Ten Things You Didn’t Know About The Kaaba
Posted by: Muhammad Wajid Akhter

There is no place on Earth as venerated, as central or as holy to as many people as Mecca. By any objective standard, this valley in the Hijaz region of Arabia is the most celebrated place on Earth.

Thousands circle the sacred Kaaba at the centre of the Haram sanctuary 24 hours a day. Millions of homes are adorned with pictures of it and over a billion face it five times a day.

The Kaaba is the epicenter of Mecca.

The cube shaped building is at the heart of the most well-known real estate in the history of mankind; it is shrouded in black and its fair share of mystery.

Here are just a few things that most people may not know about the Kaaba:

10. It has been reconstructed several times

The Kaaba that we see today is not exactly the same Kaaba that was constructed by Prophets Ibrahim ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) and Ismail ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) From time to time, it has needed rebuilding after natural and man-made disasters.

Of course, we all know of the major reconstruction that took place during the life of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) before he became a Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him). This is the occasion when the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) averted major bloodshed by his quick thinking on how to place the Black Stone using a cloth that every tribe could lift up.

Since then, there has been an average of one major reconstruction every few centuries. The last renovation took place in 1996 and was extremely thorough, leading to the replacement of many of the stones and re-strengthening the foundations and a new roof. This is likely to be the last reconstruction for many centuries (inshā'Allāh) as modern techniques mean that the building is more secure and stable than ever before.

9. It used to have two doors … and a window

The original Kaaba used to have a door for entrance and another for exit. For a considerable period of time it also had a window situated to one side. The current Kaaba only has one door and no window.



8. It used to be multi-coloured

We are so used to the Kaaba being covered in the trademark black Kiswah with gold banding that we can't imagine it being any other colour. However, this tradition seems to have started at the time of the Abbasids (whose household colour was black) and before this the Kaaba was covered in multiple colours including green, red and even white.

7. The keys are in the hands of one family

At the time of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him), each aspect to do with the rites of Hajj was in the hands of different sub-groups of the Quraish. Every one of these would eventually lose control of their guardianship of a particular rite except one. On the conquest of Mecca, the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) was given the keys to the Kaaba and instead of keeping it in his own possession; he returned them back to the Osman ibn Talha ® of the Bani Shaiba family. They had been the traditional key keepers of the Kaaba for centuries; and the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) confirmed them in that role till the end of time by these words

“Take it, O Bani Talha, eternally up to the Day of Resurrection, and it will not be taken from you unless by an unjust, oppressive tyrant.”

Whether Caliph, Sultan or King – the most powerful men in the world have all had to bow to the words of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) and ask permission from this small Makkan family before they can enter the Kaaba.

6. It used to be open to everyone

Until recently, the Kaaba was opened twice a week for anyone to enter and pray. However, due to the rapid expansion in the number of pilgrims and other factors, the Kaaba is now opened only twice a year for dignitaries and exclusive guests only.

Watch the video attached here to witness the doors of the Kaaba being opened (at 50 seconds) – and the simultaneous gasps of a Million people as they cry out at this auspicious moment.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm_zrBcivhg


5. You used to be able to swim around it

One of the problems with having the Kaaba situated at the bottom of a valley is that when it rains – valleys tend to flood. This was not an uncommon occurrence in Mecca and the cause of a lot of trouble before the days of flood control systems and sewage. For days on end the Kaaba would be half submerged in water. Did that stop Muslims from performing the Tawaf? Of course not.

Modern adjustments to the surrounding landscape and flood prevention techniques mean we may never see such sights again. Or will we? Check out this recent video.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkZziLIPPpo

4. The inside contains plaques commemorating the rulers who renovated it

For years many have wondered what it looks like inside the Kaaba. Relying on second or third hand accounts from those who were lucky enough to enter just wasn't satisfying enough. Then one lucky person who went inside took his camera phone in with him and Millions have seen the shaky footage online.

The interior of the Kaaba is now lined with marble and a green cloth covering the upper walls. Fixed into the walls are plaques each commemorating the refurbishment or rebuilding of the House of Allāh by the ruler of the day. Watch the video below of the only place on Earth that you can pray in any direction you want, the House of Allāh, the first place of worship for mankind – the Kaaba.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlATSk7CvIw

3. There are two kaabas!

Directly above the Kaaba in heaven is an exact replica. This Kaaba was mentioned in the Qurʾān and by the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him).

The Messenger of Allāh ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said narrating about the journey of 'Isra wal Miraaj

“Then I was shown Al-Bait-al-Ma'mur (i.e. Allāh's House). I asked Gabriel about it and he said, This is Al Bait-ul-Ma'mur where 70,000 angels perform prayers daily and when they leave they never return to it (but always a fresh batch comes into it daily).”

2. The Black Stone is broken

Ever wondered how the Black Stone came to be in the silver casing that surrounds it?

Some say it was broken by a stone fired by the Umayyad army laying siege to Mecca whilst it was under the control of Abdullah ibn Zubair ®.

However, most agree that it was most damaged in the middle ages by an extreme heretical Ismaili group from Bahrain called the Qarmatians who had declared that the Hajj was an act of superstition. They decided to make their point by killing tens of thousands of hujjaj and dumping their bodies in the well of Zamzam.

As if this act of treachery was not enough, these devils took the Black Stone to the East of Arabia and then Kufa in Iraq where they held it ransom until they were forced to return it by the Abassid Caliph. When they returned it, it was in pieces and the only way to keep them together was by encasing them in a silver casing. Some historians narrate that there are still some missing pieces of the stone floating around.

1. It's not supposed to be a cube shape

Yes, ladies and gentleman… the most famous cube in the world actually started out shaped as a rectangle.

I'll give you a moment to pick your jaws off the floor.

Right, where were we?

Oh yeah, the Kaaba was never meant to be a cube. The original dimensions of The House included the semi-circular area known as the Hijr Ismail.
When the Kaaba was rebuilt just a few years before the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) received his first revelation, the Quraish agreed to only use income from pure sources to complete the rebuild. That meant no money from gambling, looting, prostitution, interest etc. In the ultimate sign of how deeply mired in wrongdoing the Jahili Quraish were, there was not enough untainted money in this very wealthy trading city to rebuild the Kaaba to its original size and shape!

They settled for a smaller version of the Kaaba and put a mud brick wall (called “Hijr Ismail” although it has no connection to the Prophet Ismail (A) himself) to indicate the original dimensions. Towards the end of his life, the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) intended to rebuild the Kaaba on its original foundations but passed away before he could fulfill his wish. Apart from a brief interlude of a few years during the reign of Caliph Abdullah ibn Zubair ®, the Kaaba has remained the same shape that the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) saw it in.

The history of the Kaaba is not just an interesting story from our past. The Kaaba is a real and present symbol that connects all Muslims together wherever they may be. It also connects us to our glorious and not-so-glorious past so that we may derive lessons and feel that we are a part of an eternal mission. In a day and age where Muslims are increasingly disconnected from our history,as well as each other, the Kabaa reminds us of our shared heritage and bonds. It is a symbol of unity in an Ummah sorely in need of it.

http://muslimmatters.org/2012/11/15/ten-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-kaaba/

Quite educative.

Oh Allah, invite me to your house soon. (Amin)

@tbaba, thanks for sharing. Twas an interesting read.

Mr. tbaba,

I found some points interesting and I would like you to expand on them.

for instance on point no.4,we read that the images of rulers, under whose reign the Ka'ba was renovated, are found inside the Ka'ba.isnt that "shirk"? how can we have pictures of often times tyrants to be placed inside the Ka'ba towards which muslims face during salat? I am emphasizing on this point because the same people carrying out this act are very quick in jumping into conclusion and accusing other muslims of "shirk" for actions that are not "shirk".

on point no.2,we read that the black stone was broken and it was more likely the Qarmatians,an offshoot of the Ismailis,that caused its damage and not the ummyyad army of yazeed which laid siege on Makkah.this was stated without citing that regardless of who was responsible for breaking the black stone,the holy Ka'ba itself was destroyed by the ummayyad army of yazeed that laid siege to Makkah.earlier the sanctity of Medina too was desecrated in the Battle of al-Harrah by the ummayyad army of yazeed.the siege on Makkah only ended with news of Yazeed's death.thereafter the Ummayyad assault on the sanctity of Makkah continued for almost ten years because Abdullah Ibn al-Zubair was taking refuge in it.both these attacks on Makkah and Medina happened after the Tragedy of Karbala,again by the Ummayyad army.when you look at the assaults on Makkah and Medina,you will understand why Imam Hussain (as),upon hearing that yazeed had ordered for his assassination even if he was hanging by the kiswah,decided to forego the hajj and departed for Iraq.the Imam (as) did not want his blood to be spilled in Makkah.i don't know why the article emphasizes the stealing of the black stone by the Qarmatians while it downplayed the destruction the siege on Makkah by the Umayyads caused to the Ka'ba itself! something you should ponder on in these articles that are of a particular source.

my last point is: there is ONLY one man in the history of humanity who is recorded to have been born inside the Ka'ba.that man is Imam Ali Ibn Abi talib (as).his birth in the Ka'ba was miraculous.in such an article about things people need to know about the ka'ba,one would expect such an info should have been mentioned.also,the passage through which the mother of Imam Ali (as) entered the Ka'ba continues to crack on the 13th of Rajab,the Imam's (as) birthday,annually.this crack have been concealed in spite of the fact that it is miraculous.you can see a previous thread I had opened:
https://www.nairaland.com/877518/miraculous-crack-wall-holy-kaba

There is nothing to expand on.

They said plagues not images.

Many parties have also been involved in damage over a 1400 year history.

Hakim Ibn Hizam was born in Kaaba according to Imam Muslim.

Please let us focus on the topic instead of turning every thread to a Sunni-Shia thread. I beg you.

tbaba1234: There is nothing to expand on.

They said plagues not images.

fine not pictures,but their names.my question still stands.isnt it "shirk"? even on the kiswa,the name of the Saudi king appears.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VO9vFWvc6E

Many parties have also been involved in damage over a 1400 year history.

they should have all been equally mentioned rather than projecting only one instance of a deviant group, because that deviant group is an offshoot of an offshoot of the "other side of the divide" you like to paint with your dark brush.

Hakim Ibn Hizam was born in Kaaba according to Imam Muslim.

Please let us focus on the topic instead of turning every thread to a Sunni-Shia thread. I beg you.

there is nothing Sunni-Shia.you are trying to turn it like that, so that you can run to click on the report button to silence any voice that differs with yours.you are good at doing that because you don't tolerate the views of others, and ignorance is bliss as some people think.i wont go into the issue of Hisham Ibn Hizam and where he was born so I don't make your allegation appear true.i'd leave that for you to do research on it or for another thread.nonetheless,such details should still have been mentioned,regardless whether it was one or two persons born in the Ka'ba, or who was born in it first.i am purely basing my points about the Ka'ba.there is no issue of sunni or shia.i didn't even use those words.i only focused on the topic,yet you tried to drift and take my points on a subject I didn't raise.

I didn't go into the issue of Ali (RA) born in the kaaba so that it does not degenerate.

Thanks for your contributions.

tbaba1234: I didn't go into the issue of Ali (RA) born in the kaaba so that it does not degenerate.

its not about "degenerate" tbaba.had it being in another thread,you still wouldn't have touched on that topic.

Thanks for your contributions.

no need to thank me.its a public forum.you still have not answered me on the "shirk" question.i am interested to know.why are the names of tyrants placed in the Ka'aba? is that some sort of "hero worship" to some? it seems they want to be immortalized not only within the vicinity of the majidul haram but right in the ka'ba and on it!!!! when people call it "shirk",they may rush to remove those names.later on when anyone points to it,they would deny as if it did not happen.we know them and their tactics!!!

Exactly, I do not waste my time debating these issues. It seems that is the only thing, you guys want to do is debate. Most of your threads are about what you consider to be contentious issues. Maybe you can focus more on Islamic virtues. Betathings does a good job in debating with you guys but not everyone wants to be doing that.

tbaba1234: Exactly, I do not waste my time debating these issues. It seems that is the only thing, you guys want to do is debate. Most of your threads are about what you consider to be contentious issues. Maybe you can focus more on Islamic virtues. Betathings does a good job in debating with you guys but not everyone wants to be doing that.

Jazakum Lahu Khaeran

Jazakallahu khairan! Tbaba, very nice and educative. Jazakallah!

i also read somewhere that because of the other kaabah called the baitu mamur which is directly above the kaaba here, nothing, not even a bird or an insect can fly over the kaabah!!

i also read somewhere that because of the other kaabah called the baitu mamur which is directly above the kaaba here, nothing, not even a bird or an insect can fly over the kaabah!!

This is because both houses are jointly connected and nothing comes in betwen them

hmmmm

.

Ummmm...Mr. OP, you said that there is an exact replica of the kabaa in heaven. And you also mentioned that the kabaa has been rebuilt many times. So does it mean that the one in heaven has been rebuilt each time the one on earth is rebuilt? Mod don't hide this question, let the op throw more light on it.

Newsi: Ummmm...Mr. OP, you said that there is an exact replica of the kabaa in heaven. And you also mentioned that the kabaa has been rebuilt many times. So does it mean that the one in heaven has been rebuilt each time the one on earth is rebuilt? Mod don't hide this question, let the op throw more light on it.

The Kaaba is a mosque which is subject to repairs from time to time. When we talk about the Al-Bait-al-Ma'mur , we are talking about a place where the angels visit just like humans visit the kaaba. not an exact physical replica.

@lagosShia, incase u care, SHIRK is simply associating paartners with Allah, the names on d wall of ka'aba doesn't signify shirk in its real sense.

Its like saying because we have past nigerian leaders and patriots on d naira, then we r worshipping them.

Now I just got another reason verify the saying of Allah "know me before you worship me, for if you don't know me, you wount know how to worship me".

The prophet mohammed (S.A.W) also said "All actions are backed by intentions", you may have difficulty having the wisdom that u crave if all your intent and purpose is to use it against ISLAM.

May ALLAH guide us ameen.

And so

I was even thinking it was about the kabaa in kogi state. Runs out of thread

my last point is: there is ONLY one man in
the history of humanity who is recorded to
have been born inside the Ka'ba.that man is
Imam Ali Ibn Abi talib (as).his birth in the
Ka'ba was miraculous.in such an article
about things people need to know about the
ka'ba,one would expect such an info should
have been mentioned.also,the passage
through which the mother of Imam Ali (as)
entered the Ka'ba continues to crack on the
13th of Rajab,the Imam's (as)
birthday,annually.this crack have been
concealed in spite of the fact that it is
miraculous.you can see a previous thread I

@
LagosShia, how was Ali's birth in the Kaaba a miraculous one? What were the circumstances surrounding it?
I am intensely curious, this incidence is something I have never heard of before.

babylolaroy: i also read somewhere that because of the other kaabah called the baitu mamur which is directly above the kaaba here, nothing, not even a bird or an insect can fly over the kaabah!!

This is because both houses are jointly connected and nothing comes in betwen them

@bold isn't true please.

Birds fly over it, I don't want to derail by posting pictures.

LagosShia:

its not about "degenerate" tbaba.had it being in another thread,you still wouldn't have touched on that topic.



no need to thank me.its a public forum.you still have not answered me on the "shirk" question.i am interested to know.why are the

I really do not understand why you think that you're intelligent.(believe me i'm not joking) You just argue like a LAWYER that grasps at technicalities. You won't stop at anything to combat ISLAM including confusing 'shirk' just to win an arguement.
Prophet muhammed said a lot about how important INTENTION is.

Allah yasa ina cikin wanda za suje. ameen

tbaba1234:

The Kaaba is a mosque which is subject to repairs from time to time. When we talk about the Al-Bait-al-Ma'mur , we are talking about a place where the angels visit just like humans visit the kaaba. not an exact physical replica.

But you said exact replica.