The Kabah

The Kabah is the building in Makkah toward which Muslims face in prayer, five times a day, everyday. This has been so since the time of Muhammad (pbuh) over 1400 years ago. It was the first house of worship built by man, and no other building has been constructed and reconstructed by so many prophets of Allah. The building itself is quite unassuming. is made mostly of stone and is approximately 40 feet long by 35 feet wide by about 45 feet high. Set in one corner of the mosque is the Black Stone. While this stone has no religious significance, it is a link to the past as it has been a part Kabah since it was first built by Prophet Adam (pbuh). The stone is probably a meteorite.

In the early days the Kabah had no roof, but today the Kabah has a ceiling and a roof made of teak, capped with stainless steel. Two oil lanterns hang from the ceiling. The floor is also made of wood and is raised approximately seven feet above the outside ground level. The stone walls are about three feet thick. There is only one door and no windows. The Kabah is the first mosque (place of prostration) and while most worship is conducted outside of the building, the inside can accommodate up to fifty people.

The entire Kabah has traditionally been covered with a black, silk cloth called a kiswah. More than 240 artisans and technicians work to create two new kiswahs each year (one is a backup). The outer layer of silk is hand-woven and then the panels are stitched together to form a one-piece covering. Because of the size and weight of this covering, it requires a backing material, which is also made of silk but is machine-woven. The focus of the kiswah is on the ornately embroidered band that circles the top of the Kabah and on the panels that cover the door. The text of the embroidery never varies-these are verses from the Quran-but the design and writing style may change, depending on the choice of the artists and calligraphers. The inscriptions are woven into the silk panels and then embroidered with yellow silk threads. This is followed by a second layer of embroidery with gold-plated silver thread which gives the inscriptions a raised, glittering look that is visible from a distance. The kiswah is replaced each year at the time of the hajj, or pilgrimage. At that time, the old kiswah is cut up into pieces and distributed to the pilgrims in Makkah.

Muslims believe that Adam built the original Kabah. The story of its reconstruction by Abraham and Ismael is told in the Quran. Prone to destruction by invaders and the elements, such as rain, hail and flash floods, the Kabah had been reconstructed several more times before the time of Muhammad (pbuh). The story of Muhammad's role in rebuilding the Kabah is known to most Muslims. The walls of the Kabah had cracked due to a flash flood. When it had been re-built and it was time to put the Black Stone in its place in the eastern wall, the main clans of the city could not agree on who would have the honor of putting the Black Stone back in its place. One man suggested that the next man to enter the gate would decide the matter. It was Muhammad, who had not yet received the call to prophethood, but was known among the people as "the trustworthy one". He proposed a solution whereby the Black Stone was placed on a cloak. The elders of each clan held a side of the cloak and carried it to the Kabah wall. Muhammad, himself, set the Black Stone in its place. Thus the Kabah was rebuilt and bloodshed avoided.

The latest reconstruction of the Kabah and its surroundings took place in 1996. Each year millions of Muslims travel to Makkah to see the Kabah and worship there either at the time of the annual hajj or on a smaller, personal pilgrimage. Simple though it is, the Kabah is their link to the Prophets of the past.