Every religion has something that is most sacred to its followers. This is essential for any religion to survive and keep its wisdom alive. Islam is a unique religion in the sense that its teachings have been the same since day one! The Holy Book (Quran), The Holy Sites (Kaaba, Masjid al-Har’am, and others) and the loyal devotees; all have been maintained and preserved for centuries and originality of it has been kept intact all this time. Salam Planet tries to keep its users updated with the spiritual articles for better guidance and knowledge. This time, we are talking about ‘The Kaaba facts’ which is possible that most of you may know but still there are people who need to know especially the ones who just entered the fold of Islam and are new to the religion.

The Kaaba Facts: Twelve Major And Interesting Things You Did Not Know Before!

Islam is the second-largest religion in the world, first being Christianity. And Kaaba being an important factor in understanding the concept of Islam. Kaaba has some interesting facts that one should know, we have come up with the list of those amazing facts and they are as follows:

1) It Used To Be Multi-Coloured

Can you believe this fact? Well, not easily! The Kaaba you see today is covered in black cloth and is considered the signature feature of our Qibla for many centuries. During the era of Abbasids, the leaders of that time covered Kaaba with black kiswah. Before them, Kaaba used to be in multi-coloured Kiswah including white, green and red.

2) Kaaba Has Been Constructed Many Times

Due to man-made and natural calamities, Kaaba has been constructed many times. There were times when the fire caught the Holy Site and then there was this ever-growing population of Muslims; all these factors contributed to reconstructing Kaaba to accommodate the demands.

3) You Can Pray In Any Direction Inside The Kaaba

Kaaba is our Qibla, meaning anywhere on Earth, we have to pray in direction of Kaaba. But did you know that once you are inside the Kaaba, which is the Qibla, you can pray in any direction! You may say ‘oh, that’s a common fact’ because you may have known it before. These facts can be new and unique to some while a revision for others.

4) The Keys Of Kaaba Are In Custody Of One Family

At the time of famous ‘Conquest of Mecca’ where our Holy Prophet (Saww) showed immense mercifulness and set the foundations of how a victorious ruler must behave with the defeating side. When he was given the keys of Kaaba, he did not keep them with him instead gave them to Osman Ibn Talha of Bani Shaiba Family. While giving them the keys, the Prophet said: ‘Take it, O Bani Talha, eternally up to the Day of Resurrection, and it will not be taken from you unless by an unjust, oppressive tyrant’. So, from that day to today, it is in the custody of the Bani Shaiba family.

5) Kaaba Is Called ‘House Of Allah’

Kaaba is the first-ever house built on this land for worshipping Allah. It was built by Hazrat Ibrahim and his son Hazrat Ismail (a.s) on the orders of Allah, as a monotheistic entity. Since then it is considered as ‘House of Allah’ & one of the Kaaba facts and people come throughout the year to visit it.

6) The Doors Of Kaaba Are Opened Twice A Year Only!

Before when Muslims were few in numbers, Kaaba’s doors were opened twice a day but now it is opened twice a year. The reason being the enormous number of pilgrims that visit the Holy site. Now, only the VIPs and other prominent figures are allowed to enter the Kaaba & on special occasions.

7) Kaaba Was Open To Everybody In The Past

Kind of related to fact number six, during early days and enlightenment periods, Kaaba was open for everybody! Until recently, it is opened for special occasions and prominent figures. Since, it is not possible to accommodate millions of pilgrims inside the Kaaba, so only lucky ones get to see inside of Kaaba.

8) It Had Two Doors And One Window

So, for a considerable time, Kaaba had a door for entrance and a door for exit. Also, there was a window on one side of it. Today, there is just one door and no window. With time, Kaaba had undergone numerous renovation and construction practices, one being the removal of extra door and window.

9) Previously, People Had To Swim To Go To Kaaba

Kaaba is located at the bottom of the valley, so when it would rain, the water would rush towards the lower altitude. Consequently, Kaaba was surrounded by water and the pilgrims would swim in order to reach the holy premises. However, with the invention of modern techniques and methods; now there is no such issue and even during the rainy season, the water seeps into the ground and channelled to exit duct.

10) It Wasn’t Meant To Be Cube-Shaped

The original shape of Kaaba was supposed to be Rectangle! And why do we see a cube-shaped Kaaba now? Well, the Quraish tribes did not have pure money (money earned from halal means) to make it to its original dimensions. As a result, we have a cube-shaped Kaaba.

11) The Black Stone Is Broken

You must have seen the silver casing on the Black Stone and wondered why it would be like this! Well, it’s like this because it was broken into pieces by some vicious personalities of the past. There is a number of theories for it, but one thing is for sure that due to greedy activities of some so-called Muslims, the stone suffered a lot.

12) There Is Not Just One Kaaba, But Two!

Yes, you read it right! There are two Kaaba but one is in the heavens where 70,000 angels do tawaf on a daily basis. The other one is here on the Earth, for us to visit and ask for forgiveness. When Holy Prophet was on the journey of Miraaj, he was heard saying: ‘Then I was shown Al-Bait-al-Ma’mur (i.e. Allah’s House). I asked Gabriel about it and he said, this is Al Bait-ul-Ma’mur where 70,000 angels perform prayers daily and when they leave, they never return to it (but always a fresh batch comes into it daily).’ Islam is the religion of peace and only a true Muslim preaches it the right way. There are so many things that we may not notice and acknowledge but to make you acquaintance with few, the Kaaba facts are just one of a kind.