I asked the Prophet ﷺ whether the round wall (near Kaʿba) was part of the Kaʿba. The Prophet ﷺ replied in the affirmative. I further said, "What is wrong with them, why have they not included it in the building of the Kaʿba?" He said, "Don't you see that your people (Quraish) ran short of money (so they could not include it inside the building of Kaʿba)?" I asked, "What about its gate? Why is it so high?" He replied, "Your people did this so as to admit into it whomever they liked and prevent whomever they liked. Were your people not close to the Pre-Islamic Period of ignorance (i.e. they have recently embraced Islam) and were I not afraid that they would dislike it, surely I would have included the (area of the) wall inside the building of the Kaʿba and I would have lowered its gate to the level of the ground."  

سَأَلْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ عَنِ الْجَدْرِ أَمِنَ الْبَيْتِ هُوَ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ فَمَا لَهُمْ لَمْ يُدْخِلُوهُ فِي الْبَيْتِ قَالَ إِنَّ قَوْمَكِ قَصَّرَتْ بِهِمُ النَّفَقَةُ قُلْتُ فَمَا شَأْنُ بَابِهِ مُرْتَفِعًا قَالَ فَعَلَ ذَلِكِ قَوْمُكِ لِيُدْخِلُوا مَنْ شَاءُوا وَيَمْنَعُوا مَنْ شَاءُوا وَلَوْلاَ أَنَّ قَوْمَكِ حَدِيثٌ عَهْدُهُمْ بِالْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَأَخَافُ أَنْ تُنْكِرَ قُلُوبُهُمْ أَنْ أُدْخِلَ الْجَدْرَ فِي الْبَيْتِ وَأَنْ أُلْصِقَ بَابَهُ بِالأَرْضِ  

I asked the Prophet ﷺ about the wall (outside the Kaʿba). "Is it regarded as part of the Kaʿba?" He replied, "Yes." I said, "Then why didn't the people include it in the Kaʿba?" He said, "(Because) your people ran short of money." I asked, "Then why is its gate so high?" He replied, ''Your people did so in order to admit to it whom they would and forbid whom they would. Were your people not still close to the period of ignorance, and were I not afraid that their hearts might deny my action, then surely I would include the wall in the Kaʿba and make its gate touch the ground."  

سَأَلْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ عَنِ الْجَدْرِ أَمِنَ الْبَيْتِ هُوَ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ فَمَا لَهُمْ لَمْ يُدْخِلُوهُ فِي الْبَيْتِ قَالَ إِنَّ قَوْمَكِ قَصَّرَتْ بِهِمُ النَّفَقَةُ قُلْتُ فَمَا شَأْنُ بَابِهِ مُرْتَفِعًا قَالَ فَعَلَ ذَاكِ قَوْمُكِ لِيُدْخِلُوا مَنْ شَاءُوا وَيَمْنَعُوا مَنْ شَاءُوا لَوْلاَ أَنَّ قَوْمَكِ حَدِيثٌ عَهْدُهُمْ بِالْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَأَخَافُ أَنْ تُنْكِرَ قُلُوبُهُمْ أَنْ أُدْخِلَ الْجَدْرَ فِي الْبَيْتِ وَأَنْ أُلْصِقَ بَابَهُ فِي الأَرْضِ  

I asked Messenger of Allah ﷺ about the wall, circumpassing the House (i. e. whether the wall on the side of Hijr was included in the Ka'ba). He said, Yes. I said: Then why did they not include it in the House? He said: 'Your people ran short of the means (to do so). I said: Why is it that the level of its door is raised high? He said: Your people did it so that they should admit one whom they liked, and forbid him whom they disliked, and if your people were not new converts to faith, and I did not apprehend that their hearts would feel agitated at this. I would have definitely included (the area of) this wall-in the House and would have brought the door to the level of the ground.  

سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنِ الْجَدْرِ أَمِنَ الْبَيْتِ هُوَ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ فَلِمَ لَمْ يُدْخِلُوهُ فِي الْبَيْتِ قَالَ إِنَّ قَوْمَكِ قَصَّرَتْ بِهِمُ النَّفَقَةُ قُلْتُ فَمَا شَأْنُ بَابِهِ مُرْتَفِعًا قَالَ فَعَلَ ذَلِكِ قَوْمُكِ لِيُدْخِلُوا مَنْ شَاءُوا وَيَمْنَعُوا مَنْ شَاءُوا وَلَوْلاَ أَنَّ قَوْمَكِ حَدِيثٌ عَهْدُهُمْ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَأَخَافَ أَنْ تُنْكِرَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لَنَظَرْتُ أَنْ أُدْخِلَ الْجَدْرَ فِي الْبَيْتِ وَأَنْ أُلْزِقَ بَابَهُ بِالأَرْضِ  

“I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about the Hijr, and he said: ‘It is part of the House.’ I said: ‘What kept them from incorporating it into it?’ He said: ‘They ran out of funds.’ I said: ‘Why is its door so high up that it can only be reached with a ladder?’* He said: ‘That is what your people did so that they could let in whoever they wanted and keep out whoever they wanted. Were it not that your people have so recently left disbelief behind, and I am afraid that it would bother them, I would have changed it, incorporating what they left out and I would put its door at ground level.”  

سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنِ الْحِجْرِ فَقَالَ هُوَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ قُلْتُ مَا مَنَعَهُمْ أَنْ يُدْخِلُوهُ فِيهِ قَالَ عَجَزَتْ بِهِمُ النَّفَقَةُ قُلْتُ فَمَا شَأْنُ بَابِهِ مُرْتَفِعًا لاَ يُصْعَدُ إِلَيْهِ إِلاَّ بِسُلَّمٍ قَالَ ذَلِكَ فِعْلُ قَوْمِكِ لِيُدْخِلُوهُ مَنْ شَاءُوا وَيَمْنَعُوهُ مَنْ شَاءُوا وَلَوْلاَ أَنَّ قَوْمَكِ حَدِيثُ عَهْدٍ بِكُفْرٍ مَخَافَةَ أَنْ تَنْفِرَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لَنَظَرْتُ هَلْ أُغَيِّرُهُ فَأُدْخِلَ فِيهِ مَا انْتَقَصَ مِنْهُ وَجَعَلْتُ بَابَهُ بِالأَرْضِ  

I asked the Prophet ﷺ whether the round wall (near Kaʿba) was part of the Kaʿba. The Prophet ﷺ replied in the affirmative. I further said, "What is wrong with them, why have they not included it in the building of the Kaʿba?" He said, "Don't you see that your people (Quraish) ran short of money (so they could not include it inside the building of Kaʿba)?" I asked, "What about its gate? Why is it so high?" He replied, "Your people did this so as to admit into it whomever they liked and prevent whomever they liked. Were your people not close to the Pre-Islamic Period of ignorance (i.e. they have recently embraced Islam) and were I not afraid that they would dislike it, surely I would have included the (area of the) wall inside the building of the Kaʿba and I would have lowered its gate to the level of the ground." (Using translation from Bukhārī 1584)   

سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ عَنِ الْجَدْرِ أَمِنَ الْبَيْتِ هِيَ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ فَمَا لَهُمْ لَمْ يُدْخِلُوهُ فِي الْبَيْتِ؟ فَقَالَ إِنَّ قَوْمَكِ قَصُرَتْ بِهُمُ النَّفَقَةُ قُلْتُ فَمَا شَأْنُ بَابِهِ مُرْتَفِعٌ؟ قَالَ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ قَوْمُكِ؛ لِيُدْخِلُوا مَنْ شَاءُوا وَيَمْنَعُوا مَنْ شَاءُوا وَلَوْلَا أَنَّ قَوْمَكِ حَدِيثُ عَهْدٍ بِجَاهِلِيَّةٍ فَأَخَافُ أَنْ تُنْكِرَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لَنَظَرْتُ أَنْ أُدْخِلَ الْجَدْرَ فِي الْبَيْتِ وَأَنْ أُلْصِقَ بَابَهُ بِالْأَرْضِ