Author: Shoaib Ahmad Ghaznavi
History of the Holy Kaaba (Part Three)
Some historians mention that the structure built by Ibrahim (peace be upon him) dates back four thousand years. The first person to install a door for Mecca that could be opened and closed was Tubbaʿ Asʿad al-Ḥimyari. Some have said that the tribe of Jurhum undertook this task.
During the time of Quraysh, after a fire damaged much of the Kaaba’s covering, five years before the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) mission, Quraysh decided to rebuild it. However, since they did not have sufficient funds from lawful sources, they altered its dimensions, as they had pledged that its reconstruction would only use lawful wealth. As a result, they left part of its structure outside the northern section, which is today known as the Hatim. They also set its height at 8 meters and 64 centimeters.
Later, in the year 65 AH, after a fire affected the Kaaba’s covering and walls, Abdullah ibn Zubayr rebuilt it. He had heard from his aunt, Umm al-Mu’minin Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her), a narration from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), in which he said:
“O Ayesha! If your people had not been so close to their time in disbelief, I would have demolished the Kaaba, leveled it with the ground, given it two doors—one on the east and one on the west—and added six cubits of the Hijr to it, for Quraysh had excluded that part when they rebuilt it.”
Based on this hadith, Abdullah ibn Zubayr demolished the four walls of the Kaaba down to the ground and placed curtains in their place so that people could continue praying toward it. He then restored it to the structure of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and increased its height to 12.95 meters. The stones for this construction were sourced from the mountains of Hira, Thabir, Maqtaʿ, Khandama, Halhala, Jabal Kaaba, and Mardala.
Later, Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Saqafi demolished the northern wall of the Kaaba and reverted it to the previous construction of Quraysh, believing that Abdullah ibn Zubayr had added something that was not originally part of the Kaaba. He and Caliph Abdul Malik were unaware of Ayesha’s (may Allah be pleased with her) hadith. When Hajjaj completed the reconstruction, he came to know of the hadith. Upon learning of its authenticity, Abdul Malik deeply regretted his actions.
Then, Sultan Murad IV, in 1040 AH, after a destructive flood damaged part of the Kaaba on 19 Sha’ban 1039 AH, undertook its reconstruction. However, he did not demolish all the walls; rather, he only removed the stones up to the first layer and left the Black Stone undisturbed, completing the construction based on Hajjaj’s structure. The stones for this reconstruction were taken from Jabal Kaaba (Shubayka), which still exists today and consists of strong, durable stones with a bluish hue.
One historian, Muhammad Tahir al-Kurdi, counted the stones of the Kaaba in 1377 AH, estimating a total of 1,614 stones. The wall containing the Kaaba’s door had 419 stones; the western wall opposite the door had 449 stones; the southern wall between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone had 428 stones; and the northern wall, near the water spout (Mizab al-Rahmah) and the Hijr of Ismail, had 318 stones. These were the external stones and did not include those inside.
The largest stone used in the Kaaba measured 190 cm in length and 50 cm in width, while the smallest stone measured 50 cm in length and 40 cm in width. The thickness of the walls is 90 cm, and the construction involved the use of Makkah’s lime and gypsum. The Kaaba has been renovated 37 times, with the last major restoration occurring after 1,250 years, on 8 Sha’ban 1417 AH, during the reign of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz. In this restoration, the deteriorated outer walls were removed and replaced with similar stones. The stones were cleaned from the inside, the roof (which had 23 wooden beams) was renewed, and the three internal wooden pillars were replaced. Some internal stones were removed, reinforced with strong adhesives, and reinstalled. Additionally, a cavity was excavated inside the Kaaba to assess the stability of its foundation.
Saudi engineers overseeing the Kaaba’s restoration examined its foundation and confirmed its remarkable stability. They discovered that the stones were tightly interlocked without the need for binding material, similar to a camel’s neck vertebrae, and were in an excellent state. This foundation is strong enough to support the Kaaba indefinitely and withstand natural disasters, including the severe floods that have struck it over the centuries.
The stones of the Hijr of Ismail were also replaced, and for the first time, a platform was built next to the Black Stone for security personnel to regulate the act of kissing it. The old marble surrounding the Black Stone was also replaced with new marble.
Thus, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, attended the ceremony commemorating the completion of this restoration on behalf of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz.
The honored Kaaba is directly beneath and aligned with the celestial Bayt al-Maʿmur, located in the seventh heaven, where angels perform Tawaf around it and worship Allah, just as people do on Earth. It is considered the Kaaba of the heavens.
Qatadah narrated: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) explained to us, saying: ‘Do you know what Bayt al-Maʿmur is?’ The Sahaba replied, ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said, ‘It is a mosque in the heavens, directly above the Kaaba. If it were to fall, it would land exactly upon it.’”
Modern science has confirmed that Mecca and the Kaaba are at the Earth’s center, with all other locations surrounding them. Allah the Almighty states: “لِتُنْذِرَ أُمَّ الْقُرَى وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا” Translation: “That you may warn the mother of Cities and those around it.”
The foundation of the honored Kaaba is rectangular, with its four corners aligned with the four cardinal directions. The length of the walls from the Black Stone to the Yemeni Corner is approximately 10 meters, and the opposite wall from the Black Stone to the Yemeni Corner is also about 10 meters. The wall from the Black Stone toward the Syrian or Iraqi corner is 12 meters long, and the current height of the Kaaba is 14 meters.
The Kaaba has four corners: the Black Stone Corner (east), the Yemeni Corner (south), the Iraqi Corner (north), and the Syrian Corner (west). On its right side, a ladder-like staircase leads to the top. Three sturdy wooden pillars, installed by Abdullah ibn Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) over 1,250 years ago, support its roof. Each pillar has a circumference of 150 cm, and a diameter of 44 cm. Items gifted to the Kaaba are hung on these pillars. In 1417 AH, King Fahd bin Abdulaziz replaced the bases of these pillars with stronger teak wood, which is naturally resistant to termites and found only in Burma. The floor beneath the pillars and the lower four meters of the walls were covered with white marble, ensuring that the pillars do not touch the Kaaba’s main walls. The remaining interior is draped with a green covering.
Inside the Kaaba, ten engraved white marble stones display the names of caliphs and kings who contributed to its renovation since the sixth century AH. These are placed 144 cm above the Kaaba’s floor.
The Kaaba has no internal lighting or windows for natural light. When it is washed, ladders are used for access, illumination, and ventilation adjustments.
Continues…
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