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Ka'bah: Difference between revisions
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Islamic scriptures state that the original Ka'aba built by Abraham was rather more rectangular than cubic, but that due to reconstruction the Ka'aba had lost its original dimensions. The story recorded suggests that the Ka'aba, when Muhammad was growing up, used to be rectangular in shape but that a natural disaster decimated the structure such that it had to be rebuilt. The [[Quraysh]], revering this structure, are said to have lacked sufficient "clean money" (that is, money untainted by sinful business, such as gambling and prostitution), and thus were only able to rebuild the temple in the shape of a cube. It is thus suggested that the short, semi-circular wall opposite the Iraqi (northwestern) wall of the Ka'aba delineates the portion of earth which in fact, counts as a part of the Ka'aba itself, despite its falling beyond the Ka'aba's walls. Consequently, pilgrims circumambulating the Ka'aba are able to earn the blessing of having "entered it" without having to step inside. | Islamic scriptures state that the original Ka'aba built by Abraham was rather more rectangular than cubic, but that due to reconstruction the Ka'aba had lost its original dimensions. The story recorded suggests that the Ka'aba, when Muhammad was growing up, used to be rectangular in shape but that a natural disaster decimated the structure such that it had to be rebuilt. The [[Quraysh]], revering this structure, are said to have lacked sufficient "clean money" (that is, money untainted by sinful business, such as gambling and prostitution), and thus were only able to rebuild the temple in the shape of a cube. It is thus suggested that the short, semi-circular wall opposite the Iraqi (northwestern) wall of the Ka'aba delineates the portion of earth which in fact, counts as a part of the Ka'aba itself, despite its falling beyond the Ka'aba's walls. Consequently, pilgrims circumambulating the Ka'aba are able to earn the blessing of having "entered it" without having to step inside. | ||
The Ka'aba has been destroyed deliberately and by natural disasters and thus reconstructed several times over since the seventh century. | The Ka'aba has been destroyed deliberately and by natural disasters and thus reconstructed several times over since the seventh century.The first major destruction happened in the Hijri year 73/common era year 693. During the second Fitna of Al-Zubayr, Al-Zubayr took hold of Mecca and proclaimed his caliphate from the city. The Umayyad governor, Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, laid siege to the city including using catapults. The sanctuary was badly damaged during this siege and had to be rebuilt by the caliph 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan after the fitna was ended by the execution of Al-Zubayr. | ||
The second great calamity that came to the Ka'abah was inflicted by the Qarmatians in the Hijri year 371/common era year 930. The Qarmatians, a radical Shi'i sect, attacked Mecca, damaged and desecrated the shrine, and stole the Black Stone within. It was later returned to the shrine in 951 CE, but in the process the stone was broken into several pieces. | |||
The third great destruction came in the hijri year 1039/common era year 1629. A great flood inundated the shrine, killing 1000 pilgrims, and this caused the walls of the shrine to collapse. After the flood subsided the Ottoman caliph Murad IV rebuilt it. | |||
==Relevant quotations== | ==Relevant quotations== | ||