Al-Qur'an Surah Ali 'Imran Verse 96

Mufti Taqi Usmani

The first house set up for the people is surely the one in Makkah having blessings and guidance for all the worlds.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Surely the first House ˹of worship˺ established for humanity is the one at Bakkah—a blessed sanctuary and a guide for ˹all˺ people.

Ruwwad Translation Center

The first House [of worship] established for mankind was the one at Bakkah [Makkah], full of blessings and guidance for the worlds.

A. J. Arberry

The first House established for the people was that at Bekka, a place holy, and a guidance to all beings.

Abdul Haleem

The first House [of worship] to be established for people was the one at Mecca. It is a blessed place; a source of guidance for all people;

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Verily the first House set apart unto mankind was that at Bakka, blest, and a guidance unto the worlds.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The first House (of worship) appointed for men was that at Bakka; Full of blessing and of guidance for all kinds of beings;

Abul Ala Maududi

Behold, the first House (of Prayer) established for mankind is the one at Bakkah: it is full of blessing and a centre of guidance for the whole world.

Ahmed Ali

The first House of God to be set up for men was at Bakkah the blessed, a guidance for the people of the world.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Indeed the first house that was appointed as a place of worship for mankind, is the one at Mecca (the Holy Ka’aba), blessed and a guidance to the whole world;

Ali Quli Qarai

Indeed the first house to be set up for mankind is the one at Bakkah, blessed and a guidance for all nations.

Ali Ünal

Behold, the first House (of Prayer) established for humankind is the one at Bakkah (Makkah), a blessed place and a (center or focus of) guidance for all peoples.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Verily, the first House founded for the good of mankind is the one at Bakkah (- the valley of Makkah). (It is the House) full of blessings and a means of guidance for all the peoples.

English Literal

That (the) first House/Home was raised to the people, (is) which (E) (is) with (in) Bekka , blessed and guidance, to the creations altogether/(universes).39

Faridul Haque

Indeed the first house that was appointed as a place of worship for mankind, is the one at Mecca (the Holy Ka’aba), blessed and a guidance to the whole world;

Hamid S. Aziz

Therein are manifest signs - Abraham´s station, and whoever enters it is safe. It is a duty to Allah for man to make the pilgrimage unto the House, for whoever can find his way there (or can afford it). But whoever disbelieves - Allah is Independent (not needful) of all creatures (or worlds).

Hilali & Khan

Verily, the first House (of worship) appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah (Makkah), full of blessing, and a guidance for Al-'Alamin (the mankind and jinns).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Say: Allah speaks the truth; so follow the religion of Abraham, the upright one. And he was not one of the polytheists.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Most surely the first house appointed for men is the one at Bekka, blessed and a guidance for the nations.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Lo! the first Sanctuary appointed for mankind was that at Becca, a blessed place, a guidance to the peoples;

Muhammad Sarwar

The first house (of worship) that God assigned to men was in Bakka (another name of Mecca). It is a blessed one and a guide for all people.

Qaribullah & Darwish

The first House ever to be built for people was that at Bakkah (Mecca) blessed and a guidance for the worlds.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Verily, the first House (of worship) appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah (Makkah), full of blessing, and a guidance for Al-`Alamin (mankind and Jinn).

Wahiduddin Khan

The first House to be built for mankind was the one at Bakkah [Makkah]. It is a blessed place; a source of guidance for the whole world.

Talal Itani

The first house established for mankind is the one at Bekka; blessed, and guidance for all people.

Tafsir jalalayn

When they said, `Our direction of prayer (qibla) came before yours', the following was revealed; The first house, for worship, established for the people, on earth, was that at Bakka (a variant of Makka [Mecca], so called because it `crushes' [tabukku] the necks of tyrants); it was built by the angels before the creation of Adam, and after it the Aqs [in Jerusalem] was built, a period of forty years separating them, as reported in the hadth of the two Sahhs [sc. of al-Bukhr and Muslim], and in the hadth [that states]; `The first thing to appear on the surface of the water, at the creation of the heavens and the earth, was a white foam, underneath which the earth was unrolled'; a blessed place (mubrakan, a circumstantial qualifier referring to la'lladh, `that') meaning a place of blessings, and a guidance to all worlds, because it is their qibla.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Ka`bah is the First House of Worship

Allah said,

إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ

Verily, the first House appointed for mankind,

for all people, for their acts of worship and religious rituals. They go around the House (in Tawaf), pray in its vicinity and remain in its area in Itikaf.

لَلَّذِي بِبَكَّةَ

was that at Bakkah,

meaning, the Ka`bah that was built by Ibrahim Al-Khalil, whose religion the Jews and Christians claim they follow. However, they do not perform Hajj to the house that Ibrahim built by Allah's command, and to which he invited the people to perform Hajj.

Allah said next,
.
مُبَارَكًا

full of blessing,

sanctified.

وَهُدًى لِّلْعَالَمِينَ



and a guidance for Al-Alamin.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Dharr said;

"I said, `O Allah's Messenger! Which Masjid was the first to be built on the surface of the earth?'

He said, `Al-Masjid Al-Haram (in Makkah).'

I said, `Which was built next?'

He replied `Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem).'

I said, `What was the period of time between building the two?'

He said, `Forty years.'

He added,

ثُمَّ حَيْثُ أَدْرَكْتَ الصَّلَةَ فَصَلِّ فَكُلُّهَا مَسْجِد

Wherever (you may be, and) the prayer becomes due, perform the prayer there, for the whole earth was made a Masjid."

Al-Bukhari and Muslim also collected this Hadith.
The Names of Makkah, Such As `Bakkah

Allah said,

لَلَّذِي بِبَكَّةَ

was that at Bakkah,

where Bakkah is one of the names of Makkah.

Bakkah means, `it brings Buka' (crying, weeping) to the tyrants and arrogant, meaning they cry and become humble in its vicinity.

It was also said that;

Makkah was called Bakkah because people do Buka next to it, meaning they gather around it.

There are many names for Makkah, such as;
Bakkah,
Al-Bayt Al-Atiq (the Ancient House),
Al-Bayt Al-Haram (the Sacred House),
Al-Balad Al-Amin (the City of Safety) and
Al-Ma'mun (Security).

Makkah's names include
Umm Rahm (Mother of Mercy),
Umm Al-Qura (Mother of the Towns),
Salah, (as well as others).
The Station of Ibrahim

Allah's statement