Saudi Gazette report

 

MAKKAH — Arabic Language Professor at Umm Al-Qura University Abdulaziz Al-Harby has proposed that the location of Maqam Ibrahim (Prophet Ibrahim’s place of standing) be shifted from the middle of the circumambulation area to its outer edges to make room for pilgrims, Makkah daily reported.



Al-Harby said there isn’t any Islamic text stating that the location of Maqam Ibrahim is fixed and cannot be moved. “It was moved to where it is today as it used to be closer to the Kaaba,” said Al-Harby.



Researcher and Consultant at the Qur’an and Sunnah Research Center Ahmad Bin Qassim Al-Ghamdi said there is evidence that the monument was moved to where it is today by Omar Bin Al-Khattab to facilitate the expansion of the Grand Mosque.



Haj Research Center founder and renowned architect Sami Angawi said the monument is the last untouched structure in the Grand Mosque.



Journalist and author Faez Jamal is against relocating Maqam Ibrahim. “The monument never stood as an obstacle to pilgrims circumambulating around the Kaaba. What needs to be done is to regulate praying behind it as pilgrims start to clutter and restrict movement of other worshipers,” said Jamal. Engineer Jamal Shaqdar said relocating Maqam Ibrahim will affect the entire Islamic world and not just Saudi Arabia.

 

“The current location of the monument is actually quite strategic in crowd management. We should make use of this and conduct a strategic study on crowd management and facilitate pilgrim movement accordingly,” said Shaqdar.



The Haj Research Center conducted a study on the movement of pilgrims in the circumambulation area. The study monitored the obstruction caused by Maqam Ibrahim, the Black Stone, Ismael’s Stone, the Yamani corner of the Kaaba, the Al-Multazim corner of the Kaaba, the starting point of the circumambulation area and the Zamzam entrance. The study showed that Maqam Ibrahim does not pose any obstacle to pilgrims. It is the behavior of some pilgrims who insist on praying right behind the monument or standing by it for too long that causes crowding.  “Interested readers can look into the entire study on the website www.hajjbook.info,” said Angawi.