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Encyclopedia > Ka'bah
This article forms part of the series
Islam
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The Kaaba or Ka'abah, is a building located inside the mosque known as Masjid al Haram in Mecca (Makkah). The mosque has been built around the Kaaba. The Kaaba is the holiest place in Islam. Islam (Arabic al-islām الإسلام,  listen) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion. ... It is sometimes difficult to separate concepts in Islam from concepts specific to Arab culture, from the language itself. ... The religion of Islam consists of faith (إيمان, īmān) and practice (دين, dīn). ... There is also a town called Shāhāda, which is now in Nandurbār district (formerly in Dhule district) in the northwest corner of Maharashtra state in India. ... Salah (other terms and spellings exist) (Arabic: صلاه , Old (Quran) Arabic: صلوة ) is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. ... Zakât (or Zakaat or Zakah) (Arabic: زكاة, Old (Quran) Arabic: زكوة) is the third of the Five Pillars of Islam. ... Ramadan or Ramadhan (Arabic: رمضان ) is the ninth month of the Islamic year. ... The Hajj or Haj is the Pilgrimage to Mecca (or, Makkah) and is the fifth of the Five Pillars of Islam. Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so is obliged to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime. ... Jihad (ǧihād جهاد) is an Arabic word which comes from the Arabic root word jahada, which means exerting utmost effort or to strive. The word connotes a wide range of meanings, from an inward spiritual struggle to attain perfect faith, to holy war. ... The term Sixth pillar of Islam refers to an addition to the Five Pillars of Islam; the five pillars of Islam explain the basic tenets of the Muslim faith. ... Muhammad is a common male name for Muslims. ... The Quran identifies a number of men as prophets of Islam. ... Caliph is the term or title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ... The Shia Imam is considered by the Shia sect of Islam to be the rightful successor to Muhammad, and is similar to the Caliph in Sunni Islam. ... The Mahdi (or Mehdi), in Islamic eschatology, is a man who will come at the end of the times. ... In the Islamic religion, the Sahaba (Asahaaba,الصحابه) are the companions of the Prophet Muhammad. ... This article is about the holy city in Saudi Arabia. ... This article is about the Saudi city of Medina. ... Jerusalem (Hebrew: יְרוּשָׁלַיִם Yerushalayim; Arabic: القدس al-Quds; see also names of Jerusalem) is an ancient Middle Eastern city of key importance to the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. ... Najaf (نجف in the Arabic language) is a city in Iraq, about 160 km south of Baghdad, located at 31. ... Karbalā (كربلاء; also transliterated as Kerbala or Kerbela) is a city in Iraq, located about 100 km southwest of Baghdad at 32. ... Kufa (الكوفة al-Kufa in Arabic) is a city in Iraq, about 170 km south of Baghdad, and 10 km northeast of Najaf. ... View of the Imami Shrine Kazimain or Al-Kazimiyah is a town located in Iraq that is now a neighborhood of Baghdad, located in the northern area of the city about 5 km from the center of the city. ... Imam Reza Shrine Tomb of Nader Shah Afshar, a popular tourist attraction in Mashad. ... The two Shiite mosques in Samarra A soldier descends a Minaret in Samarra, Iraq. ... For other uses see Hijra. ... The Islamic calendar or Muslim calendar is the calendar used to date events in predominately Muslim countries, and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Muslim holy days. ... The Islamic holiday of Eid ul-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر) marks the end of Ramadan. ... Eid ul-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى) is second in the series of Eid festivals that Muslims celebrate. ... 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See also Grand Mufti Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Mufti also refers to ordinary clothes, especially when worn by one who normally wears, or has long worn, a... Mullahs are Islamic clergy who have studied the Quran and the Hadith and are considered experts on related religious matters in this religion. ... Imam is an Arabic word meaning Leader. The ruler of a country might be called the Imam, for example. ... Ayatollah (Arabic: آية الله; Persian: آیت‌الله) is a high title given to major Shia clergymen. ... A marja is the second highest authority on religion and law in Shia Islam after the (Shia) Imam. ... The Quran (Arabic al-qurʾān أَلْقُرآن; its literal meaning is the recitation and is often called Al Quran Al Karim: The Noble Quran, also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ... The Hadith (الحديث, pl. ... The Arabic word Sunnah (سنة) means “way” or “custom”, and therefore, the sunnah of the prophet means “the way of the prophet”, or what is commonly known as Prophet’s traditions. ... Islamic jurisprudence, Fiqh (in Arabic and Persian: فقه) is made up of the rulings of Islamic scholars to direct the lives of the Muslim faithful. ... A fatwa (Arabic: فتوى) plural fataawa, is a legal pronouncement in Islam, issued by a religious law specialist on a specific issue. ... Sharia (Arabic شريعة also Sharia, Shariah or Syariah) is traditional Islamic law. ... Madhhab(مذهب) (Madhahib, pl) is an Islamic term that refers to a school of thought or religious jurisprudence (fiqh) within Sunni Islam. ... The term Kalam can refer to: A President of India, Abdul Kalam Islamic theology This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Hanafi is one of the four schools (madhabs) of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. ... Hanbali is one of the four schools (Maddhabs) of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. ... Twelvers or the Ithna Asharia are members of the group of Shias who believe in twelve Imams. ... It differs from the 3 other schools of law mainly on the sources it uses for derivation of rulings. ... Shafii is one of the four schools of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. ... The Asharite school of early Muslim philosophy were instrumental in drastically changing the direction of Islamic philosophy, separating its development drastically from that of philosophy in the Christian world. ... In Islam, one who follows Abu Mansur Al Maturidis theology, which is a close variant of Ashari school of thought. ... During the early centuries of Islam, Muslim thought encountered a multitude of infuences from various ethnic and philosophical groups that it absorbed. ... Mutazili (Arabic المعتزلة) is an extinct theological school of thought within Islam. ... Shia Islam (Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite or Shiite) is the second largest Islamic denomination; some 10-15% of all Muslims are said to follow a Shia tradition. ... Kharijites were members of an Islamic sect in late 7th and early 8th century AD, concentrated in todays southern Iraq. ... Twelvers or the Ithna Asharia are members of the group of Shias who believe in twelve Imams. ... Introduction The Ismaili (Persian: اسماعیلیان Esmâiliyân) branch of Islam is the second largest Shia community, after the Twelvers who are dominant in Iran. ... Zaidiyah (also: Zaidi, Zaydi, or in the West Fivers) refers to a sect within Shia Islam. ... Alawite is a Middle Eastern Syria. ... Alevis are a branch of Islam, related to Shia Islam and practised mainly in (majority Sunni) Turkey, among both Turks and Kurds. ... Al-Ibadhiyah is a form of Islam distinct from the Shiite and Sunni sects. ... This article is about religious concept of Messiah. ... Ahmadi Muslims, or Ahmadiyya, are followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. ... Zikri is a small Islamic sect that is concentrated in Balochistan. ... Sufism (Arabic تصوف taṣawwuf) is a system of esoteric philosophy commonly associated with Islam. ... Wahhabism (sometimes spelled Wahabbism or Wahabism) is a movement of Islam named after Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab (1703–1792). ... A Salafi (Arabic سلفي lit. ... In modern times there have been a number of liberal movements within Islam (sometimes called in Arabic: الإسلام الإجتهادية or interpretation-based Islam, also الإسلام المتقدمة or Progressive Islam). These generally denote religious outlooks which depend mainly on ijtihad or re-interpretations of scriptures. ... The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious and political organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930 with a declared aim of resurrecting the spiritual, mental, social and economic condition of the Black man and woman of America and the world. ... The Nation of Gods and Earths, commonly known as the Five Percent Nation or the Five Percenters are an African-American social/ religious movement founded in Harlem in the late 1960s by Clarence 13X. Spawned from a combination of teachings of by Malcolm X and The Nation of Islam, the... The Druze ( Arabic: duruzī درزي, pl. ... The room where The Báb declared His mission on May 23, 1844 in His house in Shiraz. ... Known in India as the Lotus Temple, the Bahai House of Worship attracts an average of three and a half million visitors a year. ... The Yezidi or Yazidi (Kurdish; Êzidî) are adherents of a small Middle Eastern religion with ancient origins. ... The Golden Temple is the most important sacred shrine for Sikhs Sikhism comes from the word Sikh, which means a strong and able disciple. ... A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ... Masjid al Haram The Masjid al Haram is a mosque in the city of Mecca (or Makkah). It is considered by Muslims to be the holiest place on Earth and is the focal point of the hajj pilgrimage required of all able-bodied Muslims as one of the Five Pillars... This article is about the holy city in Saudi Arabia. ... Islam (Arabic al-islām الإسلام,  listen) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion. ...

Contents

Physical attributes of the Kaaba

The Kaaba is a large masonry building in the shape of a cube. It is made of granite from the hills near Mecca. The structure is 50 ft. high (15.24 m), 35 ft. (10.67 m) wide, and 40 ft. long (12.19 m) long. It is covered by a black silk cloth decorated with gold-embroidered calligraphy. This cloth is known as the kiswa; it is replaced yearly. [1]  (http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/02/11/1044725746252.html) [2]  (http://members.tripod.com/worldupdates/newupdates10/id43.htm) Three dimensions A cube (or hexahedron) is a Platonic solid composed of six square faces, with three meeting at each vertex. ... Silk (< OE sioloc probably < L. SERICVS / Gr. ... A variety of fabric. ... The Black Stone (called Al-Hajarul Aswad in Arabic) is one of the most sacred holy relics in Islam. ...

One of the cornerstones of the Kaaba is the Hajar el Aswad (the sacred "Black Stone"), which is presumed by most sources to be a meteorite remnant. The Kaaba in Makkah File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Black Stone (called Al-Hajarul Aswad in Arabic) is one of the most sacred holy relics in Islam. ... The Black Stone (called Al-Hajarul Aswad in Arabic) is one of the most sacred holy relics in Islam. ... Worlds second largest Meteorite in Culiacan, Mexico A meteorite is a relatively small extra-terrestrial body that reaches the Earths surface. ...


Inside the Kaaba, there is a marble floor. The interior walls are clad with marble half-way to the roof; tablets with Quranic inscriptions are inset in the marble. The top part of the walls is covered with a green cloth decorated with gold embroidered Quranic verses. Lamps hang from a cross beam; there is also a small table for incense burners. The building is otherwise empty. The caretakers perfume the marble cladding with scented oil, the same oil used to anoint the Black Stone outside. The Black Stone (called Al-Hajarul Aswad in Arabic) is one of the most sacred holy relics in Islam. ...


The cleaning of the Kaaba

The building is opened twice a year for a ceremony known as "the cleaning of the Ka'aba." This ceremony takes place roughly fifteen days before the start of Ramadan and the same period of time before the start of the annual pilgrimage. The keys to the Ka'aba are held by the Sheibani family. Members of the family greet visitors to the inside of the Ka'aba on the occasion of the cleaning ceremony. A small number of dignatories and foreign diplomats are invited to participate in the ceremony. The Governor of Mecca leads the honored guests who ritually clean the structure, using simple brooms.


History of the Kaaba

At the time of Muhammad, his tribe, the Quraysh was in charge of the Kaaba, which was at that time a shrine to numerous Arabian tribal gods. Desert tribesmen, the Bedouin, and inhabitants of other cities would join the annual pilgimage, to worship and to trade. Caravan-raiding, common during the rest of the year, was suspended during the pilgrimage; this was a good time, then, for travel and trade. Muhammad is a common male name for Muslims. ... Quraish (sura) is also the name of a Surah in the Quran. ... Bedouin resting at Mount Sinai Bedouin, derived from the Arabic badawi بدوي, a generic name for a desert-dweller, is a term generally applied to Sahara via the Western Desert, Sinai, and Negev to the eastern coast of the Arabian desert. ...


Muhammad, preaching the doctrines of one God (in Arabic, Allah) and the threat of the Day of Judgment, did not at first have much success in the city of Mecca. The Quraysh persecuted and harassed him continuously, and he and his followers eventually fled to Medina, in 622 C.E. After this pivotal flight, or Hijra, the Muslim community became a political and military force. In 630 C.E., Muhammad and his followers returned to Mecca as conquerors, and the Kaaba was re-dedicated as an Islamic house of worship. Henceforth the annual pilgrimage was to be a Muslim rite, the Hajj. The term God is ordinarily used to designate a singular, universal Supreme Being. ... An example of aḷḷāhu written in simple Arabic calligraphy For the town in Nigeria see Allah (town in Nigeria) Allah (Arabic aḷḷāhu الله) is traditionally used by Muslims as the Arabic word for God (not Gods personal name, but the equivalent of the Hebrew word El as opposed to... This article is about the Saudi city of Medina. ... Hijra may refer to: Hijra (Hegira/Hijrah/Hejira) is an Arabic term referring to the migration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622. ... The Hajj or Haj is the Pilgrimage to Mecca (or, Makkah) and is the fifth of the Five Pillars of Islam. Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so is obliged to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime. ...


According to the Qur'an, the Kaaba was built by the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ishmael [3]  (http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/002.qmt.html#002.127). Academic scholars will only say that it is a pre-Islamic house of worship. The Quran (Arabic al-qurʾān أَلْقُرآن; its literal meaning is the recitation and is often called Al Quran Al Karim: The Noble Quran, also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ... Abraham (אַבְרָהָם Father/Leader of many, Standard Hebrew Avraham, Tiberian Hebrew ʾAḇrāhām; Arabic ابراهيم Ibrāhīm) is the patriarch of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. ... For Daniel Quinns book Ishmael, see Ishmael (novel) Ishmael in Islam Arabic إسماعيل , In the Quran, Ishmael is known as the first-born son of Abraham from Hagar and an appointed Prophet of God (also mentioned in the Bible). ...


The Qibla and prayer

At prayer in Damascus

The Qibla, for any point of reference on the Earth, is the direction of the Kaaba. In Muslim religious practice, supplicants must face this direction in prayer. Faithful praying towards Makkah; Umayyad Mosque, Damascus. ... Faithful praying towards Makkah; Umayyad Mosque, Damascus. ... Categories: Islam-related stubs ...


It should be noted that Muslims do not worship the Kaaba or its contents, any more than Christians worship churches or crosses; the Kaaba is simply a focal point for prayer.


The Qibla points along the shortest path to the Kaaba. Because the Earth is approximately spherical, this path will be a great circle such as airplanes fly. The location of the Kaaba (at 21° 25′ 24″ N 39° 49′ 24″ E (http://kvaleberg.com/extensions/mapsources/index.php?params=21_25_24_N_39_49_24_E_)) can be used together with spherical geometry to determine the Qibla for any given point on the Earth. A great circle is a circle on the surface of a sphere that has the same diameter as the sphere, dividing the sphere into two equal hemispheres. ... Spherical geometry is the geometry of the two-dimensional surface of a sphere. ...


In ancient times, Muslims traveling abroad used an astrolabe to find the Qibla. For the ship of Dumont dUrville, see Astrolabe A 15th century astrolabe. ...


In the early years of Islam, Muslims used to pray towards the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (and it is therefore called the First of the Two Qiblas). During Muhammad's exile in Medina, the Qibla was changed to the Kaaba, where it has remained ever since. Some academic scholars have attributed this change in the direction of prayer to a rift between Muhammad and the Jews in Medina. Islam (Arabic al-islām الإسلام,  listen) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion. ... The Temple Mount or Noble Sanctuary (Hebrew: הר הבית Har HaBayit, Arabic: الحرم الشريف Al-Haram As-Sharif), is a hotly contested religious site in the old city of Jerusalem. ... Jerusalem (Hebrew: יְרוּשָׁלַיִם Yerushalayim; Arabic: القدس al-Quds; see also names of Jerusalem) is an ancient Middle Eastern city of key importance to the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. ...


See also

Masjid al Haram The Masjid al Haram is a mosque in the city of Mecca (or Makkah). It is considered by Muslims to be the holiest place on Earth and is the focal point of the hajj pilgrimage required of all able-bodied Muslims as one of the Five Pillars... The Black Stone (called Al-Hajarul Aswad in Arabic) is one of the most sacred holy relics in Islam. ... Categories: Islam-related stubs ... The Hajj or Haj is the Pilgrimage to Mecca (or, Makkah) and is the fifth of the Five Pillars of Islam. Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so is obliged to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime. ...

External links

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