Al-Kāfi - The Book of Haj

Chapter: The First Thing of Lands that Allah Created Was the Site of the House and How Was What He First Created َّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ ٠َدَ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ ٠َرْوَانَ عَنْ عِدَّةٍ ٠ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَبِي حَ٠َالِيِّ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَ٠َسْجِدِ الْحَرَا٠ِ لأَيِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ سَ٠َّاهُ الله الْعَتِيقَ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ ٠ِنْ بَيْتٍ وَضَعَهُ الله عَلَى وَجْهِ الأَرْضِ إِلاَّ لَهُ رَبٌّ وَسُكَّانٌ يَسْكُنُونَهُ غَيْرَ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ فَإِنَّهُ لا رَبَّ لَهُ إِلاَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَهُوَ الْحُرُّ ثُ٠َّ قَالَ إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ خَلَقَهُ قَبْلَ الأَرْضِ ثُ٠َّ خَلَقَ الأَرْضَ ٠ِنْ بَعْدِهِ فَدَحَاهَا ٠5.

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ahmad from al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Marwan from a number of our people from abu Hamzah al-Thumaliy who has said the following: “I once in the sacred Masjid asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), ‘For what reason has Allah named it al-‘Atiq (freed)?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘Every house that Allah has established on earth has a master and inhabitants who live there, except this House which has no master except Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious.

This is free.’ He then said, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, created it before the earth, then He created the earth and extended it from underneath the House.’” جهول - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (7/11))