حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى، حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ، عَنْ أَشْعَثَ بْنِ أَبِي الشَّعْثَاءِ، عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ 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 ‏"‏ ‏.‏

It wasnarrated that ‘Aishah said: “I asked the Messenger of Allah(PBUH)about the Hijr, and he said: ‘It is part of the House.’ I said:‘What kept them from incorporating it into it?’ He said: ‘Theyran outof funds.’ I said: ‘Why is its door so high up that itcan only bereached with a ladder?’* He said: ‘That is what yourpeople did sothat they could let in whoever they wanted and keep outwhoever theywanted. Were it not that your people have so recentlyleft disbeliefbehind, and I am afraid that it would bother them, Iwould havechanged it, incorporating what they left out and I wouldput its doorat ground level.” Translation Not Available

Book Ref: Sunan Ibn Majah Book 25 Hadith 2955
Web Ref:  Sunan Ibn Majah Vol 4 Book 25 Hadith 2955