An Outline of Early Islamic History — Page 4
4 Call to Hajj Pilgrimage Abraham used to visit Hajira and Ismail often. Together, the son and the father raised the walls and laid the roof of the Holy House, the Kaaba. When the house of God was ready, Abraham prayed to the Lord to look after his child and his children’s children and great - grand children. He begged of Him to make them all His loyal servants. He also begged of Him to raise among them the Great Prophet and feed them with fruits. Then God ordered Abraham to call men to Hajj (pilgrimage) every year to the Kaaba. As ti me passed, Ismail’s children and their children grew in numbers. Their city, Mecca, became a big centre. People would come from every part of Arabia for Hajj. Ismail’s children were later known as Quresh. They were the keepers of the Holy Kaaba. They becam e rich and powerful. But in course of time, Arabs gave up the worship of one true God. They began instead to worship images. They kept their 360 tribal idols in the Holy House. The Quresh prayed to Hubal, a deity made of stone. The Quresh were much feared by their neighbours. It did not make them any better than the other Arabs. In fact they were most forward in evil ways. They drank like fish and danced and had many many wives. They even kept their widowed step - mothers as concubines. Abraha A ttacks Mecca Abraha , the Governor of Yemen, wanted to break the power of Mecca. He wished to set up another Kaaba. He came with a large army to Mecca to pull down the Holy House. His men