Ka'Ba | November 23, 2004

The Arabic word Ka'Ba means house of Allah. The Ka'Ba is a cube-like building constructed of blocks of Meccan granite. The Ka'Ba stands at the center of the great open-air Mosque of Mecca, the masjid al-haram. It constitutes the Qiblah, the specific point which Muslims face when performing the daily ritual prayers. The Ka'Ba is the center of the world for Muslims. It is "the navel of the earth," the first creation of Allah and the beginning point of all creation. Muslim cosmology locates it on the same axis with seven Ka'Bas directly above it in the seven heavens. These Ka'Bas, earthly and celestial, are directly below the throne of Allah, which is circumambulated by the angels (Mala'Ika) even as the Meccan Ka'Ba is circumambulated by humans.