What is the kaaba in islam?

Kaaba in Islam represents a sacred place and the house of Allah (bayt Allah), which all Muslims turn to when praying.

Kaabah is known as the most sacred place to all Muslims, it is located in Saudi Arabia at the heart of Masjid al-Haram in Mecca.

The significance of the Kaaba, was mentioned more than once in the verses of the holy Quran, here are some of the verses that show its significance:

“And [mention] when We made the House a place of return for the people and [a place of] security. And take, [O believers], from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer. And We charged Abraham and Ishmael, [saying], ‘Purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who are staying [there] for worship and those who bow and prostrate [in prayer].’” [Surah Al-Baqarah 2:125]

“Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Makkah – blessed and a guidance for the worlds.” [Surah Al-Imran 3:96]

“And [mention] when We designated for Abraham the site of the House, [saying], ‘Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who stand [in prayer] and those who bow and prostrate. And proclaim to the people the Hajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass.” [Surah Al-Hajj 22:26-27]

What is Kaaba in Islam? why is it important? Who built it? and why? Let’s find out.

How many times was Kaaba mentioned in the Quran?

Due to the great importance and significance of the Kaaba in Islam, it was mentioned 7 times in the holy Quran. Allah mentioned the significance of the Kaaba in the following verses:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَقْتُلُوا الصَّيْدَ وَأَنتُمْ حُرُمٌ ۚ وَمَن قَتَلَهُ مِنكُم مُّتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاءٌ مِّثْلُ مَا قَتَلَ مِنَ النَّعَمِ يَحْكُمُ بِهِ ذَوَا عَدْلٍ مِّنكُمْ هَدْيًا بَالِغَ الْكَعْبَةِ أَوْ كَفَّارَةٌ طَعَامُ مَسَاكِينَ أَوْ عَدْلُ ذَٰلِكَ صِيَامًا لِّيَذُوقَ وَبَالَ أَمْرِهِ ۗ عَفَا اللَّـهُ عَمَّا سَلَفَ ۚ وَمَنْ عَادَ فَيَنتَقِمُ اللَّـهُ مِنْهُ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ عَزِيزٌ ذُو انتِقَامٍ ﴿95﴾

“O you who have faith! Do not kill any game when you are in pilgrim sanctity. Should any of you kill it intentionally, its atonement, the counterpart from cattle of what he has killed, as judged by two fair men among you, will be an offering brought to the Ka‘bah, or an atonement by feeding needy persons, or its equivalent in fasting, that he may taste the untoward consequences of his conduct. Allah has excused what is already past; but should anyone resume, Allah shall take vengeance on him, for Allah is all-mighty, avenger. “ [Al-Ma’idah, 95]

In this verse, Allah teaches us that we are not allowed to hunt animals when we perform Hajj in Islam. if someone did so he should repent to Allah and should make an offering, feed needy persons, or fast if he can’t do any of the other two.

Allah Almighty also mentions the Kaaba (sacred house of God) in the following verse:

جَعَلَ اللَّـهُ الْكَعْبَةَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرَامَ قِيَامًا لِّلنَّاسِ وَالشَّهْرَ الْحَرَامَ وَالْهَدْيَ وَالْقَلَائِدَ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّـهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَأَنَّ اللَّـهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ ﴿97﴾

“Allah has made the Kaaba, the Sacred House, a [means of] sustentation for mankind, and [also] the sacred month, the offering and the garlands, so that you may know that Allah knows whatever there is in the heavens and whatever there is in the earth and that Allah has knowledge of all things.” [Quran 5: 97]

وَإِذْ بَوَّأْنَا لِإِبْرَاهِيمَ مَكَانَ الْبَيْتِ أَن لَّا تُشْرِكْ بِي شَيْئًا وَطَهِّرْ بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْقَائِمِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ ﴿26﴾

“When We settled for Abraham the site of the House [saying], Do not ascribe any partners to Me, and purify My House for those who circle around it, and those who stand [in it for prayer], and those who bow and prostrate themselves.” [Quran 22:26]

Allah ordered the prophet Ibrahim to build the Kaaba to become a sacred place for people to worship Allah.

وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا ٱلْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةًۭ لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًۭا وَٱتَّخِذُوا۟ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ مُصَلًّۭى ۖ وَعَهِدْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِىَ لِلطَّآئِفِينَ وَٱلْعَـٰكِفِينَ وَٱلرُّكَّعِ ٱلسُّجُودِ ١٢٥

“And ˹remember˺ when We made the Sacred House a center and a sanctuary for the people ˹saying˺, “You may take the standing place of Abraham as a site of prayer.” And We entrusted Abraham and Ishmael to purify My House for those who circle it, who meditate in it, and who bow and prostrate themselves in prayer˺.” [Surah Al-Baqarah: 125]

وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ ﴿127﴾

“As Abraham raised the foundations of the House with Ishmael, [they prayed]: ‘Our Lord, accept it from us! Indeed You are the All-hearing, the All-knowing.” [Surah Al-Baqarah: 127]

وَمَا كَانَ صَلَاتُهُمْ عِندَ الْبَيْتِ إِلَّا مُكَاءً وَتَصْدِيَةً ۚ فَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ ﴿35﴾

“Their prayer at the House is nothing but whistling and clapping. So taste the punishment because of what you used to defy.” [Al-Anfal: 35]

إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِي بِبَكَّةَ مُبَارَكًا وَهُدًى لِّلْعَالَمِينَ ﴿96﴾

“Indeed the first house to be set up for mankind is the one at Bakkah, blessed and a guidance for all nations”. [Quran 3: 96]

What is the Kaaba in Islam? Kaaba is the sacred house of God, toward which all Muslims turn to pray and perform Umra and hajj. It is located in Mecca, Saudia Arabiya at the center of the Great Mosque of Mecca (Masjid Al-Haram).

The word Kaaba means ‘cube’ in Arabic, it takes the shape of a square covered with a black veil made of cotton and silk. Its breadth and length equal ten and a half meters, and its height is fifteen meters. The door of the Kaaba is made of gold, which wasn’t present until 1982.

The veil that covers the sacred house is also called ‘kiswa’, in the past it was made in Egypt, but now it is made in Saudi Arabia.

All Muslims dream of visiting the Kaaba at least one time in their lives. Performing hajj in Islam is one of the five pillars of Islam.

Allah Almighty said in the holy Quran:

“And ˹remember˺ when We made the Sacred House a center and a sanctuary for the people ˹saying˺, “You may take the standing-place of Abraham as a site of prayer.” And We entrusted Abraham and Ishmael to purify My House for those who circle it, who meditate in it, and who bow and prostrate themselves ˹in prayer˺.” [surah Al-Baqarah: 125]

Anyone who isn’t capable of performing Hajj can perform Umrah. Kaabah in Islam is also called the sacred house of God which in Arabic is called Bait-al-Haram, and Bait-al-Atiq which means the ‘Ancient House’.

Who built the Kaaba?

The Kaabah was built by the prophet Ibrahim (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his son Ismail as Allah commanded him. Allah Almighty said in the holy Quran:

“As Abraham raised the foundations of the House with Ishmael, [they prayed]: ‘Our Lord, accept it from us! Indeed You are the All-hearing, the All-knowing.” [surah Al-Baqarah: 127]

When was the Kaaba first built?

The Kaaba was first built by prophet Ibraham (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), but the time at which it was built is not known.

Why did Prophet Ibrahim build the Kaaba?

Prophet Ibrahim built the Kaaba because Allah commanded him to build it in order to become a place of worship for all believers.

The Kaaba in Islam is a sacred place, but it is not sacred in Islam only, it was a sacred place a long time before Islam came. Arabs took it as a place of worship and made it a sacred place. And even long before that, it was a sacred place since the prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail built it.

Allah Almighty said in the holy Quran:

“And (remember) when Abraham and (his son) Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House (the Kaba at Mecca), (saying), ‘Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily, you are the All-Hearer, the All-Knower’” (Quran 2:127)

Over the years the holy Kaaba has been modified many times in order to protect it and keep it safe.

Before Islam came the people of Quraish used the sacred house of Allah as a place to worship their idols. However, when the prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entered Makkah, he destroyed the idols and the Kaaba became a sacred place for worshipping only Allah.

What Is the Kaaba Made Of?

The Kaaba has a cube-shaped structure with A breadth and length equal to ten and a half meters, and its height is fifteen meters. What Is the Kaaba Made Of? The Kaaba was made of limestone, marble, and grey stone. In 1982 the door of The Kaaba was modified and was made of gold. Additionally, the sacred house is covered with a black veil called kiswah and is made of silk. The kiswah was first made in Egypt but now it is made in Saudi Arabia.

What does the Holy Kaaba represent for Muslims?

The Kaaba in Islam holds a special place in the hearts of every Muslim, it is the center of Silam and a place of worship to which we all turn to when praying. Many people misunderstand the significance of the Kaaba to Muslims and think that they worship it, but to Muslims, it represents a spiritual place as it is the house of Allah.

Allah Almighty instructed us in the holy Quran to face the Kaaba when praying wherever we are, and it is called the Qibla. Can you imagine it? all Muslims around the world are facing the same place for prayers.

Allah ordered us to take the Kaaba as a Qibla when praying:

One of the five pillars of Islam which is a must for every capable Muslim is to perform Hajj. Kaaba in Islam plays a main role in the annual pilgrimage. Millions of people from around the world come to Mecca to perform Umrah or Hajj every year and perform the hajj rituals around the Kaaba. Allah Almighty said in the holy Quran:

Hajj in Islam is obligatory for every capable Muslim, but the Muslims who aren’t capable, perform Umrah. Umrah is known as the lesser pilgrimage, when performing Umrah Muslims visit the Kaaba and perform its rituals.

Due to the great significance of the Kaaba in Islam, many Muslims come every year from around the world to visit it and perform Hajj or Umrah. Why? Because it brings us closer to Allah and purifies our souls, and it is obligatory to perform hajj at least once for every capable Muslim.

Hajj is performed only one time a year, but Umrah can be performed at any time of the year. Therefore, some people perform Hajj and then perform Umrah in the same year to visit Kaaba again and bring themselves closer to Allah.

What Is Inside the Kaaba?

The Kaaba is a cube-shaped structure with Its breadth and length equal ten and a half meters, and its height is fifteen meters. The Kaaba was made of limestone, marble, and grey stone. But what is inside the Kaaba? Inside the Kaaba, there are wooden pillars to keep the roof in place in addition to lamps that are made of Gold and silver. The golden door was constructed in 1982 and the pillars were built by Abdullah bin Zubair.

The pillars of the Kaaba go back to 1,350 years ago and have a diameter of 44cm and a perimeter of 150cm. Also, there is an enclosed staircase that leads to the ceiling of the Kaaba. Furthermore, the Kaaba is covered with a veil made of silk with Quranic verses engravings on it.

The inside walls of the Kaaba are covered with red silk curtains embroidered with inscriptions in white. Additionally, there are 8 stones with different Islamic scripts inscribed on them.

Inside the Kaaba

Who Can Go Inside the Kaaba?

Who is allowed to enter the Kaaba? Kaaba in Islam is of great importance and millions of people come every year from around the world to perform the hajj, but do they go inside the Kaaba? No, the Kaaba is kept closed during the time of Hajj, so no one can go inside. However, during any other month than Dhul Hajj, some lucky Muslims are allowed to go inside the Kaaba.

Hazrat Aisha (RA), wife of Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), narrates, “When I expressed the wish to perform salah (prayer) within the Kaabah, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) took me by the hand and led me into the Hijr (Hateem) where he said, ‘Perform salah (prayer) here if you wish to enter the Kaabah because this is part of the Baytullah.’”

Why is the Kaaba in Islam important?

Why is the Kaaba in Islam important? Because it is the house of Allah, however, it is important to know that it is not the actual house of Allah, it represents a symbol. Allah ordered the prophet Ibrahim to build the Kaaba to be a place of worship and a sacred place for all believers.

Many people are mistaken when they think that Muslims worship the sacred house. But that is not true, The Kaaba represents a sacred place and a symbolic representation that there is no god but Allah.

One of the important things about the Kaaba in Islam is that it is the Qibla that we all face when praying and worshipping Allah. Allah almighty said in the holy Quran:

At the beginning of Islam Muslims used to pray facing Jerusalem, but then Allah revealed to the prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to face the Kaaba when praying.

“Now, turn your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque (Al-Masjid-ul-Harām), and (O Muslims), wherever you are, turn your faces in its direction.” [Quran, 2:144]

Furthermore, the hajj in Islam is one of the five pillars of Islam that are obligatory on every capable Muslim financially and physically. And one of the rituals of Hajj is to perform Tawaf around the Kaaba. Allah Almighty says in the holy Quran:

“O mankind, surely We have created you from a single (Pair) of a male and a female, and have made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Almighty Allah is the most righteous.” (Quran, 49:13)

Also, Allah said in the holy Quran:

“God has appointed the Ka’bah, the Sacred House, a support for mankind, and the Sacred Month and the offerings and the garlands. That is so that you may know that God knows whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and that God is Knower of all things.” (Quran 5:97)

Now you know the significance of the Kaaba in Islam, what is it, and what it represents to Muslims. I hope you found what you were looking for and if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask and drop a comment below, we will be more than glad to help you.

What is the kaaba in islam?

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