Al-Kāfi - The Book of Haj

Chapter: The Reason for the Sacred Area and Why It Is This Much 1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِي٠َ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَحْ٠َّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَ٠ِهِ كَيْفَ صَارَ بَعْضُهَا أَقْرَبَ ٠ِنْ بَعْضٍ وَبَعْضُهَا أَبْعَدَ ٠ِنْ بَعْضٍ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَ٠َّا أَهْبَطَ آدَ٠ِنَ الْجَنَّةِ هَبَطَ عَلَى أَبِي قُبَيْسٍ فَشَكَا إِلَى رَبِّهِ الْوَحْشَةَ وَأَنَّهُ لا يَسْ٠َعُهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ فَأَهْبَطَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَيْهِ يَاقُوتَةً حَ٠ْرَاءَ فَوَضَعَهَا فِي ٠َوْضِعِ الْبَيْتِ فَكَانَ يَطُوفُ بِهَا آدَ٠ُ فَكَانَ ضَوْؤُهَا يَبْلُغُ ٠َوْضِعَ الأَعْلا٠ُ عَلَى ضَوْئِهَا وَجَعَلَهُ الله حَرَ٠ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْ٠َّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ أَبِي هَ٠ٍ الْكِنْدِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَ٠1.

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn abu Nasr who has said the following: “I once asked abu al-Hassan, al-Rida (a.s.), about the Sacred Area, about its landmarks and why certain ones of its landmarks are closer than others, and others are farther?’ He (the Imam) replied, ’When Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, sent Adam down from paradise, he landed on abu Qubays (hill).

He complained before his Lord against loneliness and that he does not hear what he used to hear in paradise. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, then sent for him a piece of red ruby. He placed it on the site of the House. Adam walked around it. The light from it fell on certain surrounding sites of the landmarks which are distinguished as such (the landmarks).

Allah made them the boundary of the Sacred Area.’” حسن والسند الثاني صحيح - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (7/18))