The Kaaba is considered the house of Allah. Referred to as the House of Allah (Beytullah), its sanctity has been recognized since the time of Hz. Adam, and performing Hajj has been made obligatory for those who have the ability.
In the dictionary, "Kâbe" which means "cubical object," is mentioned in two places in the Quran.
The Kaaba is also referred to by various names in the Quranic verses, such as "el-Beyt, el-Beytü'l-atîk, el-Beytü'l-harâm, el-Beytü'l-muharram, el-Mescidü'l-harâm." In popular usage, it is mostly called the "Kâbe-i Muazzama."
According to narrations, after Hz. Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise, they met at Arafat.
Upon this meeting, Hz. Adam wished for the return of the pillar of light around which he used to worship and circumambulate in paradise, in order to thank Allah. Allah accepted Hz. Adam's prayer, and he continued to circumambulate around the pillar of light.
During the time of Hz. Seth, only one stone remained from the lost pillar of light. Hz. Seth built a four-cornered structure and placed this stone in one of the corners. This stone is known today as the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad).
During the flood of Nuh, the Kaaba was destroyed and remained hidden under the sand for a while.
Hz. Ibrahim went to the place where the Kaaba was located, following Allah's command.
Hz. İbrahim's son Hz. İsmail and his mother Hz. Hacer settled there.
Hz. İbrahim and Hz. Ismail dug the place of the Kaaba. They found the foundations of the building made by Hz. Seth and built the Kaaba that exists today on those foundations."
The Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad), descended from heaven, was preserved on Mount Abu Qubays during the flood of Nuh.
It was placed in its position by Hz. Ibrahim during the construction of the Kaaba. It is an important element of the tawaf ritual.
Over time, the Kaaba has been subjected to various disasters such as floods, fires, and attacks by people, resulting in some damage and fragmentation of the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad). However, each time, these fragments have been carefully glued back into place to preserve them.
During the construction of the Kaaba, the stone or the place where Hz. Ibrahim stood to build the walls and invited people to Hajj is called the Station of Ibrahim (Makam-ı İbrahim).
Kusay bin Kilab, who was the great-grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad from the fourth generation, rendered great services to the Kaaba.
Kusay, who organized the pilgrimage by repairing the Kaaba, placed the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad) back in its place from where the Quraysh had removed and buried it.
To protect the Kaaba from damage, he had a roof built over it and constructed water wells and pools for the pilgrims.
Ebrehe, aiming to spread Christianity and increase visits to the temple he had built, marched towards Mecca with an army led by an elephant to destroy the Kaaba.
The swallows sent by Allah, carrying stones, tore the entire army to pieces, leading them to destruction. This event was considered the beginning of a new era in history for a while.
The Kaaba was rebuilt and restored in the year 605. During this construction, it is known that the Prophet Muhammad carried stones along with his uncle Abbas, and this act prevented a potential conflict among the Quraysh tribes who could not agree on sharing the honor of replacing the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad).
The Prophet Muhammad conquered Mecca due to the violation of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah by the polytheists. Thus, the service of the Kaaba and the control of the Masjid al-Haram came into the hands of the Muslims.
After the Kaaba and its surroundings were cleansed of polytheistic symbols, the Prophet Muhammad performed two rakats of prayer inside the Kaaba. He then ordered Bilal al-Habashi to climb onto the roof of the Kaaba and call the adhan.
