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Jabal Abu Qubais is one of the oldest mountains of the Arabian Peninsula. According to Islamic tradition, it is the first mountain that Allah is said to have created on Earth. It rises directly east of the Kaaba, only a few hundred metres from the Sacred Mosque.
According to the classical chroniclers, during the Flood of Nuh عليه السلام, the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad) was hidden inside Jabal Abu Qubais to protect it from the waters. When Ibrahim and Isma'il عليهما السلام rebuilt the Kaaba, the angel Jibreel came down from this mountain to bring them the Black Stone.
The miracle of the splitting of the moon (Shaqq al-Qamar) is one of the major prophetic signs. When the people of Makkah asked the Prophet ﷺ for a sign, the moon split in two before everyone's eyes. In the Sahih, Ibn Mas'ud رضي الله عنه reports that one half was above the mountain and the other was hidden by it; some narrations outside the Sahih name Jabal Abu Qubais, others Hira.
> "The Hour has come near, and the moon has split. And if they see a sign, they turn away and say: 'Passing magic.'"
Quran 54:1-2 · Sahih al-Bukhari no. 3636 · Sahih Muslim no. 2802
The mountain is today largely built over. At its summit stand the Saudi royal palaces. Climbing it freely is no longer possible today because of the modern constructions.