17 Flabbergasting Facts about Holy Kaaba You Never Knew
The Holy Kaaba is the most revered and the most celebrated place on the surface of the earth. Muslims from the nooks and corners of the world come to this sacred location to circumambulate around the Kaaba while billions offer their prayers five times a day with their faces turned towards this monumental structure. Kaaba, also known as Qibla, connects the believers with one another along an axis that proceeds from every point on the Earth to the spiritual centre of Islam. This makes us feel united as one great Ummah of Islam. Facing the Kaaba is an indication of spiritual unity and a sense of belonging among the believers. It gives us a concept of unity, discipline and uniformity; a focus, a common purpose and one direction. The cube shaped Kaaba is shrouded in black and in fair share of mystery. Let’s have a look at some of the most flabbergasting facts about the Holy Kaaba you never had any idea of.
1 – Kaaba’s Height and Area
The present height of Kaaba is 39.6 feet (some claim 43 feet) and its area is 627 square feet.
2 – Inner Dimensions of the Kaaba
Kaaba’s inner room has dimensions of 43 feet by 30 feet while its walls are a metre thick. The floor of the inner room is 2.2 metres higher than the place where the believers circumambulate.
3 – Kaaba’s Architecture
The ceiling and roof of the Holy Kaaba are made of teak (tropical hardwood species) which is capped with stainless steel. The walls consist of polished stones on the outside and unpolished stones on the inside and is made of marble and limestone.
4 – Corners of the Kaaba
There are four corners of the Holy Kaaba namely Rukan-e-Hijjar-e-Aswa, Rukan-e-Shami, Rukan-e-Yamani and Rukan-e-Iraqi.
5 – Meezab-e-Rahmah
Meezab-e-Rahmah is a spout made of pure gold and rests at the top of the northern wall of the Holy Kaaba. The rainwater from the roof of the Kaaba falls onto Hijr-e-Ismail from this water outlet. It is reported that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) supplicated under the Meezab.
6 – Hijjar-e-Aswad
It is a reddish black oval stone surrounded by a silver frame and is located at the southeastern part of the Kaaba. It is 30 cm in diameter.
7 – Other Names of Kaaba
Kaaba is also know as Bait al-Ateeq (ancient and liberating) and Bait al-Haram (the honourable house).
8 – Kaaba has been Reconstructed up to 12 times
According to scholars and historians, Holy Kaaba has been constructed between 5 to 12 times. Hazrat Adam (AS) was the first to construct the Holy Kaaba which was rebuilt by the Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and Prophet Ismai (AS).
9 – Most Recent Reconstruction took place in 1996
A major reconstruction of the Kaaba took place in 1996 and the only original thing left were the stones. All other material including the roof, ceiling and the wood were replaced.
10 – What is Inside the Holy Kaaba?
Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, the president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), had the opportunity to go inside the Kaaba in October, 1998 and he described the following features:
11 – Kaaba has one door and no window
The original Kaaba used to have a door for entrance and another for exit while there was a window located at one side. The current Kaaba as one door made of 300 Kg gold and no window.
12 – Kaaba’s Black Kiswah Dates back to the Abbasids
Earlier Kaaba was covered in multiple colors such as green, red and white but since the Abbasids (whose household color was black), it is draped annually in the trademark black Kswah with gold banding.
13 – Keepers of the Key to Kaaba
At the conquest of Mecca, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) handed over the keys to Kaaba to Usman Ibn Talah of the Bani Shaiba family. The members of the tribe greet the visitors into the Kaaba during the cleaning ceremony and clean the interior together with the visitors. Permission from this Meccan family is required for entrance into the Kaaba.
14 – Doors of the Kaaba are opened only twice a year
Due to the increase in the number of pilgrims, the doors of the Kaaba are opened only twice a year for exclusive guests only. Earlier, however, it was opened twice a week for the believers to pray.
15 – Faithful Performed Tawaf in the Floods of 1941
In one of the rare pictures of 1941 flood that submerged the Makkah’s Grand Mosque and Holy City, the then 12-year-old Sheikh Al Awadi from Bahrain was photographed almost submerged in water while circumambulating around a flooded Holy Kaaba.
16 – Plaques are fixed into the Inner Walls
Fixed into the walls are plaques each commemorating the refurbishment or rebuilding of the House of Allah by the ruler of the day.
17 – There are two Kaabas
As narrated by the Holy Prophet (PBUH) about the journey of Isra’ wal Miraj, there is an exact replica of the Holy Kaaba directly above it in heaven called as Bait al-Ma’mur.