Pictures of Maqam Ibrahim

 وَإِذْجَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْناً وَاتَّخِذُواْ مِن
مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى وَعَهِدْنَا إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيم
وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْعَاكِفِينَ
وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ  2:125

Remember We made the House a place of assembly for men and a place of
safety; and take ye the station of Abraham as a place of prayer; and We
covenanted with Abraham and Isma'il, that they should sanctify My House
for those who compass it round, or use it as a retreat, or bow, or
prostrate themselves (therein in prayer).  [Surah Albaqarah] 

[95 Say: Allah has spoken the truth, therefore follow the religion of Ibrahim, the upright one; and he was not one of the polytheists.

96 Most surely the first house appointed for men is the one at Bekka, blessed and a guidance for the nations.

97 In it are clear signs, the standing place of Ibrahim, and whoever enters it shall be secure, and pilgrimage to the House is incumbent upon men for the sake of Allah, (upon) every one who is able to undertake the journey to it; and whoever disbelieves, then surely Allah is Self-sufficient, above any need of the worlds.

98 Say: O followers of the Book! why do you disbelieve in the communications of Allah? And Allah is a witness of what you do.

99 Say: O followers of the Book! why do you hinder him who believes from the way of Allah? You seek (to make) it crooked, while you are witness, and Allah is not heedless of what you do.

100 O you who believe! if you obey a party from among those who have been given the Book, they will turn you back as unbelievers after you have believed.

101 But how can you disbelieve while it is you to whom the communications of Allah are recited, and among you is His Apostle? And whoever holds fast to Allah, he indeed is guided to the right path.

102 O you who believe! be careful of (your duty to) Allah with the care which is due to Him, and do not die unless you are Muslims.

103 And hold fast by the covenant of Allah all together and be not disunited, and remember the favor of Allah on you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts so by His favor you became brethren; and you were on the brink of a pit of fire, then He saved you from it, thus does Allah make clear to you His communications that you may follow the right way.

104 And from among you there should be a party who invite to good and enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong, and these it is that shall be successful.

105 And be not like those who became divided and disagreed after clear arguments had come to them, and these it is that shall have a grievous chastisement.

106 On the day when (some) faces shall turn white and (some) faces shall turn black; then as to those whose faces turn black: Did you disbelieve after your believing? Taste therefore the chastisement because you disbelieved.

107 And as to those whose faces turn white, they shall be in Allah's mercy; in it they shall-abide.

108 These are the communications of Allah which We recite to you with truth, and Allah does not desire any injustice to the creatures.

109 And whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is Allah's; and to Allah all things return

110 You are the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah; and if the followers of the Book had believed it would have been better for them; of them (some) are believers and most of them are transgressors.

111 They shall by no means harm you but with a slight evil; and if they fight with you they shall turn (their) backs to you, then shall they not be helped.] The Holy Quran , Chapter : Aal-e-Imran

What is Maqam-e-ibrahim?

(10) Narrated

Ibn Abbas: When Abraham had differences with his wife), (because of her
jealousy of Hajar, Ishmael's mother), he took Ishmael and his mother
and went away. They had a water-skin with them containing some water,
Ishmael's mother used to drink water from the water-skin so that her
milk would increase for her child. When Abraham reached Mecca, he made
her sit under a tree and afterwards returned home. Ishmael's mother
followed him, and when they reached Kada', she called him from behind,
'O Abraham! To whom are you leaving us?' He replied, '(I am leaving you)
to Allah's (Care).' She said, 'I am satisfied to be with Allah.' She
returned to her place and started drinking water from the water-skin,
and her milk increased for her child. When the water had all been used
up, she said to herself, 'I'd better go and look so that I may see
somebody.' She ascended the Safa mountain and looked, hoping to see
somebody, but in vain. When she came down to the valley, she ran till
she reached the Marwa mountain. She ran to and fro (between the two
mountains) many times. They she said to herself, 'i'd better go and see
the state of the child,' she went and found it in a state of one on the
point of dying. She could not endure to watch it dying and said (to
herself), 'If I go and look, I may find somebody.' She went and ascended
the Safa mountain and looked for a long while but could not find
anybody. Thus she completed seven rounds (of running) between Safa and
Marwa. Again she said (to herself), 'I'd better go back and see the
state of the child.' But suddenly she heard a voice, and she said to
that strange voice, 'Help us if you can offer any help.' Lo! It was
Gabriel (who had made the voice). Gabriel hit the earth with his heel
like this (Ibn 'Abbas hit the earth with his heel to Illustrate it), and
so the water gushed out. Ishmael's mother was astonished and started
digging. (Abu Al-Qasim) (i.e. the Prophet) said, "If she had left the
water, (flow naturally without her intervention), it would have been
flowing on the surface of the earth.") Ishmael's mother started drinking
from the water and her milk increased for her child . Afterwards some
people of the tribe of Jurhum, while passing through the bottom of the
valley, saw some birds, and that astonished them, and they said, 'Birds
can only be found at a place where there is water.' They sent a
messenger who searched the place and found the water, and returned to
inform them about it. Then they all went to her and said, 'O ishmael's
mother! Will you allow us to be with you (or dwell with you)?' (And thus
they stayed there.) Later on her boy reached the age of puberty and
married a lady from them. Then an idea occurred to Abraham which he
disclosed to his wife (Sarah), 'I want to call on my dependents I left
(at Mecca).' When he went there, he greeted (Ishmael's wife) and said,
'Where is Ishmael?' She replied, 'He has gone out hunting.' Abraham said
(to her), 'When he comes, tell him to change the threshold of his
gate.' When he came, she told him the same whereupon Ishmael said to
her, 'You are the threshold, so go to your family (i.e. you are
divorced).' Again Abraham thought of visiting his dependents whom he had
left (at Mecca), and he told his wife (Sarah) of his intentions.
Abraham came to Ishmael's house and asked. "Where is Ishmael?" Ishmael's
wife replied, "He has gone out hunting," and added, "Will you stay (for
some time) and have something to eat and drink?' Abraham asked, 'What
is your food and what is your drink?' She replied, 'Our food is meat and
our drink is water.' He said, 'O Allah! Bless their meals and their
drink." Abu Al-Qa-sim (i.e. Prophet) said, "Because of Abraham's
invocation there are blessings (in Mecca)." Once more Abraham thought of
visiting his family he had left (at Mecca), so he told his wife (Sarah)
of his decision. He went and found Ishmael behind the Zam-zam well,
mending his arrows. He said, "O Ishmael, Your Lord has ordered me to
build a house for Him." Ishmael said, "Obey (the order of) your Lord."
Abraham said, "Allah has also ordered me that you should help me
therein." Ishmael said, "Then I will do." So, both of them rose and
Abraham started building (the Ka'ba) while Ishmael went on handing him
the stones, and both of them were saying, "O our Lord ! Accept (this
service) from us, Verily, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing."
(2.127). When the building became high and the old man (i.e. Abraham)
could no longer lift the stones (to such a high position), he stood over
the stone of Al-maqam and Ishmael
carried on handing him the stones, and both of them were saying, 'O our
Lord! Accept (this service) from us, Verily You are All-Hearing,
All-Knowing." (2.127)
 (Bukhari : Book #55, Hadith #584)

Narrated Ibn Umar: The Prophet reached Mecca, circumambulated the Kaba seven times and then offered a two Rakat prayer behind maqam ibrahim. Then he went towards the Safa. 

Allah has said, "Verily, in Allah's Apostle you have a good example."
 (Book #26, Hadith #693)

Photographs: Ibn Hanif