Group+2.2+The+Kaba'a

**The Kaba'a (Ka'ba or Kaaba) **
=**Introduction** =



**The kaaba was created in the shape of a cube. It is covered by a black cloth, which is replaced yearly (see figure 1). According to tradition the cloth is referred to as "kiswah". The kaaba is located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and was once rebuilt by Abraham and his son Ishmael. Outside the Kaaba is a Mosque, which was built around it called "Masjid al-Haram". This mosque which holds the kaaba is known as a site for prayer. The most well known entrance into the kaaba is on the northwest side through a door that is 2.13 meters above ground. Inside there is marble all over. This includes the floor and walls, almost to the roof of the landmark. Those who help the kaaba maintain it's physical appearance spray a scented oil onto the marbled floors, this helps administer the famous black stone. Also, inside the kaaba there is a table that is used by Muslims to burn incense, and lamps that hang. The staircase has a makeup of wood and is also portable (on wheels). Prayer within the the kaaba is as frequent as five times a day. Prayer occurs in concentric circles. Every known muslim is said to have gathered outside the sacred kaaba. **



**Twice a year there is a ceremony known as "The Cleaning of The Kaaba", this ceremony starts thirty days before the Ramadan (see figure 2). The Ramadan is the month where the Islamic fast, this last approximately 30 days. The Bani Shayba tribe are said to hold the keys to the Kaaba, and during the cleaning ceremony they often greet visitors. This assignment was given to them by the great Muhammad. The kaaba was known as the holy house. It is also the home of the black stone, which is very sacred within the Islamic world. The kaaba is the center of rituals performed during the haij; the Qu'ran mentions the following about the kaaba: **

**//[Quran 2:125] We have rendered the shrine (the Ka'aba) a focal point for the people, and a safe sanctuary. You may use Abraham's shrine as a prayer house. We commissioned Abraham and Ismail: "You shall purify My house for those who visit, those who live there, and those who bow and prostate." //**


 * //Written by: Adreaquos (Rico) Holman //**


 * References: **


 * "The Ka'ba - Mecca, Saudi Arabia." //Sacred Sites at Sacred Destinations - Explore Sacred Sites, Religious Sites, Sacred Places//. Web. 16 Mar. 2011. .**


 * "Kaaba." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 16 Mar. 2011. .**


 * "The History of Kaaba As A Place Of Worship-Hajj-Pilgrimage, Umrah, Mecca-Saudi-Arabia-Free-download-Comprehensive Review of Hajj Ritual- Medina,Prophet Muhammed's Last Sermon-Ka'bah, Kabah and Caaba-kaaba-history-bakka-becca-bakkah-bakah-A Historical Event. Prophet Muhammed's Last Sermon-Farewell Pilgrimage-laws-fatwa-Quran, Qur'an, Koran, Islam-Submission-Muhammed-Allah-Qur'an-Koran-Quran Medina-scholars-Moslem-Moslems-Muslim-Muslims-Submitters-translation-English-issues-abortion, Polygamy-marriage-girls-Hijab-Khimar-veil Translation-English-Holy-book Muhammed-Mohammed-Sunna-Hadiths-Shiites-Ahmadayya-Bahaii Allah-God-women-Jihad-terrorism-Jews-Christians Ramadan-fast,-Zakat-charity-Salat- Books-hadiths-sunna Prophet Muhammed's Last Sermon-Farewell Pilgrimage-laws-fatwa-Quran, Qur'an, Koran, Islam-Submission-Muhammed-Allah-Qur'an-Koran-Quran Medina-scholars-Moslem-Moslems-Muslim-Muslims-Submitters-translation-English-issues-abortion, Polygamy-marriage-girls-Hijab-Khimar-veil Translation-English-Holy-book Muhammed-Mohammed-Sunna-Hadiths-Shiites-Ahmadayya-Bahaii Allah-God-women-Jihad-terrorism-Jews-Christians Prophet Muhammed's Last Sermon-Farewell Pilgrimage-laws-fatwa-Quran, Qur'an, Koran,." Web. 16 Mar. 2011. .**

**History**

**There is no exact date of when the Kaaba was first constructed, but based on the Quran it is believed to have first been created by the Prophet Adam in the deserts known now as Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Allah directed Adam to create a cubed shaped house on earth to represent the House of Heaven where the people could pray and worship god. Around 1892BC Abraham and his son Ishmael were told by Allah to rebuild the Kaaba on its original foundation.**

// **[Quran; 2:127] As Abraham raised the foundations of the shrine, together with Ismail (they prayed): "Our Lord, accept this from us. You are the Hearer, the Omniscient.** //


**A while after it was built Abraham his wife and frist son went to the desert where he left them. To Muslims this occasion represents teh first Hajj. The Hajj is the annually pilgrimage to Mecca, (Saudi Arabia that is a religious duty for every Muslim to do once in his life. Around the time of Abraham's death non-believers of Islam took control of the Kaaba and ruled for hundreds of years. Around the world at this tiem polytheism was in teh majority so it wasn't to difficulty to maintain control once they had it. By the time of the Qurayshs rule the Kaaba had over 350 idols that represented different gods from many different countries around the world.**




 * In 630AD the Qurayshs broke the ten year peace treaty with Muhammad's peoples by sneak attacking them. In response, that same year Muhammad's conquered his old tribe and rededicated teh Kaaba to their one god, Allah. Since this time the Kaaba has been dedicated to no other god and for no other purpose than the Hajj.**

//By: Musu Kamara// ** References ** Akramulla Syed (March 2010.) “Dhu Al-Hijjah” Islamicoccasions.com []


 * The Black Stone**

**﻿**

 * The Black Stone is an artifact in the center of Grand Mosque, which dates back to the time of Adam and Eve according to Islamic tradition. Black Stone is known as “ //al-Hajaru-l-Aswad”.// It is a very dark rock cemented in to a silver frame in the side of Kaaba. It is also huge in size. After visiting Kaaba in 1853, Sir Richard Francis Button provided a good description of the Stone: **
 * “ The color appeared to me black and metallic, and the center of the stone was sunk about two inches below the metallic circle. Round the sides was a reddish brown **


 * cement, almost level with the metal, and sloping down to the middle of the stone. The band is now a massive arch of gold or silver gilt. I found the aperture in which the **


 * stone is, one span and three fingers broad.” **


 * According to Muslim belief, the Black Stone descended from Paradise. It was “whiter than milk” when it first landed, but the sins of Adam made it turn into black. Then, after an angel spoke to him and gave the order, prophet **

[[image:black_stone align="right" caption="black_stone"]]

 * Abraham instituted the rite of the stone in the Pilgrimage at Mecca. **
 * Despite its historical importance, the Black Stone also has a significant role in the Tawaf ritual of the Hajj. While they circle the Kaaba as a part of the Tawaf, many of the pilgrims try to emulate Prophet Muhammad’s kiss by stopping and kissing the Black Stone; if they cannot reach it because of the enormous crowd, they point it every each circuit around the Kaaba. It is also claimed by some references that the Black Stone is the best way to keep track of one’s ritual circumambulations known as tawaf. **


 * On the other hand, some references argue that pagans before Islam had worshipped the Black Stone. Even though Prophet Muhammad did not approve idolatry, he continued the ritual. The debate between two sides about whether kissing the Black Stone is idolatry or not continues even today. [[image:bs_1 caption="bs_1"]] **


 * By Ihsan Siral(A42843181) **

**WORK CITED**

 * **Sharafuddin, Abdus-Samad. "Perform Hajj - The Black Stone An Idol? The Pilgrimage A Pagan Rite?" //Perform Hajj - A Muslim's Pilgrimage to Mecca// . Web. 13 Mar. 2011. < [|http://www.performhajj.com/blackstone_an_idol.php]>.**
 * **Rahman, Fazlur. "Kaaba, Ka'aba, Black Stone, Hajr-e-aswad." //Public Services - Social, Religious, Scientific, Products, Environment// . 1997. Web. 14 Mar. 2011. < [|http://mb-soft.com/believe/txh/kaaba.htm]>.**


 * __The Hajj __ **


 * The Hajj and the Kaaba are two things that are interrelated and to understand the importance of the Kaaba you must first understand why the Kaaba is so important to Muslims around the world. Below will give a detailed account of the Hajj and how it is related to the Kaaba and why it attracts millions of visitors yearly. **


 * __Description of the 5 Pillars __ **
 * The Hajj is the fifth pillar of islam but before you can understand the Hajj you must first be familiar with the first four pillars. The first pillar of Islam is “Faith”, this comes from two basic beliefs and declarations shared by all Muslims and are known as the “Shahada”. The first declaration states that “there is no god except god” the actual Arabic phrase for this is “la ilaha illa Llah”. The idea behind this statement is that each faithful Muslim must put god before everything else including wealth, power and anything else. They believe that god led to the creation of all that is. The second declaration acknowledges “Muhammad as the true messenger of god” and in Arabic is pronounced “Muhammadun rasulu’Llah”. The importance of this declaration is that it states that the word of god was passed through a human being just like any follower of Islam. It creates an unspoken bond between a normal follower of Islam and Allah. These two declarations make up the “Shahada” and complete the first pillar of Islam. **


 * The second pillar of Islam is “Prayer”. In order to fulfill the second pillar of Islam and Muslim must pray five times a day and must recite certain selected prayers from the Quran, these prayers are known as the Salat. Unlike many other major religions there are no priests or any hierarchy of authority in the Islamic religion so the daily prayers are led by an individual that is selected by the congregation and that has a vast knowledge of the Quran. The prayers serve as a “direct link” between each Muslim and God. Before each prayer session the call to prayer is announced, a translation of the call to prayer is as follows: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">“ God is most great. God is most great. **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">God is most great. God is most great. **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I testify that there is no god except God. **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I testify that there is no god except God. **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God. **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God. **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Come to prayer! Come to prayer! **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Come to success (in this life and the Hereafter)! **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Come to success! **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">God is most great. God is most great. **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">There is no god except God.” **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The third Pillar of Islam is known as the “Zakat”, this term literally translates to purification and growth. This pillar revolves around that belief that all things belong to god and that wealth is held by human beings in trust. To fulfill the duty of the third pillar a Muslim must set aside a certain portion of their wealth to be spread between less fortunate Muslims. This act is usually done once a year and is approximately 2.5% of a person’s total wealth. Some Muslims go above and beyond the required 2.5% though and practices what is called “sadaqa” which translates to “voluntary charity”. In the religion of Islam charity is taught as a “necessity” and is not just measured in monetary value, charity can be as simple and smiling at another person while passing them in the street. **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The Fourth Pillar of Islam is the fast; this is done during the month of Ramadan. During this time Muslims refrain from eating, drinking or having sex during the hours between sun up through sunset. There are several exceptions to this Pillar though, if you are elderly, pregnant or on a journey you are allowed to forego the fast at that time and make up the days you missed at a later point in time. If a person is physically incapable of making up the fast they are permitted to feed a hungry person for everyday of the fast that they miss as an alternative option. **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The Fifth and final pillar of Islam is known as the pilgrimage which is formally known as the Hajj. The Hajj is the obligation for those Muslims who are physically and financially capable of making the journey once in their life to the Holy City of Mecca where the Kabba ( the birthplace of Islam) is located. The Hajj takes place in the 12 month of the Islamic calendar and usually draws around 2 Million Muslims from all around the world. **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Rituals of the Hajj __ **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">During the Hajj once you reach the great Kaaba there are several rituals that each Muslim takes part in. The first is the Circumambulation of the Kaaba, this is when a Muslim walks counter clockwise around the Kaaba 7 times while attempting to touch the black stone. This is done to remember the search of Hajar for water. The next ritual is standing at Arafat, this is done during the ninth day of the month. On this day Muslims go to a large field located outside of Mecca and listen to a sermon that is delivered from the top of mount Arafat. This is done because Muhammad gave his final sermon to his followers at this spot. After this Muslims on the participating in the Hajj spend a night outside at a place called Muzdalifah which is also near Meccah. The next ritual that Muslims participate in during the Hajj is known as stoning the devil, they throw a total of seven stones at three different spots while saying “allah is the greatest”. These three spots are believed to be the locations where the Devil attempted to temp Ismail the son of Abraham. After the stones are thrown the next ritual is to sacrifice an animal, usually it is a sheep or goat. Now days most Muslims pay another person to slaughter an animal on their behalf and are provided with documentation of the sacrifice on their behalf. After the sacrifice you must repeat the circumambulation of the Kaaba another 7 times in a counter clockwise direction. After the circumambulation is completed for the second time Muslims then proceed to drink water from the Zamzam well which is located within the great mosque, this is due to the belief that god provided this water to Hajar and Ismail on their journey through the desert. The last ritual of the Hajj is the prayer at the station of Abraham, the significance of this last ritual is the Muslims pray in the location that Ibrahim and Ismail are believed to have prayed after the building of the Kaaba. These are the rituals that are performed by all Muslims during the Hajj to the Kabba. **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">By: Thomas Pinkerton

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">References: **

 * //History of Kaaba// . (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2011, from Submission.org: [|http://www.submission.org/hajj/kaaba.html] **
 * //Rituals of the Hajj// . (2009, June 9). Retrieved March 14, 2011, from Al-bab: [|http://www.al-bab.com/arab/background/hajj.htm] **
 * Uthaimeen, S. M.-S. (n.d.). //How to Perform the Rituals of Hajj and Umrah.// Retrieved March 14, 2011, from Umah.net: [|http://www.ummah.net/hajj/rituals/index.html#Notification] **


 * Photos: **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">[|http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://authorshive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/5-pillars-of-islam1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://authorshive.com/2011/01/09/a-short-introduction-of-islam/&usg=__qNqKPumFlugWf-OUkTnp_P-6hOE=&h=463&w=709&sz=51&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=HWT9i44St23YkM:&tbnh=108&tbnw=165&ei=l2R-TYmiLMS6qwGF15ijCw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfive%2Bpillars%2Bof%2Bislam%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1916%26bih%3D1006%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=110&vpy=127&dur=15&hovh=181&hovw=278&tx=129&ty=111&oei=l2R-TYmiLMS6qwGF15ijCw&page=1&ndsp=67&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0] **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">﻿ **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">﻿ [|http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.chinapost.com.tw/news_images/20081209/p1f.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.chinapost.com.tw/international/middle-east/2008/12/09/186762/Hajj-pilgrims.htm&usg=__0h0pirU4MloiwGY7gXVrKmbsnNw=&h=308&w=450&sz=16&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=pUU7KWw8kzVgZM:&tbnh=141&tbnw=190&ei=inR-Tf66O4iKrgHKxLzqBQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3DStoning%2Bthe%2Bdevil%2Bduring%2Bhajj%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1916%26bih%3D1006%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=187&oei=inR-Tf66O4iKrgHKxLzqBQ&page=1&ndsp=57&ved=1t:429,r:14,s:0&tx=75&ty=65] **

=//**The Role in Islam**//=



**worship, worship for only Allah. The Kaba’a is located in the middle of Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) and**
== **this location is the holiest land for Islam. Moreover, during daily five prayers,** **people should face themselves to the Kaba’a. This is also known as facing toward “qibleh”. One of the five pillars of Islam, Hajj, happens in this region. Pilgrims need to tavaf around the Kaba’a. It is one of the mandatory features in order to complete Hajj. “Umrah”, which is less pilgrimage than Hajj, also needs Muslim to tavaf around the Kaba’a. By the way, tavaf is always started from al-Hajaru-l-Aswad (Black Stone) and happened around the Kaba’a. Seven turnings equal to one complete tavaf. There is couple of religious values around Kaba’a. Makam Abraham (Post of Abraham) is on** ==

[[image:emir_2_ align="right" caption="Prayers around Kaba'a"]]
== **e of them. It is the footprints of Prophet Abraham on a rock. Muslims believe, this rock helped him during the building stage of Kaba’a. The House of Allah is very unique and important for the Muslims. It has to be noted, Muslim do not worship Kaba’a. It is a special building believed as House of Allah. These are the major roles of the Kaba’a in the Muslim world. Millions of Muslims visit the Kaba’a and Masjid al-Haram in Mecca during their Hajj seasons.** ==

**//__ Written by Emir Gayemi __//**
= **Sources;** =

- Huda. "Role in Muslim Worship:." //The Ka'aba// . Web. 14 Mar. 2011. < [|http://islam.about.com/od/mecca/p/kaaba.htm] >.
==== - Cline, Austin. "Politics of the Kaaba in Mecca: How Did Muhmmad Use the Kaaba to Promote Islam?" //Agnosticism / Atheism - Skepticism & Atheism for Atheists & Agnostics.// N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2011. < [|http://atheism.about.com/od/muslimholysitestexts/p/KaabaMecca.htm] >. ==== ==== -Nosotro, Rit. "The House of Allah." //HyperHistory.net.// N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2011. < [|http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/cot/t1w11kabaa.htm] ====