In the province of Hijaz inthe western part of SaudiArabia, not far
from the Red Sea, there lies the town of Makkah. In the center of this
town there is a small square buildingmade of stones. The small, cubed
building may not rival skyscrapers in height or mansions in width, but
its impact on history and human beings is unmatched. Since time
immemorial world travelers have known this town and thisstone built
house. This is Baytullah, the House of Allah. Its sanctity and
antiquity is older than history itself.
The Baytullah\Kaaba is the building towards which Muslims face five
times a day, everyday, in prayer. This has been the case since the
time of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him & his
family) over 1400 years ago. Literally, Kaaba in Arabic means a high
place with respect and prestige. The word Kaaba may also be derivative
of a word meaning a cube.
The other names of the Kaaba, are Bait ul Ateeq - which means,
according to one meaning, the earliest and ancient. According to the
second meaning, it means independent and liberating. Both meanings
could be taken. Bait ul Haram - the honorable house. Scholars and
historians say that the Kaaba has been reconstructed between five to
12 times.
Tradition goes that the Kaaba was ordained by Allah to be built in the
shape of the House in Heaven called Baitul Ma'amoor. Allah in his
infinite Mercy ordained asimilar place on earth and Prophet Adam
(p.b.u.h.) was the first to build this place. The Bible, in the
chapter of Genesis describes its building when God ordained Abraham
(p.b.u.h.) to erect a Shrine for worship when Abraham (p.b.u.h.) was
ordered to go to the southern desert with his wife Hager (p.b.u.h.)
and infant son Ishmael (p.b.u.h.). The Old Testament describes this
building as the Shrine of God at several places, butthe one built at
Ma'amoor is very much similar to the one at Makkah. There is no doubt
that it was referring to the stone built house at Makkah.
Holy Qur'an brought this story into the full light of history. Say:
"Allah spoken the Truth: follow the religion of Abraham, the sane in
faith; he was not of the Pagans." The first House (of worship)
appointed for men was that at Bakka: Full of blessing and of guidance
for all kinds of beings. (Holy Qur'an 3:95-96)
From the above verses Holy Qur'an firmly establishes the fact that
Abraham (p.b.u.h.) was the real founder of the Holy Shrine.
When Prophet Abraham (p.b.u.h.) built the Holy Shrine in Makka , his
prayers were that this place should remain a center of worship for all
good and pious people; that Allah should keep hisfamily the custodians
of the Holy place. Ever since,Ishmael (p.b.u.h.) the son of Abraham
(p.b.u.h.) who helped his father to build this place and his
descendants remained the custodians of the Holy Shrine. History tells
us that centuries passed and the guardianship of the Kaaba remained in
the family of Ishmael (p.b.u.h.) until the name of Abde Manaf came
into the limelight. He inherited this service andmade it much more
prominent. His son Hashim took this leadership and extended it to many
other towns ofHijaz so much so that many pilgrims flocked annually to
this place andenjoyed Hashim's hospitality. A feast was given in honor
of the pilgrims, the family of Hashim served food and water to all
guests. This prominence created jealousies and his brother Abdusham's
adopted son Omayya tried to create trouble. There was a dispute in
which Omayya failed and left Makka to settle downin the Northern
provincesof Syria (Sham). After Hashim his brother Muttalib and after
him Hashim's son Shyba who became known as Abdul Muttalib assumed the
leadership of the family. He organized feasts and supplies of water to
the pilgrims during the annual festival of pilgrimage to the Holy
Shrine.
Prophet Abraham (p.b.u.h.) built this House for devout worship to the
only God. But within his lifetime people disobeyed his orders and
began to put idols inside the Kaaba. Abraham (p.b.u.h.) had to clean
theHouse of these idols and of idle worshippers. He told the people
that this was a symbolic house of God. God does not live there; He is
everywhere. People did not understand this logic andafter the death of
Abraham (p.b.u.h.), the people, out of reverence, filled the place
with idols again. They thronged to this place annually and worshipped
their personal gods, It was over Four Thousand yearslater that the
last of the line of prophets Muhammad Ibne Abdullah (p.b.u.h.) entered
Makka triumphantly, went inside the Kaaba and, with the help of his
cousin and son-in-law Ali Ibne Abi Talib (p.b.u.h.) destroyed all the
idols of Kaaba with their own hands. At one stage of this destruction
of idols, the tallest of the idol Hubbol was brought down after Ali
had to stand on the shoulders ofthe Prophet to carry out God's orders.
The Prophetof Islam (p.b.u.h.) was reciting the verse from the Holy
Qur'an "Truth hath come and falsehoodhath vanished" . This was done in
the 8th year of Hijra, January 630 AD after the bloodless victory at
Makka by the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.).
Historically when Abraham (p.b.u.h.) was ordered by Allah to build the
Shrine for worship, he uncovered the original foundations of the Kaaba
built by Adam (p.b.u.h.). Abraham (p.b.u.h.) with the help ofhis son
Ishmael (p.b.u.h.) erected the new shrine on the same
foundations.Originally it contained only four walls without a roof.
Centuries later during the time of Khusayi who was the leader of the
Tribe of Quraish in Makka a taller building was completed with a roof
and a quadrangle wall around it to give it the shape of asanctuary and
doors all around the sanctuary walls. People entered through these
doors to come to the Kaaba for worship. It is now about 60 feet high,
60 feet widefrom east to west and 60 feet from north to south. A door
is fixed about 7 feet above ground level facing Northeast. A Black
stone (Hajar al-Aswad) was fixed into its eastern corner. In front of
the building was Maqam-e-Ibrahim, the arch shapegate known as that of
Banu Shayba and the Zamzam Well. Just outside are the Hills called
Safa and Merwa and the distance between the hills is about 500 yards.
These days both of the hills are enclosed into the sanctuary walls
with a roof over it.
The whole building is built of the layers of gray blue stone from the
hills surrounding Makka. The four corners roughly facethe four points
of the compass. At the East is theRukn-e-Aswad (The Black stone), at
the North is theRukn-e-Iraqi, at the west Rukn-e-Shami and at the
south Rukn-e-Yamani. The four walls are covered with a curtain
(Kiswa). The kiswa is usually of black brocade with the Shahada
outlined in the weave of the fabric. About 2/3 rd of the way up runs a
gold embroidered band covered with Qur'anic text.
In the Eastern corner about 5 feet above ground the Hajar al-Aswad
(The Black stone) is fixed into the wall. Its real nature is difficult
to determine, its visible shape is worn smooth by hand touchingand
kissing. Its diameter is around 12 inches. Opposite the Northwest wall
but not connected with it, is a semi circular wall of white marble. It
is3 feet high and about 5 feet thick. This semi circular space enjoys
an especial consideration and pilgrims wait in queue to find a place
to pray there. The graves of Ishmael (p.b.u.h.) and his mother Hager
(p.b.u.h.) are within this semi circular wall (Hateem). Between the
archway and the facade (N.E.) is a little building with a small dome,
the Maqam-e-Ibrahim. Inside it is kept a stone bearing the prints of
two human feet.Prophet Abraham (p.b.u.h.) is said to have stood on
this stone whenbuilding the Kaaba and marks of his feet are
miraculously preserved. On the outskirts of the building to the
Northeastis the 'Zamzam Well' (this is now put under ground).
History of the building of the Kaaba
And when We made the House a pilgrimage for men and a (place of)
security, and: Appoint foryourselves a place of prayer on the
standing-place of Abraham. And We enjoined Abraham and Ishmael saying:
Purify My House for thosewho visit (it) and those who abide (in it)
for devotion and those who bow down (and) those who prostrate
themselves. And when Abraham said: My Lord, make it a secure town and
provide its people with fruits, such of them as believe in Allah and
the last day. He said: And whoever disbelieves, I will grant him
enjoymentfor a short while, then I will drive him to the chastisement
of the fire; and it is an evil destination. And when Abraham and
Ishmael raised the foundations ofthe House: Our Lord! Accept from us;
surely Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing: Our Lord! And make us both
submissive to Thee and (raise) from our offspring a nation submitting
to Thee, and show us our ways of devotion and turn to us (mercifully),
surely Thou art the Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful. Our Lord!
And raise up in them a Messenger from among them who shall recite to
them Thy communications and teach them the Book and the wisdom, and
purify them; surely Thou art the Mighty, the Wise. (Holy Qur'an
2:125-129)
Holy Qur'an in the above verses described it clearlythat Allah had
ordained his servant Abraham (p.b.u.h.) to build the Shrine there for
worship of One God. During Khusayi's time it was rebuilt and
fortified. During the early years of Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.)
before he announced his ministry, floods damaged the Kaaba and it was
rebuilt again. When the Black stone was to be put in its place the
Makkans quarreled among themselves as to who should have the honor
toplace it there. Abu Omayyah, Makkah's oldest man, proposed that the
first man to enter the gate of the mosque the following morning would
decide the matter. That man wasthe Prophet (p.b.u.h.). The Makkans
were ecstatic. "This is the trustworthy one (Al-Ameen)," they shouted
in a chorus. "Thisis Muhammad". He came to them and they asked him to
decide on the matter. He (p.b.u.h.) agreed. Prophet Muhammad
(p.b.u.h.) proposed a solution that all agreed to putting the Black
Stone on a cloak, the elders of each of the clans held on to one
edgeof the cloak and carried the stone to its place. TheProphet
(p.b.u.h.) himselfthen picked up the stone and placed it on the wall
of the Kaaba. It has been fixed there ever since.
After the martyrdom of the family of the Prophet at Karbala in 61
Hijri (681AD), the Omayyad Caliph Yazid Ibne Moawiya did not stop
there in the pursuit of his destruction.He sent a large contingent
under the command of Haseen IbneNamir to Madina to destroy the Mosque
of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.). They did not stop there but proceeded to
Makka and demolished the four walls of the Kaaba and killed thousands
of Muslims who protested. Yazid died and Ibne Namir returned to
Damascus, Abdullah Ibne Zubayr and his associatesrebuilt the Kaaba.
Umawiforces came back to Makka and killed Abdullah Ibne Zubayr, hung
his body on the gates of the Kaaba for three months for all to see the
Umawi power. But eventually this arrogance of power brought its own
consequences and Mukhtar became the ruler in Iraq. Under his guidance
the Kaaba was refurbished and pilgrims began to arrive in safety to
perform Hajj.
The Kaaba successfully withstood the Cremation invasion of 317/929,
only the Blackstone was carried away which was returned some twenty
years later. In the year 1981 the Wahabis brought tanks inside the
Kaaba to crush the kahtani revolution against the Saudi regime and
almost demolished the South Eastern Wall. This was later restored with
the help of the Makkan people.
Every man living in Makka in the 6 th and 7 th century must out of
necessity have had some relationship with the Kaaba. On the Muhammad
(p.b.u.h.), theProphet of Islam, the Qur'an is silent during the
Makkans period in this respect. All that is known is that the Muslim
community of the period turned towards Jerusalem in prayers.
Subsequently about a year and a half after the Hijra the Muslims were
ordered during prayers, which were lead, by the Prophet of Islam
himself to turn towards Makka. The particular mosque in Madina where
this happened is called Masjid-e-Qiblatain, meaning the mosque with
two Qiblas. The Qur'an tells the Muslims, "Indeed We see the turning
of your face to heaven, so We shall surely turn you to a qiblah which
you shall like; turn then your face towards the Sacred Mosque, and
wherever you are, turn your face towards it." (Holy Qur'an 2:144)
At this same period the Qur'an began to lay stresson the religion of
Abraham (p.b.u.h.), presenting Islam as a return to the purity of the
religion of Abraham (p.b.u.h.) Which, obscured by Judaism and
Christianity, shone forth in its original brightness in the Holy
Qur'an. The pilgrimage to the Kaaba and ritual progressions around the
building were continued, but were now for the glorification of One
God. The Abrahamic vision of the Kaaba created a means of discerning
an orthodox origin buried in the midst of pagan malpractices to which
thefirst Muslims pointed the way.
Every year after the Hajj ceremony the place is closed for one month
andon the day of Ashura the Kaaba is washed from inside by the Water
from the well of Zamzam and anew Kiswa is brought to cover the Kaaba
for the next year.
This is the story of the Kaaba and the persons who protected it and
remained its custodians and protectors from the satanic and evil
forces throughout history. Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) andthe people of his
household (Ahlul Bayt) were the protectors of the Kaaba, and currently
the 12 th Imam Muhammad Al-Mahdi (p.b.u.h.) from the direct descent of
the Prophet ofIslam is the real protector, its custodian and guardian
and shall remain as such while in concealment.
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'' Our Lord ! grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter and save us from the torment of the Fire '' [Ameen]
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{in Arab} :->
Rabbanaa aatinaa fid-dunyaa hasanatan wafil aakhirati hasanatan waqinaa 'athaaban-naar/-
(Surah Al-Baqarah ,verse 201)
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