"In [this year] al-Walid b. Abd al-Malik ordered the pulling down of the mosque of the Messenger of God, may God bless and preserve him, and the pulling down of the rooms of the wives of the Messenger of God, may God bless and preserve him, and the incorporation of them into the mosque. Muhammad b. Umar mentioned that Muhammad b. Ja’far b. Wardan al-Banna (i.e., “the builder”) said: I saw the messenger sent by al-Walid b. Abd al-Malik. He arrived in the month of Rabi‘i in the year 88 (February–March 707) with a turban wound round his head. He entered into the presence of Umar b. Abd al-Aziz bearing al-Walid’s letter ordering him to incorporate the rooms of the wives of the Messenger of God, may God bless and preserve him, into the mosque, and to buy [the land, etc.] behind it and beside it so that it might [measure] two hundred cubits by two hundred cubits. He also said to him [in the letter]: “Move the qiblah [wall] forward, if you are able, and you are able, because of the standing of your maternal uncles; they will not go against you. If any of them objects, order the people of the misr [garrison town] to estimate a fair value for him. Then demolish and pay them the prices. You have good precedents for this in the actions of Umar and Uthman."