The Kaaba is also known as the ancient house or the sacred house. It is the most significant architectural piece of work in Islam. It is a building that is cuboid in shape and is located in Mecca, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Islam considers it as indeed the most sacred physical location on earth.al Masjid al Haram is deemed by Islam as the most sacred of mosques on the entire globe perhaps because it is built around this structure which is considered the most sacred site on the planet, the kaaba.it has been an age old tradition of Muslims to face the direction of the Kaaba during their prayers (Tarawele, Sanba, p.102). This is irrespective of one’s physical location on earth.it is mandatory to find one’s bearing in relation to the Kaaba and face the Kaaba during prayers.
Among the five pillars of Islam is the need to perform the pilgrimage known as the hajj pilgrimage. It is performed at least once in a lifetime if one is indeed able to do so. The hajj pilgrimage has multiple parts, and several of them state the requirement of the pilgrims to make the Tawaf. Tawaf is a process that involves circulating seven times in a counter clockwise direction around the Kaaba holy site. A similar circulation is also required of the pilgrims during the Umrah, which is also known as the lesser pilgrimage. During the hajj, it has become an age old tradition that millions of Muslim pilgrims surround the Kaaba and make these seven circulations simultaneously during the same day (Tarawele, Sanba, p.127). It is a very strenuous process and just goes to show the gravity of performing this pilgrimage in Islam and just how significant it actually I to the Muslim pilgrims who travel from practically all over the world and all walks of life to the Kaaba.
The Kaaba is considered by Muslims as the oldest site of worship in human history (Tarawele, Sanba, p.33). The Quran is very specific on the construction of the Kaaba and leaves little to the imagination. The Quran categorically states that Ibrahim and his son Ishmael constructed the Kaaba. The Quran also claims that the site of construction of the Kaaba was handpicked by Allah near the well of Zamzam. Construction of the Kaaba dates as far back as 2130 BC. Muslims also believe that upon completion of the construction of the Kaaba an angel brought prophet Ibrahim a black stone. Tradition claims that the black stone was of celestial origin and fell straight from heaven on the hill of Abu Qubays, which is near the physical construction site of the Kaaba. However, Prophet Muhammad asserts that the black stone had fallen down to earth straight from paradise. At the time of the descension of the stone, it was as white as could possibly be but the numerous sins attributed to humankind transformed it into the black color we know today. The black stone is still in existence today and is widely believed to be the only original remnant of the original Kaaba constructed by prophet Ibrahim and his son Ishmael (Tarawele, Sanba, p.153).
The black stone is placed on the eastern corner of the holy structure of the kaaba.it is believed to have been placed there by prophet Ibrahim himself who was then instructed by Allah to proclaim the news of the pilgrimage to the whole of mankind. This is believed to have been the source and inspirations behind the pilgrimages made to the Kaaba.
Works Cited
Tarawele, Isumayila Sanba. Kaaba. Bamako: SaheÌlienne, 2003. Print.
