side of Al-Ka‘bah which is called Al-Hijr or Al-Hateem. They raised its door two metres from the level  ground to let in only the people whom they desired. When the structure was fifteen yards high they  erected the roof which rested on six columns.
When the building of Al-Ka‘bah had finished, it assumed a square form fifteen metres high. The side  with the Black Stone and the one opposite were ten metres long each. The Black Stone was 1.50  metre  from the circumambulation level ground. The two other sides were twelve metres long each. The door  was two metres high from the level ground. A building structure of 0.25 metre high and 0.30 metre  wide on the average surrounded Al-Ka‘bah. It was called Ash-Shadherwan, originally an integral part  of  the Sacred Sanctuary, but Quraish left it out.
A RAPID REVIEW OF MUHAMMAD'S BIOGRAPHY BEFORE COMMISSIONING OF THE
PROPHETHOOD:
Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was, in his youth, a combination of the best social  attributes.
He was an exemplary man of weighty mind and faultless insight. He was favoured with intelligence,  originality of thought and accurate choice of the means leading to accurate goals. His long silence  helped favourably in his habit of meditation and deep investigation into the truth. His vivid mind and  pure nature were helpfully instrumental in assimilating and comprehending ways of life and people,  individual and community-wise. He shunned superstitious practices but took an active part in  constructive and useful dealings, otherwise, he would have recourse to his self-consecrated solitude.
He  kept himself aloof from drinking wine, eating meat slaughtered on stone altars, or attending idolatrous  festivals. He held the idols in extreme aversion and most abhorrence. He could never tolerate  someone  swearing by Al-Lat and Al-‘Uzza. Allâh’s providence, no doubts, detached him from all abominable or  evil practices. Even when he tried to obey his instinct to enjoy some life pleasures or follow some  irrespectable traditions, Allâh’s providence intervened to curb any lapse in this course. Ibn Al-Atheer  reported Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as saying: “I have never tried to do what my people do  except for two times. Every time Allâh intervened and checked me from doing so and I never did that  again. Once I told my fellow-shepherd to take care of my sheep when we were in the upper part of
Makkah. I wanted to go down to Makkah and entertain myself as the young men did. I went down to  the first house of Makkah where I heard music. I entered and asked: ‘What is this?’ Someone  answered: ‘It is a wedding party.’ I sat down and listened but soon went into deep sleep. I was  awakened by the heat of the sun. I went back to my fellow-shepherd and told him of what had  happened to me. I have never tried it again.”
Al-Bukhari reported on the authority of Jabir bin ‘Abdullah that he said: “While the people were  rebuilding Al-Ka‘bah, the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) went with ‘Abbas to carry some  stones. ‘Abbas said: ‘Put your loincloth round your neck to protect you from the stones.’ (As he did  that) the Prophet (Peace be upon him) fell to the ground and his eyes turned skyward. Later on he  woke up and shouted: ‘My loincloth... my loincloth.’ He wrapped himself in his loincloth.” In another  report: “His loins were never seen afterwards.”
The authorities agree in ascribing to the youth of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) modesty of  deportment, virtuous behaviour and graceful manners. He proved himself to be the ideal of manhood,  and to possess a spotless character. He was the most obliging to his compatriots, the most honest in  his talk and the mildest in temper. He was the most gentle-hearted, chaste, hospitable and always  impressed people by his piety-inspiring countenance. He was the most truthful and the best to keep  covenant. His fellow-citizens, by common consent, gave him the title of Al-‘Ameen (trustworthy). The
Mother of believers, Khadijah (May Allah be pleased with her) once said: He unites uterine relations,  he  helps the poor and the needy, he entertains the guests and endures hardships in the path of  truthfulness.