The Kabah: Its Size and History The small, cubed building known as the Kabah
may not rival skyscrapers in height or mansions in width, but its impact on
history and human beings is unmatched. The Kabah 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 (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) over 1400
years ago.
The Size of the Kabah:
The current height of the Kabah is 39 feet, 6 inches and total size comes to
627 square feet.
The inside room of the Kabah is 13x9 meters. The Kabah's walls are one meter
wide. The floor inside is 2.2 meters higher than the place where people perform
Tawaf.
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.
The Other Names of the Kabah
Literally, Kabah in Arabic means a high place with respect and prestige. The
word Kabah may also be derivative of a word meaning a cube. Some of these other
names include:
1. 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.
2. Bait ul Haram - the honorable house.
Scholars and historians say that the Kabah has been reconstructed between 5
to 12 times. The very first construction of the Kabah was done by Prophet Adam
(peace be upon him). Allah says in the Quran that this was the first house that
was built for humanity to worship Allah. After this, Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail
(peace be upon them) rebuilt the Kabah.
The measurements of the Kabah's foundation by Ibrahim 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
(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) time.
Reconstruction of Kabah by Quraish
Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) participated in one of its
reconstructions before he became a Prophet. After a flash flood, the Kabah was
damaged and its walls cracked. It needed rebuilding. This responsibility was
divided among the Quraish's four tribes. Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi
wassallam) helped with this reconstruction.
Once the walls were erected, it was time to place the Black Stone, (the Hajar
ul Aswad) on the eastern wall of the Kabah. 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 (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam). 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 (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) 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 (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) then picked up the stone and placed it
on the wall of the Kabah.
Since the tribe of Quraish did not have sufficient funds, this reconstruction
did not include the entire foundation of the Kabah as built by Prophet Ibrahim.
This is the first time the Kabah acquired the cubical shape it has now, unlike
the rectangle shape which it had earlier. The portion of the Kabah left out is
called Hateem now.
