off homeward. Isma‘īl's mother followed him saying: ‘O Ibrahīm, where are you going and leaving us in this valley where there is no one whose company we may enjoy nor is there anything here?’ She repeated it many times, but he did not look back at her. So she asked him: ‘Has Allah ordered you to do this?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ She said: ’Then He will not neglect us.’ She returned and Ibrahīm proceeded onwards, and, on reaching the Thaniyyah where they could not see him, he faced the Ka‘bah and raising both hands, invoked Allah with the following supplications: {Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make hearts among the people incline toward them and provide for them from the fruits that they might be grateful} [Sūrat Ibrahīm: 37]. Isma‘īl's mother continued breastfeeding him (Isma‘īl) and drinking the water (she had). When the water in the waterskin had all been used up, she became thirsty and her child also became thirsty. She started looking at him tossing in agony. She left him, because she could not endure looking at him, and found that Mount Safa was the nearest mountain to her in that area. She stood on it and started looking down the valley keenly to see if she could see anybody, but she could not. She descended from Safa and when she reached the valley, she lifted up her robe and ran along the valley like a person in distress, until she had crossed the valley and reached Mount Marwah, on which she stood and started looking, expecting to see somebody, but she did not see anybody. She repeated that (running between Safa and Marwah) seven times. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘This is the source of the tradition of walking between them (Safa and Marwah).’ When she reached Marwah (for the last time) she heard a voice and she told herself to be quiet and listened attentively. She heard the voice again and said: 'O (whoever you may be), you have made me hear your voice; have you got something to help me?’ And behold, she saw an angel in the Zamzam area, digging the earth with his heel (or his wing) until water flowed from that place. She started to make something like a basin around it, using her hand in this way, and started using her hands to fill her waterskin with water. The water was flowing out after she had scooped some of it. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commented: ‘May Allah bestow Mercy on Isma‘īl's mother! Had she let Zamzam (to flow without trying to control it or had she not scooped that water to fill her waterskin), Zamzam would just have been a stream flowing on the surface of the earth.’ The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) further added: ‘Then she drank and breastfed her child.’ The angel said to her: 'Do not be afraid of being neglected; this is the House of Allah, which will be built by this boy and his father, and Allah never neglects His people.' The House (the Ka‘bah) at that time was on a high place resembling a hillock, and when torrents (of rain) came, they flowed to its right and left. She lived that way until some people from the tribe of Jurhum - or a family from Jurhum - passed by her and her child, as they (the Jurhum) were coming through the Way of Kadā'. They settled in the lower part of Makkah where they saw a bird hovering. They said: 'This bird must be flying around water; although we know that there is no water in this valley.' They sent out one or two messengers, who discovered the source of water and returned to inform them of it. So, they all came (towards the water). They arrived while Isma‘īl's mother was sitting near the water and asked her: 'Would you allow us to stay with you?' She replied: 'Yes, but you will have no right over the water.' They agreed to that. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) further said: ’Isma‘īl's mother was pleased with the whole situation, as she loved having the company of people.’ So, they settled there and later they sent for their families, who came and settled with them, so some of the families became permanent residents there. The child (Isma‘īl) grew up and learnt Arabic from them and (his virtues) caused them to love and admire him as he grew up. When he reached the age of puberty, they made him marry a woman from among them. After Isma‘īl's mother had died and after Isma‘īl's marriage, Ibrahīm arrived to see the family that he had left there previously, but he did not find Isma‘īl there. When he asked Isma‘īl's wife about him, she replied: 'He has gone in search of our livelihood.' Then he asked her about their way of living and their condition, and she replied: 'We are living in misery, we are living in hardship and destitution,' complaining to him. He said: 'When your husband returns, convey my greetings to him and tell him to change the threshold of the door (of his house).' When Isma‘īl came back, he felt something unusual, so he asked his wife, 'Has anyone visited you?' She replied, 'Yes, an old man of such-and-such description came and asked me about you, and I told him (how you were). He also asked how we were living, and I told him that we were living in hardship and poverty.' So Isma‘īl asked: 'Did he advise you of anything?' She replied: 'Yes, he told me to convey his greetings to you and to tell you to change the threshold of your door.' Isma‘īl said: 'That was my father and he has told me to divorce you. Go back to your family.' So Isma‘īl divorced her and married another woman from among them (the Jurhum). Ibrahīm stayed away from them for a period that lasted as long as Allah wished and then called on them again, but again did not find Isma‘īl. So he went to Isma‘īl's wife and asked her about him. She said: 'He has gone in search of our livelihood.' Ibrahīm asked her: 'How are you getting on?' asking her about their sustenance and living. She replied: 'We are prosperous and well-off (we have everything in abundance).' Then she thanked Allah. Ibrahīm asked: 'What kind of food do you eat?' She said: 'Meat.' He asked: 'What do you drink?' She said: 'Water.’ He supplicated, ‘O Allah, bless their meat and water.’ The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) added: ‘At that time they did not have grain, and if they had had grain, he would have also invoked Allah to bless it.’ The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) added: ‘If somebody has only these two things for sustenance, his health and disposition will be badly affected, unless he lives in Makkah.’ In another narration: [Ibrahīm] came and asked: ’Where is Isma‘īl?’ His wife said: ’'He went to hunt.’ His wife said: ’Will you not come in to eat and drink?’ He said: ‘What is your food and drink?’ She said: ‘Our food is meat and our drink is water.’ He said: ‘O Allah, Bless their food and drink.’ The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Such is the blessing of the prayer of Ibrahīm.’ Then Ibrahīm said to Isma‘īl's wife: ‘When your husband comes back, give my regards to him and tell him that he should keep the threshold of his door firm.' When Isma‘īl came back, he asked his wife: 'Did anyone call on you?' She replied: 'Yes, a good-looking old man came to see me,' and she praised him and added: 'He asked about you, and I told him, and he asked about our livelihood and I told him that we are in a good condition.' Isma‘īl asked her: 'Did he give you any advice?' She said: 'Yes, he told me to convey his regards to you and said that you should keep firm the threshold of your door.' On that Isma‘īl said: 'That was my father, and you are the threshold (of the door). He has told me to keep you with me.' Then Ibrahīm stayed away from them for a period that lasted for as long as Allah wished and called on them after that. He saw Isma‘īl under a tree near Zamzam, sharpening his arrows. When he saw Ibrahīm, he rose up to welcome him (and they greeted each other as a father does to his son or a son does to his father). Ibrahīm said: 'O Isma‘īl, Allah has given me an order.' Ishmael said: 'Do what your Lord has ordered you to do.' Ibrahīm asked: 'Will you help me?' Isma‘īl said: 'I will help you.' Ibrahīm said: ‘Allah has ordered me to build a house here,' pointing to a hillock higher than the land surrounding it. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) added: ‘They then raised the foundations of the House. Isma‘īl was bringing the stones and Ibrahīm was building them, and when the walls were high, Isma‘īl brought this stone and placed it for Ibrahīm who stood over it and carried on building. While Isma‘īl was handing him the stones, both of them were saying: {O our Lord! Accept (this service) from us, Verily, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.} In another narration: ''Ibrahīm took Isma‘īl and the mother of Isma‘īl and went away. They had a waterskin with them containing some water. Isma‘īl's mother would drink water from the water-skin, so her milk would flow for her child. When Ibrahīm reached Makkah, he told her to stay under a tree and afterwards returned home. Isma‘īl's mother followed him, and when they reached Kadā', she called to him from behind: 'O Ibrahīm, to whom are you leaving us?' He replied: 'To Allah.' She said: 'I am pleased to be with Allah.' She returned to her place and started drinking water from the waterskin, and her milk flowed for her child. When the water had all been used up, she said to herself: 'I should go and look to see if I can see somebody.' She ascended Mount Safa and looked in vain, hoping to see somebody. When she came down to the valley, she ran until she reached Mount Marwah. She ran to and fro (between the two mountains) many times. Then she said to herself: 'I should go and see how the child is,' she went and found him in a state; on the point of dying. She could not endure to watch him dying and said (to herself): 'If I go and look, I might find somebody.' She ascended Mount Safa and looked for a long while, but could not see anybody. In this way, she completed seven rounds (running) between Safa and Marwah. Again she said (to herself): 'I should go back and see how the child is.' Suddenly she heard a voice and she said to that strange voice: 'Help us if you can offer any help.' Lo and behold, it was Jibrīl (whose voice she had heard). Jibrīl hit the earth with his heel like this, and water gushed out. Isma‘īl's mother was astonished and started scooping..."

Source · Narrated by Bukhari

From the Hadith Encyclopedia (hadeethenc.com).