Ka’bah
As mentioned in the introduction, Makkah is the oldest surviving township in the world. The Holy Quran “...the first house built for mankind, was in Makkah, to bless and guide all worlds”. Muslims wherever are turn to face the ka’bah in Makkah in order to perform their prayers. The area around the Ka'ba is considered sacred, a sanctuary for all creatures. Humans and animals are all safe in it: none are forced away.
Most of the historical sources agree that the Prophet Ibrahim, his wife Hajer and their son Isma ’il (peace be upon them) came in 2800 B.C. from Kina'n (Palestine) to the then seemingly forsaken place where the Holy Ka'bah was to be built. The city of Makkah was built around it.
When the Prophet Ibrahem (peace be upon him) left his wife and son there with merely a water-bottle and some dates, he also beseeched Allah: "Our Lord! I have settled some of my posterity in an uncultivable valley near your Sacred House! Our Lord! That they may establish prayer; so incline some hearts of men that they yearn towards them, and provide them with fruits in order that they may be grateful". This reflects Ibrahim`s (As) awareness of Makkah as a sacred place, and Allah`s wisdom in choosing this site is mentioned in the Holy Qura'n [16]:
"And when we made the House (at Makkah) a resort for mankind and sanctuary, (saying): Take as your place of worship the place where Abraham stood (to pray). And we imposed a duty upon Abraham and Ishmael, (saying): Purify My house for those who go around and those who meditate therein and those who bow down and prostrate themselves (in worship)". (Al-Baqarah, 125)
At her time of seeming abandonment, Hajar asked her husband whether he was leaving them of his own volition or under instructions from Almighty Allah. Ibrahem (peace be upon him) replied that it was indeed Allah`s command, to which Hajar replied: "Then Allah will not let us go waste." [ 9, 11]
By the time of Muhammad (PBUH), the Ka'bah was in need of restoration, and the well of Zamzam had only recently been rediscovered after a period of blockage. The restoration that took place involved major modification. The size was increased; the door was put up high to prevent unwanted visitors. In 683 CE, rebel activities destroyed the Ka'bah over again, and a fire split the famous Black Stone, A further renewal commenced after the fire damage was removed and two new doors at ground level were added. Only small modifications have been made since that time and most of the stones are still from the 683 structure. The Black Stone was removed from the Ka'bah for more than 20 years in the 10th century, but was finally returned to its original position. The family known Banu Shayba is the official keepers of the Ka’bah until the present day, adding on the appointment of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
The area of Ka'bah is not quite a perfect cube with its length and width measuring 10.5 and 12 meters, and with its height set at 15 meters. It stands on a marble base which is 25 cm high. Each of the corners point in the four directions of the compass. It is built from a grey stone that is readily available from the hills around Makkah. In the Eastern corner 1.5 meters above the ground, the Black Stone is found. Its colour is reddish black, with some red and yellow particles. Else where, in the was tern corner of the Ka'bah, lies, the Stone of Good Fortune, far less sacred than the Black Stone. The wall between the door and the Black Stone is considered sacred, and many pilgrims go to extreme lengths to cling to any area upon this wall.
The golden door in the northeastern wall is 2 meters above the ground. With in the ka;bah there are three wooden pillars holding the roof aloft. The roof it self can be accessed by ladder. The floor is covered with marble, and the only furniture comes in the form of gold and silver lamps.
The outside of the Ka'bah is covered by the kiswah a drape produced from black silk and embossed with the writing of verses of the Quran in gold and silver. It is change annually in the month of dhul Hijjah the cloth is made of five parts, four parts dedicated to covering the walls and a fifth for the door.
Nowadays the Saudi Government has the Kiswah produced for Ka’bah at an overall cost of around six millions dollars for one part [12].
What is inside the Ka’bah?
In October 1998, Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi had the opportunity to go inside the Ka’bah. In an interview with Sound Vision, he described the following features [15]:
- The upper inside walls of the Ka’bah are covered with some kind of curtain with the Muslim testimony of faith “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the last messenger of Allah” written upon it.
- There are pillars inside (others report 3 pillars).
- The space can accommodate about 50 people.
- There are no electric lights inside.
- It has only one door.
- Two lantern-type lamps hang from the ceiling.
- The walls and floors are of marble.
- It has a table set to one side to put items like perfume.
- It is completely free of windows.
Safaa and Marwah
Section 6 above makes mention of these important features of the Makkah landscape. Hajar, the wife of Ibramim, ran between Safaa and Marwah seven times and in between, spending up at the point of declivity between them because she could not see her son Isma'al and feared for his safety. When reaching the top of the hills, she prayed to Almighty Allah for water. This running between the two hills was liked by Allah ta'aalaa so much that it has been made on essential put of the rites of Hajj. In Arabic it is called ‘Sa'ee’.
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