Long, long ago, two men built the Kaaba. These men were Abraham (also called Ibrahim) and his son Ishmael (also called Ismail). Muslims believe God told them to build it. At first, it was a simple box-shaped building without a roof.
The Quraysh Tribe’s RebuildMany years later, a group of people called the Quraysh tribe lived in Mecca. They decided to rebuild the Kaaba around the year 608. They used stones and wood to make it stronger. They also added a door high up to keep out water when it rained a lot.
Muhammad and the KaabaMuhammad was a very important man for Muslims. When he came back to Mecca in the year 629 or 630, he made the Kaaba the most special place for Muslims to pray. He took out statues of old gods and made it a place to worship one God.Changes Over TimeAfter Muhammad, many people made changes to the Kaaba:Umar: He made the area around the Kaaba bigger so more people could visit.Uthman: He built long rows of columns around the open space where the Kaaba stands.
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Ibn Zubayr: When the Kaaba was damaged in a war, he rebuilt it using wood and stone.Abd al-Malik: He changed the Kaaba back to how Muhammad wanted it.Al-Walid: People say he made the mosque around the Kaaba very pretty with tiny colored tiles.
The Kaaba TodayToday, the Kaaba is a big box-shaped building. It has a special black cover. Muslims from everywhere want to go see it. They try to visit at least once in their life. When they’re there, they walk around it. Even when they’re far away, they face the Kaaba to pray every day.We have old stories about who made the Kaaba. But we don’t have old stuff we can dig up to show these stories are true. Even so, the Kaaba is still super important to all Muslims.
