lbn Jurayj (d. 150H/767), who was born in Mecca and had an excellent knowledge of its history, relates that the Kaaba was originally an `arish and it remained in this condition till Quraysh built the Kaaba (Abd al-Razzaq, V, 98) The term `arish is also the word used to refer to the Tabernacle which was built in the wilderness by the Children of Israel, in the time of Moses (pbuh). Implying that before the box structure of the Kaaba, it was an altar with a cloth kiswa. (Thalabi 208) The `arish of Moses (pbuh) served as the model for the mosque of the Prophet (pbuh) in al-Madina (Abd al-Razzaq, III, 154; Bayhaqi, II, 262. And see also M.J. Kister, A booth like the booth of Moses, 1962)
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 07:03:16 +0000