Makkah
Hijr Isma'il, also called al-Hatim, is the semicircular area enclosed by a low curved wall on the north-west side of the Ka'bah. It takes its name from Nabi…
Hijr Isma'il, also called al-Hatim, is the semicircular area enclosed by a low curved wall on the north-west side of the Ka'bah. It takes its name from Nabi Isma'il, who lived beside the House with his mother Sayyida Hajar. Part of it lies within the original foundations of the Ka'bah laid by Nabi Ibrahim, which Quraysh left outside the walls when they rebuilt the House shortly before the prophethood because their funds ran short. Because it is part of the House, tawaf is made around it, and praying within it counts as praying inside the Ka'bah. The low marble wall, about 1.3 metres high, has an opening at each end through which visitors enter, and the golden rainspout of the Ka'bah, the Mizab al-Rahmah, empties into it from the roof above.