The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-01
The House That Rested In Shadow
BY C. f. MARKELL

Kaaba. Abraham found his son upon
a mountain engaged in making arrows
and took him with him to Mecca. where
they began their work.
Now, the patriarch was by no means
an architect, but God sent a cloud the
exact size of the Kaaba and its shadow
marked upon the earth the outlines OF
the building, and at the same time af-
forded them shade as they worked.
This is, however, tradition that the
serpent, proverbial for it's wisdom, in
structed the two men as to the proper
tions of the edifce The trenches which
were to receive the foundations were as
deep as man is tall, and when they
had reached the surface of the earth the
two men cut stones out of the neigh
boring rocks for the walls of the struc-
ture Ishmael handed the stones to
Abraham, who placed them in position.
When the walls rose beyond reach
Abraham used another stone to stand
upon, and on it he left his footprint.
which Is still to be seen in the mosque
and is known as the Makam Ibrahin1.
When the temple was built God sent
Gabriel to instruct Abraham in all the
rites of pilgrimage, and how to visit
Nina and Mount Arafat, where Adam
first met Eve after the fall, and how
co go professionally around the Kaaba,
dress, to make sacrifice, to shave the
head, to visit the holy places and, in
fact, all that pertains to the pilgrimage.
When Abraham was ready to return TO
Syria he placed the temple In the care or
his son lshmael and going to the top of
high mountain he cried out aloud. "Oh,
men, God has built you house and He
calls you to visit it, Then all men,
women and the children yet unborn an
swered from every quarter of the world,
I'VE will visit it."
In the Kaaba was placed two gazelles
of solid gold and the black stone which
had once been an angel in paradise, bur
has since turned black from the tears
of pilgrims shed on account of sin. The
gazelles and the stone had lain for a
long time In the well of Zemzem, the
fountain which God had caused to spring
up and quench the thirst of Hagarz when
she had been driven into sthe desert by
Sarah.
This well had been choked up and
nearly forgotten until the time of Abdul
Motalleb, the grandfather of Mohom-
med. This man was directed by mys-
terious voice to look for the well and
upon asking where he should search, was
told to dig where he saw a magpie peck
ing in the ground and turning up ants
The spot where the bird was discov-
cred so engaged was near two idols called
Assaf and Nailah and the Koraischites to
whom they belonged objected to their
being disturbed. But Abd-el- Motalleh
called his 10 sons to assist him and vowed
If God would show him the water he
would make a sacrifice of one of his sons
He found the water, the gazelles of gold
and the black stone. Then he summoned
his children before him and told them
of his vow He drew lots as to which
one of them should die and the choice fell
upon Abd-Allah, the son which he loved
best of all This son was the father OF
Mohammed and his mothers family
would not permit him to be sacrificed In
this dilemma Abd-el-Motalleb consulted
the Jewish astronomers who said, &c
and put on one side your child, and on
the other your camel and draw the lot
If the lot fall on Abd-Allah, add a sec
ond camel to the first and draw again
and continue adding camels till the lot