The Kaaba
The Kaaba is the center of the holiest place of worship
in Islam, the Sacred Mosque
of Mecca, Al Masjid Al-Haram in Saudi
Arabia. Its name means, “the cube” in Arabic, as it
is a cube-shaped stone structure built in the middle of the Sacred Mosque.
Tradition holds that the Kaaba was built by the prophet Abraham as a landmark for the House of God. Before the time of Muhammad,
Meccans who lost the religion of Abraham's monotheism, worshipped many
idols, most notable of which were al-Lat, al-Uzza and Manat.
The Kaaba is the center of the circumambulations performed
during the pilgrimage (hajj), and it is toward the Kaaba that
Muslims face in their prayers (salat).
The Kaaba is 50 ft. high, the shorter walls are about
35 ft long, and the longest walls are 40 ft. long. It is covered by
golden lettered and black silk cloth, known as the Kiswa, which is replaced
yearly. It contains the Hajar el Aswad (the sacred "Black Stone"),
which is presumed by most sources to be a meteorite remnant. The Black
Stone is located at one of its outside corners. It has been used by
the pilgrims as a landmark to count the number of cicumambulations.
Some traditional Muslims in defiance of their religion, consider the
stone holy and put emphasis on touching it and kissing it.
The actual structure of the Kaaba has been demolished
and rebuilt several times in the course of its history. Around the Kaaba
is a restricted area, haram, extending in some directions as far as
12 miles, into which only Muslims may enter.
Sources: Submission;
The
Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001; Wikpedia |