Prophet Abraham built the Kaaba for people to worship God. While pagan Arabs admitted this fact and even kept the stone where he used to stand to build the Kaaba (Abraham's station), they brought idols to the Kaaba and worshiped them to get closer to Abraham's Lord, Allah, God of gods. Prophet Muhammad came with the monotheistic message of Islam. Arabs defended these idols and refused to give up the religion of their fathers and grandfathers.
Along with his eldest son, Ishmael, Prophet Abraham rebuilt the foundations of the Kaaba in Mecca, establishing it as the world's first house dedicated purely to the worship of God. Key rituals of the Islamic Hajj pilgrimage such as walking between the hills of Safa and Marwa and the symbolic stoning of the devil directly commemorate the actions of Abraham and his family.
As an adult, Ishmael joined his father Abraham to construct the Kabah, the first house of monotheistic worship in Mecca. Together, they raised its physical foundations and prayed for God to make their descendants a righteous nation dedicated to monotheism.
Ishmael was born around 1727 BC and lived to be 137 years old. He passed away around 1590 BC and is traditionally buried near the Kabah (within the Hijr Ismail area) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.