Every year during the month of Dhou al-Hijja, millions of Muslims converge on Mecca to perform the great pilgrimage, or hajj. Every believer who has the means and the physical ability is bound to do it once in his life. The most pious can also go to Mecca on another date: it is the umrah, which is not compulsory.
What's the Kaaba?
The Kaaba (cube in Arabic) is located in Mecca, the holy place of Islam, in Saudi Arabia.
It is a building (15 meters high and 12 meters by 12 meters on the ground) built in gray stone. Also called by Muslims "the house of God", it is located in the center of the most sacred place in Islam: the al-Haram mosque. Since 624, Muslims have turned to the Kaaba to pray.
According to Muslim tradition, it was built by Adam, the first prophet (then rebuilt by Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ishmael). Originally the Kaaba was made of wood; it was destroyed by fire in the 7th century and rebuilt in stone at the end of the 7th century.
It contains the "Black Stone" in the outer corner to the east. According to the prophetic tradition, it would come from Paradise and would have been brought by the angel Djibril (Gabriel). In 930, the black stone was stolen by the Qarmatians who returned it against a heavy ransom 8 years later. In the 11th century, Hakim, a Fatimid caliph, tried to break it with an iron bar.
The interior of the building is empty. The Kaaba is covered with a black veil with precious metal embroidery.
The kaaba is 13.1 m high, 12.86 m long and 11.03 m wide.
The Pilgrimage around the Kaaba
At the center of the pilgrimage is the Kaaba, an almost cubic construction (about 10 x 12 x 15 m), oriented according to the cardinal points, covered with a black silk cloth, around which the pilgrims turn seven times.
This shrine is very old, since it dates back to the pre-Islamic period: if we are to believe the Koran, to Abraham! (sura 2, verses 125-130) It was in any case venerated even before Islam: the populations then decorated it with images of divinities and went there on pilgrimage. It is probably at this time that the practice of circumambulation, that is to say the fact of turning around the holy place, dates back. In 632, Muhammad, entering Mecca, destroyed all the idols, making the place a strictly Muslim space.
The single door of the Kaaba opens into an empty room; no one ever enters. The main interest of the aedicule is indeed, for believers, on the outside: it is the black stone, a rock probably meteorite, embedded in the eastern corner, and which should open at the end of the time. Divided into three pieces since a fire, it is held together by silver hoops.
According to some traditions, its color is due to the sins of men, which it takes on when touched. This is why touching it, even kissing it, is a strong act of pilgrimage.
Further read : 10 things you didn't know about the Kaaba
How to teach its child Muslim cultures and incite them for pilgrimage when they are adult?
The education of children is part of the obligations of the father and mother. Allah the Most High has ordered it in the Qur'an and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has done the same. This is what the Most High said: "O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded." (Coran, 66 : 6).
Every Muslim is supposed to be invited (people) to submit to Allah Most High. Let him therefore give priority to his children, his family and those around him in his appeal (to Allah). When Allah invests the Messenger of Allah with his mission,
He says to him: And warn the people who are closest to you. (Qur'an, 26: 214) since these people would deserve better than anyone his benevolence, his compassion and his benevolence.
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) made fathers and mothers responsible for the protection of children and ordered them to do so. Abd Allah ibn Umar said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say:
You are all shepherds and every shepherd is responsible for his flock: the Imam (guide) is a shepherd for the people he leads and the man is a shepherd in his family and he is responsible for his flock. The woman is a shepherd in the marital home and she will be responsible for her flock.
The servant is a shepherd in relation to the goods of his master and he is responsible for his flock. He then says: I believe he added: the man is a shepherd in relation to his father's goods and he is responsible for his flock. You are all shepherds and you are responsible for your flocks. (Reported by al-Bukhari, 853 and by Muslim, 1829).
Your duty is to cultivate in them the love of Allah and His Messenger and the love of the teachings of Islam and inform them that Allah disposes of hell and paradise and that hell, very hot, will be fueled by men and stones. Here is a story to ponder.
Conclusion
One of the easiest and most educational way to teach your children Islam culture while letting them have fun, is by making and unmaking Islamic Buildings like The Kaaba block sets, Al-Masjid Nabaoui block Sets and Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa block sets.
Related article : The 7 most important archaeological and Islamic sites in Saudi Arabia
