Kaa’bah: It’s Size and History!
The small, cubed building known as the Ka’abah may not rival skyscrapers in height or mansions in width, but its impact on history and human beings is unmatched. The Ka’abah 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 Kaa’bah:
The current height of the Kaa’bah is 39 feet, 6 inches and total size comes to 627 square feet.
The inside room of the Kaa’bah is 13X9 meters.
The Kaa’bah’s walls are one meter wide. The floor inside is 2.2 meters higher than the place where people perform Tawaaf.
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 Kaa’bah was reconstructed as recently as close to four years ago?
Did you know that the Kaa’bah 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 Kaa’bah many are unaware of.
The other names of the Kaa’bah Literally, Kaa’bah in Arabic means a high place with respect and prestige. The word Kaa’bah 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 Kaa’bah has been reconstructed up to 12 times Scholars and historians say that the Kaa’bah has been reconstructed between five to 12 times. The very first construction of the Kaa’bah was done by Prophet Adam. Allah says in the Qur’ân that this was the first house that was built for humanity to worship Allah. After this, Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail rebuilt the Kaa’bah. The measurements of the Kaa’bah’s Ibrahimic foundation are as follows:
-the eastern wall was 48 feet and 6 inches
-the Hateem 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 Kaa’bah by Quraish Prophet Muhammad participated in one of its reconstructions before he became a Prophet. After a flash flood, the Kaa’bah was damaged and its walls cracked. It needed rebuilding. This responsibility was divided among the Quraish’s four tribes. Prophet Muhammad helped with this reconstruction. Once the walls were erected, it was time to place the Black Stone, (theHajar ul Aswad) on the eastern wall of the Kaa’bah. Arguments erupted about who would have the honor of putting the Black Stone in its place. A fight was about to break out over the issue, when Abu Umayyah, Makkah’s oldest man, proposed that the first man to enter the gate of the mosque the following morning would decide the matter. That man was the Prophet. The Makkans were ecstatic. “This is the trustworthy one (Al-Ameen),” they shouted in a chorus. “This is Muhammad”. He came to them and they asked him to decide on the matter. He agreed. Prophet Muhammad proposed a solution that all agreed to-putting the Black Stone on a cloak, the elders of each of the clans held on to one edge of the cloak and carried the stone to its place. The Prophet then picked up the stone and placed it on the wall of the Kaa’bah. Since the tribe of Quraish did not have sufficient funds, this reconstruction did not include the entire foundation of the Kaa’bah as built by Prophet Ibrahim. This is the first time the Kaa’bah acquired the cubical shape it has now unlike the rectangle shape which it had earlier.
The portion of the Kaa’bah left out is called Hateem now. Construction After the Prophet’s Time-Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr The Syrian army destroyed the Kaa’bah in Muharram 64 (Hijri date) and before the next Hajj Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr, may Allah be pleased with him, reconstructed the Kaa’bah from the ground up.
Ibn az-Zubayr wanted to make the Kaa’bah how the Prophet Muhammad wanted it, on the foundation of the Prophet Ibrahim. Ibn az-Zubayr said, "I heard Aa’ishah (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 Kaa’bah], 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.” (Bukhaaree).
Ibn az-Zubayr said, "Today, I can afford to do it and I do not fear the people. Ibn az-Zubayr built the Kaa’bah 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 Kaa’bah on the Prophet Ibrahim’s foundation, which meant that the Hateem area was included. The Hateem is the area adjacent to the Kaa’bah enclosed by a low semi-circular wall.
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