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How does the Qur’an connect Abraham and Ishmael with the Kaaba in Mecca?
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Abraham
The March of Abraham, painting by József Molnár, 19th century; in the Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest.
In the Qur'an, the connection between Abraham and Ishmael and the Kaaba is established through the account that they "raised the foundations" of the shrine in Mecca.12
While the exact meaning of this phrase is considered ambiguous, many Muslims interpret it to mean that Abraham and Ishmael rebuilt a sanctuary that had been originally erected by Adam, of which only the foundations remained. According to Islamic belief, the structure was initially dedicated by Abraham and Ishmael to monotheistic worship before it later devolved into polytheistic practices, which were subsequently cleared by Muhammad when he conquered Mecca in 630 CE.13