Kaaba

The Kaaba (Arabic: الكعبة, romanized: al-Kaʿba, lit. 'the Cube') is a stone building at the center of Islam's most important mosque and holiest site, the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is considered by Muslims to be the Baytullah (Arabic: بيت اللَّٰه, lit. 'House of God') and determines the qibla (Arabic: قبلة, lit. 'direction of prayer') for Muslims around the world.

According to Islamic tradition, the Kaaba was rebuilt several times throughout history, most famously by Ibrahim and his son Ismail. Circling the Kaaba seven times counterclockwise, known as Tawaf (Arabic: طواف, romanized: ṭawaaf), is a Fard rite for the completion of the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.

In early Islam, Muslims faced the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem during prayers before changing the direction to face the Kaaba. The Kaaba and the surrounding area are visited by pilgrims every day of the Islamic year, with the largest numbers coming during Ramadan and the Hajj pilgrimage.

Etymology and pre-Islamic usage

In Arabic, the word Ka'ba means cube. Many people believe the Kaaba got its name because of its cube shape. Some experts wonder if this meaning existed before Islam and have looked for other possible origins for the name.

The Kaaba’s design is similar to other old religious buildings in the Arabian Peninsula and other places, like the Kaaba of Zoroaster. These buildings were often made from different materials, but the Kaaba in Mecca was built from stone. The Black Stone inside the Kaaba is like special stones called baetyls that people long ago respected and placed in temples. Some other Kaabas had their own special stones too, such as a “Red Stone” or a “White Stone.”

History

See also: Hejaz, History of Islam, and History of Saudi Arabia

Before Muhammad

See also: Pre-Islamic Arabia and Religion in pre-Islamic Arabia

The Kaaba is an important building with a long history. According to old Arab poems, the Kaaba was built by the Quraysh and Jurhum tribes. Some believe it became important after a battle involving Abraha and the Quraysh.

In Islamic belief, the Kaaba was first used as a place of worship by different Arab tribes. It held many statues and paintings, including one of Hubal, a main god for the Quraysh people. There were also paintings of angels, Ibrahim with divination arrows, and Isa (Jesus) with his mother Maryam (Mary). The Kaaba was a special place where tribes could meet peacefully.

In the Quran

The Quran mentions the Kaaba in several places. It says the Kaaba was the first house of worship for people, built by Ibrahim and Ismail following God's instructions.

During Muhammad's lifetime

During Muhammad's life, the Kaaba was a holy place for local Arabs. Muhammad helped rebuild it after a fire and flood weakened it. He solved a dispute about where to place a special stone by having leaders hold it on a cloth and then placing it himself.

After becoming a prophet, Muhammad and his followers faced trouble in Mecca. They later moved to Medina. Years later, Muslims changed their prayer direction to the Kaaba. Muhammad later led Muslims to Mecca and removed the statues and images from the Kaaba, making it a place to worship only Allah.

After Muhammad

The Kaaba has been repaired many times. It was badly damaged by a fire during a siege in 683 CE and rebuilt. It was attacked and damaged several times over the years, including by a group that took a special stone from it.

The Kaaba continues to be a very important place for Muslims around the world.

Architecture and interior

The Kaaba is a cube-shaped building made of stones. It is about 15 meters tall with sides measuring around 12 meters by 10.5 meters. Inside, the floor is made of marble and limestone, and the walls are covered with white marble tiles halfway up, with darker trimmings at the bottom.

The Kaaba has special features, including a black stone on one corner where Muslims begin their walking around the building, called tawaf. There is a door about 2 meters above the ground on one wall. Golden rain spouts and protective coverings help keep the building safe. Inside, there are pillars and small lamps hanging from the ceiling. The building is covered with a beautiful black cloth with gold writing from the Quran, which is changed each year during a special pilgrimage.

Written marble documents inside the Kaaba

Inside the Kaaba, there were nine special marble stones with writing, mostly in a beautiful style called Thuluth script. One stone was written in a different style called Kufic script. Later, a ruler named Fahd of Saudi Arabia added one more stone to tell about expanding the mosque. Now, there are ten stones inside.

During a time when leaders from Circassia ruled, they took good care of important Islamic places. Two of the stones inside the Kaaba tell about work done by these leaders. One stone remembers Sultan Barsbay, who helped fix and rebuild parts of the mosque in 1423. The other stone is for his son, Sultan Qaitbay, who also did lots of building work in 1479.

Significance in Islam

The Kaaba is the holiest site in Islam, often called the House of Allah. It is very important for Muslims all around the world.

Pilgrims perform a ritual called Tawaf during their visits to the Kaaba. This means walking around the Kaaba seven times in a special way. This shows that all believers are united in worshiping One God. Muslims try to start at a special corner with a famous stone. They also say special phrases during each round. Tawaf is part of two big journeys called Hajj and Umrah.

The Kaaba also helps decide the direction Muslims face when they pray, called the Qibla. This means that no matter where a Muslim is, they can face the Kaaba while praying. Many also face this direction when reading special holy books, as a sign of respect.

Cleaning

The Kaaba is cleaned twice a year during a special ceremony called "The Cleaning of the Sacred Kaaba." This happens on the 1st of Sha'baan, which is the eighth month of the Islamic calendar, and on the 15th of Muharram, the first month. The keys to the Kaaba are kept by the Banī Shaybah tribe, a duty given to them by Muhammad.

During the cleaning, the Governor of Makkah Province and other important people clean the inside of the Kaaba. They use cloths dipped in Zamzam water that is scented with special perfumes. The cleaning usually takes about two hours.

Events related to the Kaaba

Many Islamic sources, including both Shia and Sunni writers, tell a special story. They say that Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first Imam for the Shiites, was the only person ever born inside the Kaaba. This makes him very important in Islamic history.