Al- Ka’abah

1. Al-Ka’abah Al-Ka’abah, the most sacred place for Muslims, was built by Prophet Ibrahim and his son Prophet Isma’il , peace be upon them. Since then, the Arabs used to perform Al-Hajj to Al-Ka’abah . When Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, preached Islam to all mankind , performing Al-Hajj to Al-Ka’abah became the fifth pillar of Islam. Al-Ka’abahis a 13.8-metre-high, box-shaped building. Its north and south walls are 11 metres long , and its east and west walls are 9.6 metres wide. Al-Ka’abah is built of grey stone and it stands on a marble base which is 23 centimetreshigh.

2. The four walls of Al-Ka’abah are covered with a black curtain (Al-Kiswah). This curtain is covered with writing in silver and gold. Al-Kiswahis replaced by the government of Saudi Arabia once a year . It is made in a factory in Makkahand costs SR 10 million. The door which leads inside Al-Ka’abah is made of gold . Inside, there are two rows of wooden pillars and many gold and silver lamps. The floor is covered with marble. Near the door , in the eastern corner of Al-Ka’abah, there is the black stone . This is surrounded by silver.

3. Answer the following questions: 1. Who built Al-Ka’abah? It was built by Prophet Ibrahim and his son Prophet Isma’il, peace be upon them. 2. When did the Arabs begin performing Al-Hajj? Since Prophet Ibrahim and his son Prophet Isma’il, peace be upon them built Al-Ka’abah. 3. Where does Al-Kiswah come from? It comes from a factory in Makkah. 4. How often is it replaced? It replaced once a year. 5. How much does each Kiswah cost? It costs SR 10 million.