Regarding the saying of the Almighty: "And [mention] when We made the House a place of return for the people," al-Hasan said, meaning: they return to it every year.
Muhammad said: His saying "a place of return" means a place of reverting. You say, "thubtu ila kadha [wa athbutu ila kadha]," meaning: I returned to it. And one says, "his body returned to it after the illness," meaning: it came back.
Regarding the saying of the Almighty: "And a place of security," al-Hasan said: This was the case in the Pre-Islamic period (Jahiliyyah); if a man committed a crime and sought refuge in the Sacred Precinct (Haram), he would not be pursued nor seized. As for in Islam, the Sacred Precinct does not prevent the application of a prescribed legal punishment (hadd) that is due upon him. "And take from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer," meaning: the place where his feet stood.
Yahya reported from Hammad, from Humayd al-Tawil, from Anas ibn Malik that Umar ibn al-Khattab said: "O Messenger of Allah, if we were to pray behind the Station (Maqam)." Then Allah revealed: "And take from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer."
Muhammad said: The recitation of Yahya is "wa-ttakhidhu" (take) with a kasrah on the kha'. Some reciters recited it as "wa-ttakhadhu" (they took) with a fathah on the kha', and its meaning is that the people took this for themselves.