In the city of Mecca, there is a Masjid al-Haram mosque (which means "temple sanctuary"). And in the courtyard of this building is the main shrine of the entire Muslim world - the ancient Kaaba. Saudi Arabia, on the territory of which the mosque is located, receives millions of pious pilgrims arriving in Mecca in order to perform the hajj every year. A person who circumvents the Kaaba (performs tawaf) will be cleansed of his sins. The most pious is considered to touch the main relic - the Black Stone, mounted in the wall of this building. The person who performed the hajj (pilgrimage) to the Kaaba is respected by Muslims. After all, the faces of all the people performing the prayer of prayer are turned in her direction. About who and when built the Kaaba, read in this article.
Story
In the era of the Gentiles, many nations worshiped stones. Suffice it to recall Stonehenge in the UK, menhirs and dolmens scattered throughout Europe and the Middle East. Black stone is a meteorite. Therefore, its very heavenly origin made him an object of worship. In the pagan era, he and other stones were collected in the main temple of Hijaz. This first Kaaba was rectangular. In the center of the pagan temple was Khubala - a stone statue of a man with a golden hand. He was the god of thunder and rain, the lord of heaven. For many tribes that inhabited the ancient city of Mecca (Saudi Arabia), the Kaaba was considered a holy place. Near the temple, it was impossible even to quarrel, not to mention shedding blood. The prophet Muhammad who came to Mecca ordered that all idols be thrown out of the Kaaba, except for the Black Stone. Now it is called Al-Hajar al-Aswad. This stone is mounted at a height of one and a half meters in the eastern corner of the cubic Kaaba. Only a small piece of it is visible to pious pilgrims (16.5 by 20 centimeters).
The Koran's Tradition of the Kaaba
It is believed that the first temple was built by heavenly angels in time immemorial. Therefore, in the Muslim world, the Kaaba (Saudi Arabia) has a different name - Bayt al-Atek, which means "the most ancient." Then the temple was built to worship God Adam and the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham). The latter was helped by the son of Ismail, the ancestor of all Arabs. In the place where Ibrahim stood during the construction of the mosque, the feet of the prophet were imprinted in stone. This is also a monument and an object of worship in the Kaaba. When the Prophet Muhammad was 25 years old (605 AD), a flash flood destroyed the temple. Cracked walls were restored by the Quraish tribe. They did not have the funds for a complete reconstruction, and they replaced the rectangular building with a shorter one - cubic. From this Arabic word الكعبة and takes its name Kaaba. It simply means “cube”. Another name for the Kaaba is Al-Bayt al-Haram. Translated from Arabic, it means "sacred house."
Mosque and Kaaba
When the cubic structure became the object of worship of all Muslim believers, the role of Mecca increased. Indeed, in this city the prophet Muhammad was born. Around the Kaaba, the Masjid al-Haram Sanctuary Mosque was erected. Both the shrine and the temple were repeatedly reconstructed. The mosque was in particular need of restoration. After all, the flow of pilgrims increased from year to year. To accommodate all of them, the temple was constantly expanding. In 1953, the mosque was equipped with electric lighting and fans. In 2007, the courtyard on which the Kaaba rises was expanded. Saudi Arabia has invested a lot of money to increase the “throughput” of the shrine to one hundred and thirty bypasses (tawafs) per hour. Now the mosque is able to accommodate about one and a half million believers. It is equipped with smoke detectors, air conditioners and other modern protective equipment.
What is the Kaaba?
Saudi Arabia is proud that the main shrine of Islam is located on its territory. After all, the Kaaba is a guide (qibla). To her five times a day all Muslims turn their faces, performing a prayer. However, I must say that this is not an ideal cube. Parameters of the Kaaba: 12.86 m long, 11.03 m wide at a height of 13, 1 meter. Its corners are strictly oriented at the ends of the world. The shrine of Islam Kaaba is made of polished granite and rests on a marble base. It is constantly covered with Kiswa - a bedspread made of black silk. Among other shrines, one should mention Makam Ibrahim (footprints of the prophet) and Hijr Ismail, the tomb of the saint and his mother Hagar.
Kaaba: what's inside
The cubic structure has a generously decorated door with a gold frame. It rises at a height of two and a half meters from the ground. Twice a year (two weeks before the onset of Ramadan and for the same period before the beginning of the Hajj), a ladder is put up to her. The door key is kept by the local Bani Puck family. According to legend, the founder of the clan received it from the prophet Muhammad himself. But they let inside only the most honored guests. This is the mysterious Kaaba. What's inside? - Many people ask such a question. Muslims call their shrine another name - Bayt Ullah. This translates to "the house of God." And Allah, as you know, lives in a different world. Therefore, the interior room is empty.
Kaaba Cleansing
This ceremony, as already indicated, takes place twice a year. Obligations to keep the shrine in order lie with members of the Bani Shaiba family. They wash the entire structure outside and inside with special water with rose oil. Kiswa is changed once a year. On the ninth or tenth day of the month Zu-l-hijj. The old bedspread is cut into pieces and distributed to the pilgrims. New Kiswa is woven in a special factory. She releases only this coverlet. The Holy Kaaba is not a pagan idol. Rather, it symbolizes the celestial axis around which angels make a round-tawaf. In conclusion, it must be added that the Saudi authorities prohibit access to Mecca for people who are not Muslims.