Author: Shoaib Ahmad Ghaznavi
History of the Holy Kaaba (Part 8)
The Cover of the Holy Kaaba and Its Washing
Our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the first person to wash the Kaaba on the day of the Conquest of Makkah, when he cleaned it of idols, as there were 360 idols around it. After that, the Rightly Guided Caliphs and Islamic rulers continued this practice. Recently, the Kaaba has been washed from the inside twice a year. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques or his deputy, including the Emir of Makkah, washes the inside of the Kaaba. The floor of the Kaaba, which is made of marble, and its four walls, which are three meters high, are washed with Zamzam water mixed with oud oil and rose water. Then, the water is taken out, dried, and perfumed.
Sheikh Abdul Qadir Shaibi, who is currently in charge of the Kaaba, along with Dr. Abdul Rahman Sudais, Imam of the Kaaba and the head of the General Affairs of the Al-Haram Mosque and the Nabavi Mosque, and his deputy, Dr. Muhammad bin Nasser Al-Khuzaim, as well as a number of officials, ambassadors from Islamic countries, and citizens, participate in the washing of the Kaaba. The people who are going to enter the Kaaba are informed in advance to avoid crowding. It is Mustahabb (recommended) to enter the Kaaba, as the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) entered it. It is stated in the book “Shifa al-Gharam” by Fasi that the Prophet (PBUH) entered the Kaaba four times. However, entering the Kaaba has nothing to do with the rituals of Hajj and Umrah. It is appropriate for one whom Allah Almighty grants the opportunity to enter His house to adopt humility, dignity, and serenity. After entering the House of Allah, one should turn directly toward the western wall of the gate and pray two rak’ahs at a distance of about one and a half meters from the wall, because it is proven in the Hadith of Bukhari from the Prophet (PBUH) that they did so on the day of the Conquest of Makkah, and this is called Tahiyat al-Masjid. One should ask Allah for whatever prayer he wishes and be engaged in praising and glorifying Allah Almighty, because Allah Almighty has granted him the opportunity to enter the holiest place on earth, and he should try not to disturb anyone.
Scholars have different views on the permissibility of performing the obligatory prayer there. For example, the Hanbali’s have ruled that it is not permissible, while the Maliki’s allow it with strong reservations, and both the Shafi’i’s and Hanafi’s deem it permissible without reservations. Therefore, it is appropriate not to engage in anything other than supplication to Allah Almighty and praying for good in this world and the Hereafter, and one should not occupy himself with looking at the parts and details of the Kaaba, except for someone who is researching its historical issues or is interested in its improvement.
There is no doubt that when someone is present in the court of the Absolute Ruler and asks Allah Almighty, He will not return him disappointed, because He is the Creator of the universe and is the most honorable of the honorable to His servants everywhere. So how do you think that someone who has entered His house will return empty-handed?
Hazrat Ismail (peace be upon him) was the first person to cover the Kaaba with a shroud, and it is also said that Tabhi Himiri did this before others. He was one of the rulers of Yemen who covered the Kaaba with a thick cloth, and after him, many people covered the Kaaba with a shroud in the pre-Islamic period, considering this a religious duty to honor the glorious Kaaba, especially after the incident of the elephant.
The shrouds of the Kaaba were permissible for anyone at any time, as they were placed on top of each other; whenever they became heavy or old, they were removed from the top of the Kaaba and either buried or distributed among the people.
In the pre-Islamic era, Abdullah bin Omar Makhzoomi acquired great wealth and said, “I alone will cover the Kaaba for one year, and the people of Quraysh will cover it for one year.” He adhered to this promise until he died, and the Quraysh called him “Adl.” After the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) conquered Makkah, he did not change its cover until it caught fire at the hands of a woman who wanted to perfume it. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) then covered it, and after that, the Rightly Guided Caliphs and other caliphs and rulers continued this practice at different times with various fabrics.
At the beginning of the Saudi rulers’ era, the Kaaba’s covering was obtained from Egypt and transported to Makkah in a container known as the “Egyptian container.” Until 1346 AH, King Abdulaziz ordered the construction of a special factory for the production of the Kaaba’s covering, and in the same year, this factory was inaugurated in Makkah. It was renovated in 1357 AH, and in 1397 AH, another factory for the production of the Kaaba’s covering was established in Umm al-Jawd in Makkah, where the latest machines were used by Saudi manufacturers, while maintaining the traditional handmade patterns. The height of the Kaaba’s covering reaches 14 meters, and in the upper third of it, the covering belt is 95 centimeters wide. In this belt, Quranic verses are written in a composite Thuluth script in a frame adorned with Islamic-style ornaments and decorated with hand-woven cotton patterns, as well as a prominent embossed cover with silver threads polished with gold. The length of this belt is 45 meters. The gate of the Kaaba also has a special curtain called “Burqa.” Its construction dates back to the year 810 AH, and its dimensions are 3.32 x 3.30 meters, made from the same fabric as the Kaaba’s cover, namely black silk.
The inner walls of the Holy Kaaba also have green covers. It should be noted that it is not permissible to cut or separate anything from the Kaaba’s cover or to tamper with it. Every year, on the ninth of Zul-Hijjah, the Kaaba’s cover is replaced.
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