A person claimed that the Kaaba was built in the wrong place and that when Imam Mahdi appears, or before his appearance, the Kaaba will be destroyed and rebuilt in the correct location. Is this statement true according to Sayyid Ali Khamenei?
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1 Answer
Peace and blessings be upon you.
There is no mention in credible sources or valuable books, nor in the ancient collections we have received, of the Kaaba being destroyed by our master, the guardian, and Imam of our time (may Allah hasten his reappearance). This has led some weak-minded individuals to slander us and spread doubts about our beliefs.
This misunderstanding may have arisen from a phrase found in a weak narration according to our standards, which might have misled some into thinking that such an event would occur from him, may Allah hasten his reappearance.
The narration is as follows:
It is mentioned in the book Al-Kafi by Sheikh Al-Kulayni (may his soul rest in peace) (Al-Kafi 4 / 544):
From Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from whom he narrated, from Muhammad ibn Al-Hussein, from Wahib ibn Hafs, from Abu Basir, from Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him), who said: "When the Qa'im (the Mahdi) rises, he will return the Sacred House (the Kaaba) to its foundations, the Mosque of the Prophet to its foundations, and the Mosque of Kufa to its foundations." Abu Basir said: "To the place of the dates in the mosque."
We have two points to consider:
First Point: Chain of Narration.
The narration has a weak chain due to several issues that prevent us from accepting it.
The first issue is its being disconnected.
The second issue is the unknown status of some of its narrators, as Muhammad ibn Al-Hussein is not recognized in our books.
The same problem exists in what Sheikh Al-Tusi narrated in the book (Al-Ghaybah), page 282, with this chain: Al-Fadl ibn Shadhan, from Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Hashim, from Ali ibn Abi Hamzah, from Abu Basir.
This is a weak report due to Ali ibn Abi Hamzah, who is the head of the Waqifites, the cursed enemy of Imam Al-Ridha (peace be upon him).
Al-Ghadha'iri said: "Ali ibn Abi Hamzah, may Allah curse him, is the origin of the Waqifite sect and the most hostile creature to the Imam after Abu Ibrahim (peace be upon him)."
Our teacher Al-Majlisi, who narrated the report from the book of Al-Irshad by Al-Mufid, page 364, also reported it disconnectedly from Abu Basir.
(Note)
Even if we could theoretically overcome the issue of Ibn Hamzah by detailing what occurred before and after his deviation, we have not found a solution for the smaller issues. Therefore, the problem of the chain cannot be overlooked or ignored.
Second Point (Interpretative)
The narration at most indicates that Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance) will return the Sacred House to its foundations, the Mosque of the Prophet to its foundations, and the Mosque of Kufa to its foundations (see Al-Kafi by Al-Kulayni, vol. 4, p. 543). It suggests reconstruction, not demolition or termination.
So where did the idea of destruction come from?!
Here, we take the opportunity to deepen the answer by referring to what some scholars have suggested, saying:
Perhaps the reason for demolishing the two mosques to their foundations—assuming the authenticity of the narration—is that some aspects of the mosques were built by tyrannical rulers for show and reputation, or they were built with unlawful or usurped money, or that the Imam (peace be upon him) wants to erase the traces of the oppressors and tyrannical rulers so that they are not remembered, as mentioned in some narrations, or for other reasons.
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
And blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad and his pure family.
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