A Brief Overview of House of Allah –The Kabah

The most sacred structures of all for Muslim is Kabah. It will remain sacred for them as it has remained for the past fourteen hundred years. As a fact of the matter, Kabah has been a revered place before the advent of Islam and the idolaters of Arab would keep their sacred idols in it and considered it a holy place.

With the arrival of Islam and the conquest of Makkah, Kabah became the House of Allah Almighty and the center of Muslim attention in this world. It is the direction towards which Muslims pray five times a day. It is imperative that Muslims Find Qibla Direction before offering prayer in order for it to be valid. The lines below give a brief overview of the house of Allah.

In Quran, Allah Almighty says:

“God has made the Kaba, the Sacred House, an asylum of security, Hajj, and Umrah for mankind…..” (5:97)

From this ayah multiple attributes pertaining to Kaba are evident. The first attribute associated with Kaba is that it is the Sacred House, meaning that it is the House of Allah and the most sacred of places across the world. Therefore, the sanctity of Kabah is unmatched and unsurpassed by any other thing in this world. The second thing that is evident from this ayah is the asylum of security aspect of Kabah. The Kabah is most sacred of places in this world and whoever enters it gets the guarantee of safety. It is forbidden for Muslims to fight or shed blood in Kabah, therefore, whoever, is in Kabah he or she is under the protection of Allah and no one is to violate it. Thirdly, it is a place for Hajja and Umrah for mankind. The offering of Hajj and Umrah are two of the most rewarding and spiritually elevating deeds for a Muslim, which aren’t complete if one does not visit Kabah and performs the Tawaf around it.

As far as the first time construction of Kabah is concerned there are various opinions that hold Hazrat Adam (AS) as the first person who constructed Kabah. There is a conflict on this construction of Kabah however, the scholars agree to the fact that it was Hazrat Ibrahimi (AS) who first constructed or reconstructed Kabah. This narration also finds a mention in Quran as well in which Allah Almighty says:

“And (remember) when Abraham and (his son) Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House (the Kaba at Mecca), (saying), ‘Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily, Your are the All-Hearer, the All-knower.” (2:127)

From this ayah it is clear that Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) and his son Hazrat Ismail (AS) were the two who constructed the House of Allah Almighty. Since then the this House has undergone several renovations and modifications what has made it look like what it looks at present.

Conclusion:

In short, the House of Allah has been one of the most sacred buildings even before the advent of Islam. After Islam it became the center of Muslim prayer and worship and it is the most Holiest of places for Muslims at present.