The Significance of the Kabah

“Allah has made the Kaaba, the sacred house, a maintenance for the people, and the sacred month and the offerings and the sacrificial animals with garlands; this is that you may know that Allah knows whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and that Allah is the Knower of all things.“ To many people, whether Muslim or not, the Ka’bah is a well-known artifact. It has a rich and fascinating past, and has been an important aspect throughout centuries of Islamic history. Within the Islamic faith, the Ka’bah has great significance personally, physically, and religiously. Its importance can be seen in the Hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca), as the physical center of the Islamic faith, and in reference to the Qur’an.
The pilgrimage to “The House of God” in Mecca is a vital and required journey that is to be preformed at least once in each Muslims life, given that the circumstances allowii. During the pilgrimage, each Muslim is required to circuit the Ka’bah, meaning briskly walking around it 7 times counterclockwise, beginning and ending opposite the black stoneiii. This is the ultimate rite of passage and is done in community with all the other Muslim pilgrimages during ‘Dhu al-Hijjah,’ the last month in the Islamic calendariv. This is believed to be the time when God’s spirit is closest to the earthv. The origins of the Hajj predate Islamvi, to 2,000 BC, when Ishmael, the infant son of the prophet Abraham, and Abraham's wife, were stranded in the desertvii. In 630 A.D., the Prophet Mohammed led a group of his followers there on the first official Hajj, destroying the idols and re-dedicating the site in the name of Allahviii. Every year, over two million Muslims from all corners of the earth, every race and cultureix, gather together to join and walk in the footsteps of the prophet Muhammadx took in the 7th centuryxi.
The Ka’bah is also the physical focal point of the Islamic faith. It is the most scared site in Islam, and believed by many Muslims to be the oldest building in world historyxii. It is believed to be the first house of prayer on earth, built by Adam as a replica of the house of prayer in heavenxiii, and then rebuilt by Abraham to thank God for his mercyxiv. The Ka’bah is stationed in the center of the courtyard of the Great Mosque, and covered by a black cloth embroidered with passages from the Qur’anxv known as the Kiswaxvi. It is reverenced by all Muslims, and it is the direction in which they face, known as Qiblah, five times each day during prayerxvii. This makes the Ka’bah a symbol of the worship of the one true God, as well as a symbol of the unity of the entire Muslim communityxviii.
The holy building is also referenced in the Qur’an itself. The Qur’an hints that the Ka’bah was originally built by the Prophet Adam, and along with authentic traditions, favors the idea that prior to Abraham’s construction of the Ka’bah, some sort of previous structure did existxix. The Qur’an firmly establishes that Abraham is the real founder of the holy building, and that it was intended that it should remain a center of worship for all good peoplexx. It is said that Allah ordained Abraham to build a shrine to the One God at that locationxxi. Use of the word “ka’bah” occurs three times in the Qur’an, and mention of it in passing occurs approximately twenty times, although there is no mention of the kiswa. Qiblah is mentioned on seven separate occasions, referring to the direction towards the Ka’bah towards which Muslims pray, and the Hajj is referred to in 23 different verses, once again drawing attention towards the sanctity of the symbolism of the Ka’bah. As the revealed word of Allah, any references from the Qur’an hold extreme significance and importance. As one of the most iconic and significant artifacts of Islam, the Ka’bah and its past can speak volumes regarding Islamic history in general. Its religious, cultural, and social significance is still relevant today, and though the Hajj, daily prayer, and the Qur’an, it also unites all Muslims around the world. As a great historical artifact, its intriguing past, present, and future will continue to play a dominant role in both Islamic history, as well as world history in general.