Kaaba

As the sun rises over Mecca on Sunday July 18, up to 60,000 pilgrims dressed in customary white robes called Ihram will begin their five-day long spiritual journey to seek forgiveness for past sins and start anew before God. The Hajj is is one of the five pillars of Islam and a once-in-a-lifetime duty for all able-bodied Muslims to perform if they can afford it. Before the coronavirus pandemic, some 2.5 million pilgrims would descend on Mecca for the annual Hajj. However, this year, like 2020, no foreign pilgrims will attend the Hajj after Saudi Arabia restricted the annual pilgrimage to a maximum of 60,000 vaccinated citizens and residents between the ages of 18 and 65. Mecca from the sky Central to the Muslim pilgrimage is the Grand Mosque of Mecca which houses the Kaaba, a cube-shaped structure elegantly draped in black silk with verses of the Quran woven into it with gold and silver threads. Muslims believe that the prophet Abraham and his son, Ishmael built the Kaaba as the house of God. The structure has been built and rebuilt several times with the last major renovation taking place in 1996 to strengthen its foundation. Wherever they are in the world, Muslims face the direction of the Kaaba when performing their prayers. To accommodate the millions of pilgrims who normally attend the annual pilgrimage, the grounds of the Grand Mosque have expanded considerably over the past few decades. In 2019, Saudi Arabia announced that it had received more than 95 million pilgri...

The guardianship of the Kaaba is still inherited by the sons of Shaybah and their successors. A tradition that has been instituted by the Prophet after the conquest of Mecca, the eighth year after Hijra. Following which, he entrusted the key of the city to Uthman Ibn Abi Talha and deemed the caretaking of the Kaaba to be uniquely and eternally bestowed upon the line of the sons of Shaybah. The prophet’s words were: “Take it, Oh Bani Talha, eternally up to the Day of Resurrection, and it will not be taken from you unless by an unjust, oppressive tyrant.” This, in turn explains why this tradition has been inherited by the sons of Shaybah and their successors till present times. Islamic scholar and researcher Mohi Eddin al-Hashemi, who specializes in the two Holy Mosques, notes that the story of the guardianship of the holy Kaaba had been first instituted during the times of the Prophet Ibrahim. During which, God ordered the Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail to raise the foundations of the Kaaba. Hence, initiating the tradition and the guardianship of the Kaaba. The latter includes the maintenance of all matters related to the al-Musharrafah (Holy Kaaba) ranging from its opening and closing it, to preserving its immaculacy as well as monitoring its visitors. Monitoring all affairs related to the Holy Kaaba also comprises the supervision of the mausoleum of the Prophet Ibrahim. أثناء تسليم قفل الكعبة الجديد للشيخ عبدالقادر الشيبي من أمير منطقة مكة خالد الفيصل The first careta...

Why is the Kaaba important to muslims? Located near the centre of the Masjid Al-Haram, also known as the Great Mosque of Mecca in Saudia Arabia, the Holy Kaaba beholds great significance in Islam. Literally meaning ‘cube’ in Arabic, the Kaaba is a square-shaped shrine elegantly draped in a black-coloured cotton and silk veil. The Holy Kaaba measures ten and a half metres in breadth and length and fifteen metres in height. Muslims cherish the aspiration of visiting it for the annual Hajj pilgrimage or Umrah and Muslims turn themselves towards the Holy Kaaba every day while performing the five compulsory congregational prayers in accordance with Allah (SWT)’s command as stated in the Holy Quran. Other names of the Holy Kaaba include Bait-al-Haram meaning the Sacred House, and Bait-al-Atiq referring to the Kaaba as the Ancient House. Keep reading to learn Table of Contents • • • • • • • • • • • What Makes the Kaaba So Important? Though the Moreover, the importance of the Kaaba is proven by the fact that it is known as the Qibla. In simpler words, it is the direction that Muslims worldwide face while performing the daily prayers (Salaat). Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, and therefore it is compulsory for every financially and physically stable Muslim to perform it at least once in their lifetime. Upon arriving in Mecca, Muslim pilgrims gather in the courtyard of the Great Mosque, commonly known as Masjid Al-Haram, around the Holy Kaaba. Muslims are then directed to perform ...

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We offer three experiences to help you find the exact location of the Kaaba. The first is the coolest of the three with AR (augmented reality). We teleport you directly from your home to being in Masjid Al-Haram where you can look around to find exactly where the Kaaba would be. The second is the standard qibla direction compass. A simple and effective way to find the prayer direction. The last is for desktops and computers since they don’t have GPS capabilities. See the exact distance from your house to the mosque as well as the qibla compass angle. Not Working? If you’re having issues with all three applications, you will likely need to allow location permissions to the website, as they may have been disabled. The app uses the GPS in your phone to orient you towards the Kaaba (Lat 21.4224779 Long 39.8251832). None of your location data is stored outside the app and you can always disable permissions. Note: if you are on a desktop computer or laptop and try to select either (1) Augmented reality or (2) old-school compass. It will redirect you to the desktop version. Please try again from your phone for best experience.

Muslim worshippers pray at the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca, June 23, during the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan. According to Islamic tradition, the cube-shaped structure was originally built by Abraham and is considered by Muslims to be the house of God. BANDAR ALDANDANI/AFP/Getty Images The faith of up to 1.8 billion people, roughly a quarter of the world's population, dictates each one of them pray five times a day in the direction of a small, cubic building in Saudi Arabia. This sacred structure situated in the center of Islam's holiest site is called the Kaaba, and its long, rich history predates the religion itself. The Kaaba, meaning "cube" in Arabic, is considered by Muslims to be the house of God; it rests within the Grand Mosque of Mecca. Beginning Wednesday, nearly 1.5 million people will flock to the sacred city in order to pray toward and touch the structure as part of the annual Islamic pilgrimage known as Hajj. The patterns of this spiritual journey are based on a visit to the site by Islamic Prophet Muhammad in 632, but like the Kaaba itself, the rituals themselves can be traced far back to the time of Abraham, whose tradition is the basis for Islam, Christianity and Judaism and who is believed to have built the Kaaba on a site originally founded by Adam and Eve. Related: "The Kaaba was a sanctuary in pre-Islamic times. Muslims believe that Abraham—known as Ibrahim in the Islamic tradition...

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