It is a holy stone that is present a few yards away from the Holy Ka’bah. It is the same stone that Sayyiduna Ibraheem علیہ السلام would step upon to complete the construction of the walls of the Holy Ka’bah when the walls became higher than his head. It is a miracle of Sayyiduna Ibraheem علیہ السلام that the stone became as soft as wax and the blessed foot-prints of Sayyiduna Ibraheem علیہ السلام got engraved in it. By virtue of printed blessed feet of Sayyiduna Ibraheem علیہ السلام , Allah dignified and blessed this stone to such an extent that He has mentioned its significance twice in the Holy Quran. In one of the Quranic verse, it is mentioned:
(Part 4, Surah Aal-e-‘Imran, verse 97)
Meaning, in the Holy Ka’bah there are many open heavenly signs and one of the major sign is ‘Maqaam-e-Ibraheem’. On another place in the Holy Quran Allah has described the dignity of this stone as under:
And take the standing place of Ibraheem, a station for prayer. [Kanz-ul-Iman (Translation of Quran)] (Part 1, Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 125)
The blessed footprints of Sayyiduna Ibraheem علیہ السلام are present on this heavenly stone since last four thousand years. This stone is present uncovered under the open sky. Four thousand rainy seasons have showered over this stone, thousand of winds and storms have passed over this stone. Heavy rains and floods took place in the sacred vicinity of the Ka’bah. Millions of people swept their hands on it, but despite all this, the marks of the blessed footprints of Sayyiduna Ibraheem علیہ السلام are still apparent upon it which is undoubtedly a wonderful and magnificent miracle of Sayyiduna Ibraheem علیہ السلام .
This stone is undoubtedly a heavenly sign amongst the several other open signs of Allah . Allah has commanded all the Muslims that after Tawaf of His sacred home (the Holy Ka’bah), offer two Rak’aat (cycles) of Salah near this very stone. Although you people may offer Salah for Me and prostrate for Me but it is My pleasure that at the time of prostration, your foreheads touch the ground near this sacred stone that holds the blessed footprints of my beloved Sayyiduna Ibraheem علیہ السلام .
Moral: Dear Islamic brothers! From the dignity and reverence awarded to Maqaam-e-Ibraheem, we get the lesson that any place which preserves any monument of the chosen people of Allah is very sacred and honourable in the court of Allah . Furthermore, the worship performed near such sacred places is more virtuous in the court of Allah .
Now look into the fact that Maqaam-e-Ibraheem is so sacred and reverential due to its contextual attachment with the footprints of Sayyiduna Ibraheem علیہ السلام , then how reverential would be the holy grave of the Greatest and the Holiest Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم where there are not only signs and marks of the Beloved and Blessed Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم but his whole blessed body is present there. By the virtue of his blessed presence, even each and every particle of Madinah has become reverential.
O the Muslims! If only these verses of the Holy Quran may invoke true reverence of the blessed grave in the hearts of the people! May they prevent from falling victim to the satanic temptations, going astray by disrespecting and practicing offensive conducts towards the blessed grave and may they not invite severe torment of Hell for themselves! If only the Najdis and Wahabis may learn open lesson contained in these Quranic verses as they use to show a disrespectful attitude towards the blissful grave by falsely calling it a ‘heap of dust’ and plot their evil plans of demolishing the Grand Green Dome and tend to abolish the blessed grave! (نعوذباللہ منہ)