What Happened to Abu Wahb during the Rebuilding

When Quraysh had resolved to demolish and rebuild the Ka‘bah, Abu Wahb ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘A’idh ibn ‘Abd ibn ‘Imran ibn Makhzum stood up. Ibn Hisham gives the name as ‘A’idh ibn ‘Imran ibn Makhzum. Abu Wahb took a stone from the Ka‘bah, but it leapt from his hand and returned to its place. He said, “O Quraysh, do not put into its construction anything except what is good and lawful. Let no dowry earned through fornication enter it, no usurious sale, and no one’s unjustly taken property.” People attribute these words to al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah ibn Abdullah ibn ‘Umar ibn Makhzum. Ibn Ishaq said: Abdullah ibn Abi Najih al-Makki told me, from a report he had heard from Abdullah ibn Safwan ibn Umayyah ibn Khalaf, that he saw a son of Ja‘dah ibn Hubayrah ibn Abi Wahb circumambulating the House. When he asked about the boy, he was told, “This is a son of Ja‘dah ibn Hubayrah.” Abdullah ibn Safwan said, “His grandfather—Abu Wahb—was the one who took a stone from the Ka‘bah when Quraysh had resolved to demolish it. It leapt from his hand and returned to its place. He then said, ‘O Quraysh, put into its construction only what is good and lawful. Do not put into it a dowry earned through fornication, a usurious sale, or anyone’s unjustly taken property.’”

[1] Another report says: “Do not put into the expenses of this House anything taken by force, do not sever kinship through it, and do not violate anyone’s covenant with you.” [2] Dhuwa’ib means the highest or noblest parts; here it refers to noble lineages.