What is the Kaaba?

This is the Cabba located in the city of Mecca and Saudi Arabia. The Cabba is the holiest place in Islam. Every day, hundreds of millions of Muslims look to her in prayer. Hotel rooms have arrows on the ceiling pointing towards it. Kings, emperors and nation states competed for it. Control over it and the need to know its relative location no matter where in the world it was sparked new developments in astronomy and trigonometry. So

what

is cabba and

what

makes it so important in Islam? The word cabba means cube in Arabic through the building. In itself it's not exactly a cube about 15m high and 12m wide, it's taller than it's wide and its sides aren't exactly the same width, but it's pretty close.

The building is made of regular shaped granite stones held together with mortar with a flat wooden roof covered in metal, as you can imagine, it doesn't rain much in Mecca, but when it does, a flat roof on any building is prone to flood, so a golden shower spout was added on the northwest side in the 17th century. throughout the world pre in the direction of the cabba when they performed daily prayer, the direction of prayer is called kiblah, which literally means Direction and is marked in mosques around the world by a niche in the wall called MB at least once during their lifetime if they are physically and financially capable.

Muslims are also expected to make a pilgrimage to Mecca to complete the Hajj. Outside of the Hajj, millions of pilgrims come to Mecca each year to perform the umra, an optional but still meritorious pilgrimage. The cabba is located in a larger mosque complex called Masjid alh Haram, this building has been rebuilt, redesigned and expanded over the centuries with the most recent Extension Project carried out between 2008 and 2023. This extension allows the mosque host up to 3 million visitors at a time, although it was not without controversy as some elements of the project, including a controversial Clock Tower, were built over sites of historical importance, including tombs of important early Muslim figures.

The part of Masid alh Haram immediately surrounding the cabba is literally called the mat. The tawa tawa site is a key part of the Hajj pilgrimage ritual. walking around the cabba counterclockwise seven times through a religious stadium. Scholars like to use the fancy term circulation which simply means walking around. Pilgrims must perform taah when they first enter the middle of Al Haram to signal their intention to begin the Hajj, then perform it at least. twice more during their pilgrimage, once before traveling to the mine area for the stoning of the devil, when the pilgrims throw stones against a wall and once as a farewell to end their embrace, one of the key features of the cabba is the black stone embedded in a silver box attached directly to the eastern corner of the cabba.

Some scholars suspect this black stone to be a meteorite and trace it to a series of pre-Islamic Arab shrines. Muslim tradition, however, connects it with Adam and Eve, in these stories the stone fell from the sky. to help them find each other when they were separated while they were expelled from the Garden of Eden when they were reunited they built the first altar to God at the site of the Fallen Stone the stone has broken into multiple pieces throughout its history first It was damaged during a siege in 683 CE and again during a theft by a Muslim sect called the Kmian who held onto the stone for over 100 years when it was recovered, re-cemented and returned to where it is now.

The black stone is an important focal point for visitors and pilgrims who hope to get close enough to touch or kiss it. There are even stories of pilgrims in the distant past who attempted to hit their foreheads hard enough against the black stone to leave a permanent mark as evidence of their piety. Some Muslim theologians are skeptical of this level of focus on the black stone itself. Most theologians are quick to clarify that this is not understood as worship of the cabba or the black stone, but worship of God. There are several explanations for the symbolism of TAA. some say it symbolizes how all creation orbits God, others say it reflects the Earth's orbit around the Sun or the Galaxy around its center.

The number seven itself is connected to the concept of seven Heavens in Islamic cosmology and is sometimes seen as a number of perfection or completion, although ultimately Muslims will often have a much simpler answer: why Why should Muslims circumambulate the cabba seven times because the Prophet Muhammad did it and because God ordered it while they circulate counterclockwise? The pilgrims will pass several important points between the black stone and the gates. They will pass through what is known as tumbazam or place of clinging. Here the pilgrims perform a supplicating prayer called Dua and that is why the pilgrims will try to press their hands, chest and cheeks against the wall.

From the cabba while praying immediately after the bazam there are ornate golden doors 2m above the ground, they are too high for anyone to access without stairs, but a set of moving stairs can be placed when necessary. The interior of the cabba is off-limits to all except some religious dignitaries, scholars, and maintenance workers. It is not. Open to pilgrims, the interior is relatively empty with three wooden pillars supporting the roof, a simple storage cabinet, and a collection of lamps and incense sensors hanging between the pillars. The cabinet contains scented oils that are used along with those sensors to anoint and perfume the cabba after its annual washing.

There is also a ladder leading to the roof that is mainly used to clean and replace the decorating cloth called kiswa. Now here's an interesting thought experiment: are you allowed to perform the daily ritual prayer inside the cabba pit? Scholarly Debate Some argue that this is acceptable, but others argue that it is not, since you would technically be turning your back on at least part of the cabba while praying. After passing the gate, pilgrims will see a metal and glass display case on their right called the station. of Abraham, this protects the stone that is said to have the footprints of Abraham.

Now there are several stories about what caused Abraham's footprints to be imprinted on this stone, but one of them claims that it commemorates when he stood on the stone to lift up his son Ismail. to complete the construction of the highest parts of the building, when pilgrims approach the edge of the northeast facing wall, they will see small brown stones embedded in white marble, this is known as Musa jabriel or Gabriel's prayer place, where There is the angel Gabriel. He is said to have taught Muhammad how to say the daily prayer as they round the corner.

A structure called Haim will prevent them from hugging near the northwest-facing wall. The Haim is a low semicircular marble wall that Muslims believe is part of the built cabba. For Abraham its name is derived from an Arabic root for something that is broken, in reference to how the section fell into disrepair during later reconstructions. This area is also called the ishmail stone. Most people claim that it is called so because Abraham is said to have built a structure here for Ishmail and Hagar because it is said to be historically part of the cabba. Pilgrims are not supposed to enter this area during taah, however the area is connected to important events in the history of Islam and the life of Muhammad, so pilgrims will often try to pray inside it, it is directly below the aforementioned rain spout called the Fountain of Mercy.

The water falling from the spout is said to carry additional blessings after passing the Haim. The remaining two sides have no unique features or views. People doing TOA could use this space. approaching the building in the hopes of getting close enough to touch the black stone or press against the multis during your next pass, while the cabba itself appears to be a relatively modest building, most people don't actually see it that way Because it is often decorated with that ornate cloth called kiswa, today kiswa is mainly black with gold embroidery, although in the past it was made in a variety of colors, including red, white and green.

The embroidery includes decorative patterns and borders surrounding the caronic verses. Each corner of The Kiswell also has a medallion embroidered with the name of each corner. One corner is named after the black stone and the other three are named after the region towards which Iraq, the Levant and Yemen point, which roughly correspond to the cardinal points. The Kissa is made of silk. and produced in Mecca in a factory by more than a hundred workers and craftsmen and replaced once a year during the hudge. Old kiswa can be cut into pieces and distributed to museums and given as gifts.

The cabba has a long history, but not all of it. According to the Quran, it is completely clear to historians that the first house of worship designated for men was Baka, full of blessings and guidance for all types of beings. Baka is an alternative name for Mecca, according to most Quranic commentators. Some Muslim interpreters say that this verse means that the first man Adam built the first altar to God in Mecca after being expelled from the Garden of Eden. Other verses of the Quran refer to Abraham building the cabba and remind that Abraham and ishma raise the foundation of the house with this prayer.

Our Lord accepts this service from us because you are the All-Hearer, the all-knowing Muslim interpreters agreed that the cabba was built or perhaps rebuilt by Abraham and maintained by his descendants through the ages. son of him ishmail. However, according to Islamic tradition, after many generations people forgot it. About the original purpose of it and began dedicating it to multiple gods writing in the 9th century, Meccan historian Alazaki shares several stories about Muhammad when he took control of the cabba in 630 CE. He filled it with images and statues of various gods in total. He destroyed 360 idols but also found painted icons of the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus along with an image of Abraham which he saved according to tradition there was also a statue of the god Hubal and an archaeologically attested deity from the Hubal region is mentioned in a single Nabian inscription from Hegra, an archaeological site a few hundred kilometers north of Mecca, which briefly mentions him along with two other gods.

Historians of early Islam have put forward some theories about what this early cabba, an early Christian text called The Kusan Chronicle, may have looked like. dating to around 660 CE refers to an Arabic ritual site in Mecca that can be translated as the tent of Abraham. This may be a reference to the cabba as a tent-like structure. The Meccan scholar Ian ji wrote about 100 years after the Kusan chronicle. To support this when he describes the cabba as a tabernacle using the same Arabic term used to describe the tent-like Tabernacle built by the Israelites in the Exodus story.

The scholar Rubén has speculated that this could mean that the dominant element of the cabba at this time was the kiswa. Scholar Ahmed Al Jalad has also theorized that the ancient Meccan Shrine may have its roots in a pre-Islamic Arab practice of building temporary ritual shelters to perform animal sacrifices, referred to in Saphtic inscriptions with the letters St, for I don't really know how these structures were pronounced, but they clearly had a religious function. An inscription says that he built the Str Str shelter and performed an animal sacrifice, so much and doares, rest assured. Another says he camped by the water and then built. the Str Str shelter and performed an animal sacrifice now, as I talk about in my video about the konic name of Jesus.

Saftic is an ancient South Semitic script that people in southern Syria and northern Jordan used to write all the various dialects of Old Arabic that are closely related to Konic Arabic. Scholars believe that writing was used between the 1st century BC. C. and the 4th century AD. C. give or take a few centuries and it seems that part of the rich practice in the region involved the construction of these temporary sacred shelters both for sacrifices to the gods and to mourn the dead, so, in light of the chronicle kusan, the writings of Ian J and these inscriptions, Dr Al galad speculates that the roots of the Meccan shrine may be found in a ritual refuge such as the St Str stories about the life of the prophet Muhammad.

We often begin by highlighting the centrality of the cabba. Muhammad was born in the year of the elephant, named for a dramatic event in Islamic tradition when a Christian king of Yemen attempted to invade Mecca and destroy the cabba using an elephant. King Abraha of Akum was worried that the cabba would drive away thepilgrims from his cathedral in Sanaa according to Muslim tradition when Abraham approached the cabba his elephant refused to move forward finally the king forced the elephant to move forward but before he could destroy the cabba the sky was filled with seagulls carrying rocks.

He then threw the stones on the army killing everyone, including the elephant. The Quran seems to refer to this in Sarat alfi, the elephant chapter which says: Do you not see how your Lord treated the elephant's companions? Didn't he derail his treacherous plan? They got lost and he sent flights of birds against them that hit them with baked clay stones. Now scholar Gabriel SED Reynolds argues that details about this event appear to have been filled in by much later sources attempting to explain Sarat alfi, although Muslim sources use this story to highlight the officiousness of Muhammad's birth and God's continued protection over the cabba.

Despite its temporary dedication to other gods according to tradition the Cabba played an important role in other key moments in Muhammad's life. When he was young, he helped repair the Cabba with men from each clan of the Karish tribe, but when he arrived When it was time to put the black stone back in its place, an argument broke out over who would get the honor that each clan wanted to have one of their own members place the black stone. Muhammad came up with a solution and placed it. the black stone in the center of his cloak and had a member of each clan lift part of the cloak together.

Muhammad then guided the stone back to its place, this story speaks of his future role as a leader uniting the clans and tribes of Arabia. The cabba also plays a key role in Muhammad's ascension to heaven according to the Quran and hegra stories based on Quranic verses. Muhammad traveled from Masjid alh Haram to Mid Al Axa and then to heaven, all in one night, although the Quran does not explicitly name their locations, they are understood to be the cabba in Mecca and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, in These stories Muhammad prays with various prophets as he ascends. through the seven heavens to meet God, these stories about Muhammad and the Cabba reveal some important points about his role in early Islam.

Firstly, it shows that the early Muslim community sought to recover pre-Islamic sacred places and practices by linking them to monotheistic traditions as in the polytheistic character of the cabba is understood as a corruption of its previous monotheistic character beginning with Abraham the second. It highlights how Muhammad's life is closely linked to the cabba from his birth in the year it was saved from destruction until its restoration as a site. of worshiping God before dying, as we mentioned, the kiblah is the direction towards the cabba, this not only plays an important role in daily prayer but also played a role in early Muslim identity.

Early in Muhammad's career, he and his followers prayed facing Jerusalem, but during their stay in the city of Medina, the direction of prayer was changed from Jerusalem to Mecca citing the Quran. Now, shall we take you to a kiblah that pleases you? Then turn your face and the direction of the Holy Mosque. This verse is surrounded by discussions of how Christians and Jews rejected Muhammad's message and linked the cabba with Abraham. Scholar Fred Donner argues that Muhammad and his initial followers probably at first saw themselves as a community aligned with Judaism and Christianity, even possibly sharing prayer spaces with Christians and Jews, and change. of the kibla from Jerusalem to Mecca may reflect tension with some of the Jewish tribes in Medina once it became clear that they were not going to accept his Revelation, as he anticipated that this change in the direction of prayer would have left the Muslims in disarray.

Medina facing south while Jews and Christians would likely have faced east during prayer, creating an obvious distinction between followers of Muhammad and other monotheists in the region. In daily practice, one should pray facing towards Mecca with nothing symbolic between them and the cabba. It is bad etiquette to walk in front of someone. who is praying and some may stop and restart their prayer if, for example, an animal walks in front of them while they pray, but what if the direction towards the cabba cannot be determined? This became an issue in the 20th century with the invention of air and space travel.

In 2006, Malaysian astronaut Shik Muzafar Shukur was chosen to go to the International Space Station during Ramadan. This led Malaysia's Islamic development department to create guidelines on how to fulfill religious obligations in space - how are you supposed to orient your body towards the cabba? When they circled the Earth in microgravity, they eventually decided that any Muslim in space should try to orient themselves towards the cabba if they can do so reliably using the best scientific analysis, although if they can't be sure, simply heading towards the Earth is enough, but if not even that is possible, so an astronaut can just go wherever this process highlights some interesting things about Islam.

First, it shows that, contrary to some non-Muslim stereotypes about Islamic law, the rules for the prudence of the Islamic jurist must be flexible. and is achievable by an average person, we see this in how the kiblah is supposed to be determined on the International Space Station, while they should try to make a good faith effort to locate the direction of the cabba, if this is not possible then they can simply face any The direction they want to also reflect on Islam in the cabba highlights how place is very important in religion, even when talking about a global religion like Islam, many of us are used to thinking about religion in line with Protestant Christianity, thinking of religion as something based on internal beliefs. and private, but most religions throughout history and around the world have beliefs and practices that orient them toward a particular building or place in the city that connects them to a larger religious community.

This religious community feels in a very powerful sense when the hjj is performed as the pilgrims are surrounded by millions of fellow Muslims drawn to the center of the entire cabba in 23 more than 2 million pilgrims travel to Mecca for the encounter with any city , this is an absolutely massive influx of people, so how is the city infrastructure handled if you like? To learn more about how the Saudi government accomplishes this, I recommend watching Wendover Productions' video on the logistics of the Hudge. They explain the dedicated HJJ terminal at Jeda Airport, the mass transportation system that transports people from one place to another, and the huge air-conditioned tent.

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