The Kaba: It's Size and History!
The small, cubed building known as the Kaba may not rival skyscrapers in height or mansions in width, but its impact on history and human beings is unmatched.
The Kaba is the building towards which Muslims face five times a day, everyday, in prayer. This has been the case since the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) over 1400 years ago.
The Size of the Kaba:
The current height of the Kaba is 39 feet, 6 inches and total size comes to 627 square feet.
The inside room of the Kaba is 13X9 meters. The Kaba's walls are one meter wide. The floor inside is 2.2 meters higher than the place where people perform Tawaf. The ceiling and roof are two levels made out of wood. They were reconstructed with teak which is capped with stainless steel. The walls are all made of stone. The stones inside are unpolished, while the ones outside are polished.
This small building has been constructed and reconstructed by Prophets Adam, Ibrahim, Ismail and Muhammad (peace be upon them all). No other building has had this honor.
Yet, not very much is known about the details of this small but significant building.
Did you know the Kaba was reconstructed as recently as close to four years ago?
Did you know that the Kaba has been subjected to danger by natural disasters like flooding, as well as human attacks?
If you didn't keep reading. You'll find some rarely heard of information discussed below and discover facts about the Kaba many are unaware of. The other names of the Kaba
Literally, Kaba in Arabic means a high place with respect and prestige. The word Kaba may also be derivative of a word meaning a cube.
Some of these other names include:
Bait ul Ateeq
- which means, according to one meaning, the earliest and ancient. According to the second meaning, it means independent and liberating. Both meanings could be taken
Bayt ul Haram
- the honorable house
The Kaba has been reconstructed up to 12 times Scholars and historians say that the Kaba has been reconstructed between five to 12 times.
The very first construction of the Kaba was done by Prophet Adam.Allah says in the Qur'an that this was the first house that was built for humanity to worship Allah.
After this, Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail rebuilt the Kaba. The measurements of the Kaba's Ibrahimic foundation are as follows: the eastern wall was 48 feet and 6 inches the Hatim side wall was 33 feet the side between the black stone and the Yemeni corner was 30 feet the Western side was 46.5 feet.
Following this, there were several constructions before the Prophet Muhammad's time.
Reconstruction of Kaba by Quraish Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) participated in one of its reconstructions before he became a Prophet.
Since the tribe of Quraish did not have sufficient funds, this reconstruction did not include the entire foundation of the Kaba as built by Prophet Ibrahim. This is the first time the Kaba acquired the cubical shape it has now unlike the rectangle shape which it had earlier. The portion of the Kaba left out is called Hateem now.
Construction After the Prophet's Time
-Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr
The Syrian army destroyed the Kaba in Muharram 64 (Hijri date) and before the next Hajj Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr, may Allah be pleased with him, reconstructed the Kaba from the ground up.
Ibn az-Zubayr wanted to make the Kaba how the Prophet Muhammad wanted it, on the foundation of the Prophet Ibrahim.
Ibn az-Zubayr said, "I heard Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) say, 'The Prophet said: "If your people had not quite recently abandoned the Ignorance (Unbelief), and if I had sufficient provisions to rebuild it [the Kaba], I would have added five cubits to it from the Hijr. Also, I would make two doors; one for people to enter therein and the other to exit." (Bukhari). Ibn az-Zubayr said, "Today, I can afford to do it and I do not fear the people."
Ibn az-Zubayr built the Kaba on Prophet Ibrahim's foundation. He put the roof on three pillars with the wood of Aoud (a perfumed wood with aroma which is traditionally burned to get a good smell out of it in Arabia).
In his construction he put two doors, one facing the east the other facing the west, as the Prophet wanted but did not do in his lifetime.
He rebuilt the Kaba on the Prophet Ibrahim's foundation, which meant that the Hateem area was included. The Hateem is the area adjacent to the Kaba enclosed by a low semi-circular wall.
Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr also made the following additions and modifications:-
-put a small window close to the roof of the Kaba to allow for light.
-moved the door of the Kaba to ground level and added a second door to the Kaba.
-added nine cubits to the height of the Kaba, making it twenty cubits high. its walls were two cubits wide.
-reduced the pillars inside the House to three instead of six as were earlier built by Quraish.
For reconstruction, ibn az-Zubayr put up four pillars around Kaba and hung cloth over them until the building was completed. People began to do Tawaf around these pillars at all times, so Tawaf of the Kaba was never abandoned, even during reconstruction.
During Abdul Malik bin Marwan's time In 74 Hijri (or 693 according to the Gregorian calendar), Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf Al-Thaqafi, the known tyrant of that time, with the approval of Umayyad Khalifa Abdul Malik bin Marwan, demolished what Ibn az-Zubayr had added to it from the older foundation of Prophet Ibrahim, restore its old structure as the Quraish had it.
Some of the changes he made were the following:
-he rebuilt it in the smaller shape which is found today
-took out the Hateem
-walled up the western door (whose signs are still visible today) and left the rest as it was -pulled down the wall in the Hateem area.
-removed the wooden ladder Ibn az-Zubayr had put inside the Kaba.
-reduced the door's height by five cubits
When Abdul Malik bin Marwan came for Umra and heard the Hadith that it was wish of Prophet for the Kaba to be constructed the way Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr had built it, he regretted his actions.
Imam Malik's advice to the Khalifa Harun al Rasheed
Abbasi Khalifa Harun al Rasheed wanted to rebuild the Kaba the way the Prophet Muhammad wanted and the way Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr built it. But when he consulted Imam Malik, the Imam asked the Khalifa to change his mind because constant demolition and rebuilding is not respectful and would become a toy in the hands of kings. Each one would want to demolish and rebuild the Kaba.
Based on this advice, Harun al Rasheed did not reconstruct the Kaba. The structure remained in the same construction for 966 years, with minor repairs here and there.
Reconstruction during Sultan Murad Khan's time In the year 1039 Hijri, because of heavy rain, flood and hail, two of the Kaba's walls fell down.
The flood during which this occurred took place on the 19th of Shaban 1039
Hijri which continued constantly, so the water in the Kaba became almost close to half of its walls, about 10 feet from the ground level.
On Thursday the 20th of Shaban 1039 Hijri, the eastern and western walls fell down.
When flood receded on Friday the 21st of Shaban, the cleanup started. Again, a curtain, the way Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr established on 4 pillars, was put up, and the reconstruction started on the 26th of Ramadan. The rest of the walls except for the one near the Black Stone, were demolished. By the 2nd of Zul-Hijjah 1040 the construction was taking place under the guidance of Sultan Murad Khan, the Ottoman Khalifa. From the point of the Black stone and below, the current construction is the same as that done by Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr.
The construction which was done under the auspices of Murad Khan was exactly the one done at the time of Abdul Malik ibn Marwan which is the way the Quraish had built it before Prophethood.
On Rajab 28 1377, One historian counted the total stones of the Kaba and they were 1,614. These stones are of different shapes. But the stones which are inside the outer wall which is visible are not counted in there.
Reconstruction of the Kaba In 1996
A major reconstruction of the Kaba took place between May 1996 and October 1996. This was after a period of about 400 years (since Sultan Murad Khan's time).
During this reconstruction the only original thing left from the Kaba are the stones. All other material has been replaced including the ceiling and the roof and its wood.
khana -e-kabaa
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star_munir
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star_munir
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A Question:
Were there idols of Vishnu or any hindu god in Kaaba?
As far as I know there were idols of other gods like Laat, Aza, of angels which were considered by Arabs as daughters of god.
Just read from a website :'Vishwa Hindu,' the VHP journal, claims that the Taj Mahal is Tejo Mahalaya -- a Shiva temple. Jerusalem is Yedushayam, or the shrine of the Lord of Yadus -- Krishna. St. Paul's Cathedral in London is originally "Gopal Krishna Mandir." The Kaaba in Mecca was a gigantic Vishnu temple, Paris was Panneshwaram"
Were there idols of Vishnu or any hindu god in Kaaba?
As far as I know there were idols of other gods like Laat, Aza, of angels which were considered by Arabs as daughters of god.
Just read from a website :'Vishwa Hindu,' the VHP journal, claims that the Taj Mahal is Tejo Mahalaya -- a Shiva temple. Jerusalem is Yedushayam, or the shrine of the Lord of Yadus -- Krishna. St. Paul's Cathedral in London is originally "Gopal Krishna Mandir." The Kaaba in Mecca was a gigantic Vishnu temple, Paris was Panneshwaram"
Could you provide the address of this particular article? Thanksstar_munir wrote:Just read from a website :'Vishwa Hindu,' the VHP journal, claims that the Taj Mahal is Tejo Mahalaya -- a Shiva temple. Jerusalem is Yedushayam, or the shrine of the Lord of Yadus -- Krishna. St. Paul's Cathedral in London is originally "Gopal Krishna Mandir." The Kaaba in Mecca was a gigantic Vishnu temple, Paris was Panneshwaram"
<P>Good information, thanks for your work.<BR>I am curious though what is the history of Lat, Munat, and Aza. Forgive my lack of knowledge about this but if they are just some idols, created out of human imagination then why are they sometimes referred to as Angels?. Do they orgin out of some earlier religion?.<BR></P>
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star_munir
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Ya Ali madad and you are welcome
KMaherAli claim of VHP that Khana-e-Kaaba was once Vishnu temple I read from this website http://salam.muslimsonline.com/babri/babribja.htm
There is not much detail on it. The article is all about Babri Masjid and Raam mandir dispute in Ayodhya, India.
And there were idols of Vishnu or any hindu god in Kaaba not make any sense here but still I mentioned because it is also in Ginan "A son was born in the house of a hindu [idol worshipper] He became a muslim know at first by the name of Ibrahim [Prophet Abraham] and mercy descended." [Ginan Allah ek Khasam Sabuka...Pir Hassan Kabirdin]
Azamour there were 360 idols in Kaaba. Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] and Ali destroyed all the idols in Kaaba. Some times each tribe has his own idol. These idols and names of them were imaginary most of the times. It is also said that pagans of Arab had also also made idol of Allah by imagination and it was believed and worshipped as moon god.
There was a big idol named Hubal who had three daughters [goddesses] Lat, Azza or Uzza and Manat.
KMaherAli claim of VHP that Khana-e-Kaaba was once Vishnu temple I read from this website http://salam.muslimsonline.com/babri/babribja.htm
There is not much detail on it. The article is all about Babri Masjid and Raam mandir dispute in Ayodhya, India.
And there were idols of Vishnu or any hindu god in Kaaba not make any sense here but still I mentioned because it is also in Ginan "A son was born in the house of a hindu [idol worshipper] He became a muslim know at first by the name of Ibrahim [Prophet Abraham] and mercy descended." [Ginan Allah ek Khasam Sabuka...Pir Hassan Kabirdin]
Azamour there were 360 idols in Kaaba. Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] and Ali destroyed all the idols in Kaaba. Some times each tribe has his own idol. These idols and names of them were imaginary most of the times. It is also said that pagans of Arab had also also made idol of Allah by imagination and it was believed and worshipped as moon god.
There was a big idol named Hubal who had three daughters [goddesses] Lat, Azza or Uzza and Manat.
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star_munir
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Kaaba = Cube or Centralrazinizar wrote:Thanx For the link
but, what is the Literal meaning of khana -e-kabaa ?
along with it What is the Literal Meaning of Jamat Khana ?
what is the Meaning of kaaba and what is the meaning of Jamat and what is the meaning of Khana ?
Jamat/Jamet/Jamaat = Community
Khana = Home
Khana-E-Kaaba = Home of the Cube or Center (of monotheism)
Jamet Khana = Community Home
The following was published (and well written) by the Columbia University's Press:
Kaaba or Caaba, the central, cubic, stone structure, covered by a black cloth, within the Great Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The sacred nature of the site predates Islam: tradition says that the Kaaba was built by Adam and rebuilt by Abraham and the descendants of Noah. Also known as the House of God, it is the center of the circumambulations performed during the hajj, and it is toward the Kaaba that Muslims face in their prayers (see liturgy, Islamic). Pre-Islamic Meccans used it as a central shrine housing their many idols, most notable of which were al-Lat, al-Uzza, and Manat, collectively known as al-Gharaniq or the Daughters of God, and Hubal, a martial deity. The Black Stone, possibly of meteoric origin, is located at one of its outside corners. Also dating from pre-Islamic times as a heavenly relic, this stone is venerated and ritually kissed. Worn hollow by the centuries of veneration, the stone is held together by a wide silver band. The actual structure of the Kaaba has been demolished and rebuilt several times in the course of its history. Around the Kaaba is a restricted area, haram, extending in some directions as far as 12 mi, into which only Muslims may enter.