The first house established for the people was that at Bakka a blessed place and a guidance to all the worlds. Therein are clear signs the station of Abraham; and whoever enters it is secure. It is the duty of people toward God to make the pilgrimage to the House if he is able to make his way there. As for the one who disbelieves God is independent of all the worlds. The House is a bit of stone ḥajara and the servant is a bit of mud madara. The bit of mud is bonded to the bit of stone rabaṬa al-madara bi-l-ḥajara so that mud madar is with stone ḥajar and the One who has always been is magnified and sanctified. It is said that the House is the object of the circumambulation of bodily selves nufūs while the Real سبحانه is the object of the quest of hearts qulūb. The House consists of the remains and traces [of the past]. These are but relics and stones yet These traces of ours point to us. So after we [are gone] look to the traces. It is said that the House is stone but not all stone is alike. [It is] stone but it causes the hearts of the lovers to awaken muzʿij and the souls of the poor fuqarāÌ to leap munfij. Indeed for the hearts of some it is cooling and pleasant muthlij wa-mubhij and for the hearts of others [it is] stimulating and arousing munfij wa-muzʿij. [What people see in the House depends on the] different types [of people]: A House that is a place you go to seek out your loved ones and visit them mazār [or] where you hear news akhbār of them and see the traces āthār [of their having been there]. A House-whoever looks to it with the eye of separation returns with an innermost self laid waste kharāb. Whoever observes it with the eye of connection wins every approach and approval ījāb. As it is said: Truly houses even when they are silent have a pact with Our lovers since they stop at them. A House-whoever visits it with his bodily self finds His kindnesses and whoever visits it with his heart finds His unveilings. It is said that He said “and purify My House” [2:125 and 22:26] attrib- uting it to Himself.
