The Descendants of Ishmael (Peace be Upon Him)
The Prophet Ishmael (peace be upon him) married two wives. His first wife was Amara, daughter of Saad, who belonged to the giants. However, their marriage did not last, and she did not bear children. He then married his second wife, a woman named Bint Mudhaj from the Jurhum tribe, with whom he grew up in Mecca. From this union, he had a daughter whom he named Qisma, along with twelve sons, namely:
- Nabit
- Qidaar
- Azbil
- Maisha
- Mismat
- Maash
- Dawsa
- Azar
- Yatur
- Nabash
- Tayma
- Qidma
Ishmael and the Foundation of the Sacred House
After the birth of Prophet Ishmael (peace be upon him), Allah – The Exalted – caused his father Abraham’s wife, Sarah, to feel jealousy towards Ishmael’s mother and son. Consequently, she began to confront them and make their lives difficult. Eventually, Allah commanded Ibrahim to take his son and his wife and settle them near the ancient house. At that time, the area surrounding the ancient house was barren, lacking water and vegetation. However, this was a precursor to the construction of the Sacred House. Once Ishmael (peace be upon him) reached maturity, Allah commanded both Ibrahim and his son to build the Sacred Mosque, leading to the elevation of the foundations of the Kaaba. In quick obedience, Ishmael (peace be upon him) followed his father’s command, and together, they carried and stacked stones, reciting the supplication mentioned by Allah in His holy Book: (Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing).
The Hajr of Ishmael
The Hajr of Ishmael is the northern part of the Sacred Kaaba. When the Quraysh tribe rebuilt the Kaaba in their time, they faced financial difficulties that hindered the completion of the structure. As a solution, they constructed a wall in the northern area shaped like a crescent. It is noted that the Kaaba had originally been built only up to the point of the Hajr. The term “Hajr of Ishmael” is a general designation without firm religious evidence, as there were significant periods of time between the construction by the Quraysh and the building carried out by Ishmael (peace be upon him).