The History of the Kaaba and Its Place in Islam

The Kaaba is, in the words of the Quran, the first house of worship established for humanity: "Indeed, the first House established for mankind was that at Mecca — blessed and a guidance for the worlds." (Al Imran 3:96). This cube-shaped structure, about 13 metres tall, stands at the centre of Masjid al-Haram.

Ibrahim and Ismail

The Quran states that the foundations of the Kaaba were raised by Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail (Al-Baqarah 2:127). The Kaaba has been repaired many times through history; the young Muhammad ﷺ famously arbitrated the dispute over returning the Black Stone to its place.

Parts of the Kaaba

At the eastern corner sits the Black Stone (al-Hajar al-Aswad), the starting point of tawaf. The semicircular area in front of the northwestern wall (the Hijr) counts as part of the Kaaba, so tawaf passes outside it. The stone on which Ibrahim stood during construction is preserved as Maqam Ibrahim. The Kaaba is draped each year in a black silk covering, the kiswah.

How the Kaaba became the qibla

With the verse revealed in the second year after the Hijrah (Al-Baqarah 2:144), the qibla was changed from Jerusalem to the Kaaba. Since then, Muslims everywhere have faced it five times a day in prayer and circled it in Hajj and Umrah. Use our compass and map tool to find its direction from wherever you are.