Al-jawab billahi at-taufeeq (the answer with Allah's guidance)
More than five thousand years ago today, the father of the prophets, prophet Ibraham (Alaihis Salam) the Upright (Haneef), had built the present structure of the Ka’bah under Allah’s own orders. He (Alaihis Salam) had built it along with his youthful son, Ishmael (Alaihis Salam), forefather of the Arabs. This is how the Qur'an describes their building it together: "And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) and (his son) Isma'il (Ishmael) were raising the foundations of the House (the Ka'bah) at Makkah, ( saying), ‘Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily! You are the All-Hearer, all Knower.’" ( Qur’an 2:127).
When raised to a certain height, Ibraham (Alaihis Salam) ordered his son to choose a piece of stone to mark the main cornerpoint. Even as the lad was searching for it, the Archangel Jibrail (Gabriel) appeared with the Black Stone from Heaven.
Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: "The Black stone descended from heaven, when it was whiter than Milk, but people’s sins have blackened it". (Tirmidhi, Kitab Al-Hajj, the Black stone)
Ibraham (Alaihis Salam) took it up and fitted it in, and there it stands up to this day. It is a heavenly stone, then, and not an earthly one. It was selected by Allah Ta'ala for His Holy House (the Ka'bah).
