1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ka'ba
History of Al-Ka’ba
A.S. Hashim. MD

2. Discussed in this slideshow:
Ka’ba in Pre-Islamic Times
Ka’ba During Early Islam
Bombarded with stones
Ka’ba and Flooding
Keys of the Ka’ba
The Black Stone
Ka’ba and its Surroundings
The Inside of the Ka’ba
Kiblah: The Brilliant Change of Direction in Prayer
The Ka’ba as the symbol of unity

3. Baitullah
In the province of Hejaz in the western part of Arabia, not far from the Red Sea, there lies the town of Mecca.
In the center of this town there is a small square building made of stones, about 60 feet long, 60 feet wide and 60 feet high.
Since time immemorial this town and this stone built house has been known to world travelers.
This is Baitullah, the House of God. Its sanctity and antiquity is very very old.

4. In Pre-Islamic times
In her book, Islam: A Short History, Karen Armstrong asserts that the Ka'ba at some point contained 360 idols that probably represented the days of the year.
Circumambulation طواف was often performed naked by men and
almost naked by women and linked to ancient fertility rites.
Once a year, tribes from all around the Arabian peninsula, whether Christian or pagan,
would converge on Mecca to perform the Hajj,
marking the widespread conviction that Allah was the same deity worshiped by monotheists.
By Muhammad's day, the Ka'ba was venerated as the shrine of Allah, the High God.

5. Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica, Book 3 Chapter 44
Ka’ba in Ancient Times
The Greek historian Diodorus Siculus is believed to have mentioned the Ka'ba in 60–30 BC while describing the coast of Jeddah and its surrounding areas saying:
The inhabitants of the land about the gulf, who are known as Bani zomenes, find their food by hunting the land animals and eating their meat.
And a temple has been set up there, which is very holy and exceedingly revered by all Arabians.
Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica, Book 3 Chapter 44

6. The Bible and The Old Testament
It is claimed: The Bible, in the Chapter of Genesis describes its building when God ordained Abraham
to erect a Shrine for worship when Abraham was ordered to go to the Southern desert with his wife Hager and infant son Ishmael.
The Old Testament describes this building as:
the Shrine of God at several places,
but the one built at Ma’amoor is very much similar to the one at Mecca.
There is no doubt that it was referring to the stone built house at Mecca.

7. Quran brought this story into the full light
قُلْ صَدَقَ اللَّهُ ۗ فَاتَّبِعُوا مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
“Allah has spoken the Truth, therefore follow the creed of Ibrahim, a man of pure faith and no idolater” In Surah 3:95 Quran says.
The first house established for the people was at:
Mecca, a Holy place and guidance to all beings.
Quran firmly establishes the fact that Ibrahim was the real founder of the Holy Shrine.
When Prophet Ibrahim built the Holy Shrine in Mecca, his prayers were that this place should remain a center of worship for all good and pious people;
that Allah should keep his family the custodians of the Holy place.

8. Maqam Ibrahim
Tradition goes that the Ka'ba was ordained by Allah to be built in the shape of the House in Heaven called Baitul Ma’moor.
Al-Bait Al-Ma'mur (بیت المعمور), according to Islamic traditions, is a house in the seventh Heaven around which thousands of angels circumambulate. It is parallel to the Ka'ba on Earth.

9. Replica of Maqam Ibrahim, Footprint

10. Al-Ka'ba
"The Ka'ba“ is a building at the center of Islam's most sacred mosque, Al-Masjid al-Haram, in  Mecca,  Saudi Arabia.
It is considered the "House of Allah" and has a similar role to the Tabernacle and Holy of Holies in Judaism.
Wherever they are in the world, Muslims are expected to face the Ka'ba when performing Salat (prayer).
From any point in the world, the direction facing the Ka'ba is called the Kiblah القبله.
The sanctuary around the Ka'ba is called Al-Masjid al-Haram (Sacred Mosque)

11. The Ka’ba and Idols
According to Sarwar, about 400 years before the birth of Muhammad, a man named " Amr ibn Luhayy ", who was the ruler of Hijaz had placed a Hubal idol onto the roof of the Ka'ba.
This idol was one of the chief deities of the ruling tribe Quraish.
The idol was made of red agate and shaped like a human, but with the right hand broken off and replaced with a golden hand.
When the idol was moved inside the Ka'ba, it had seven arrows in front of it, which were used for divination.
To maintain peace among the perpetually warring tribes, Mecca was declared a sanctuary where no violence was allowed within 20 miles of the Ka'ba.
This combat-free zone allowed Mecca to thrive not only as a place of pilgrimage, but also as a trading center.

12. The Moon God, Hubal, of Pre-Islamic Arabia -

13. Ka’ba during early Islam
Muhammad took part in the reconstruction of the Ka'ba after its structure was damaged due to floods around 600 AD. 
Ibn Ishaaq describes Muhammad settling a quarrel between Meccan clans as to which clan should set the Black Stone cornerstone in place.
Muhammad's solution was to have all the clan elders raise the cornerstone on a cloak,
after which Muhammad set the stone into its final place with his own hands.
Ibn Ishaaq says that the timber for the reconstruction of the Ka'ba came from a Greek ship that had been wrecked on the Red Seacoast at Shu'ayba
and that the work was undertaken by a Coptic carpenter called Baqum

14. Artist rendering of placing the Black Stone

15. Guardianship of the Ka'ba
Isma’eel, the son of Ibrahim, who helped his father build the Ka’ba, and his descendants
remained the custodians of the Holy Shrine.
History tells us that centuries passed and the guardianship of the Ka'ba remained in the family of Isma’eel until
the name of Abd Munaf came into the limelight.
He inherited this service and made it much more prominent.

16. Hashim takes this leadership
His son Hashim (son of Abd Munaf), took this leadership and
extended it to many other towns of Hejaz
so much so that many pilgrims flocked annually to this place and enjoyed Hashims’ hospitality.
A feast was given in honor of the pilgrims, food and water was served to all guests by the family of Hashim.
This prominence created jealousy and his brother Abd shams, (adopted son Umayya), tried to create trouble.

17. Abdul Mut'talib’s Leadership
There was a dispute or clash of interest in which
Umayya failed and left Mecca to settle down in the Northern provinces of Syria (Sham).
After Hashim his brother Muttalib took charge.
and after Mut'talib,
Hashim’s son Shyba (who became known as Abdul Mut'talib) assumed the leadership of the family
Abdul Mut'talib organized feasts and supplies of water to the pilgrims (the pagan Arabs of the time) during the annual festival of Pilgrimage to the Holy Shrine.

18. Ka’ba Nowadays

19. Ka’ba and Flooding
After heavy rains and flooding in 1629, the walls of the Ka'ba collapsed and the Masjid was damaged.
The same year, during the reign of Ottoman Emperor Murad IV,
the Ka'ba was rebuilt with granite stones from Mecca and the Masjid was renovated.
The appearance of the Ka'ba has not changed ever since.

20. Washing of the Ka'ba
The building is opened twice a year for a ceremony known as "the cleaning of the Ka'ba."
This ceremony takes place roughly thirty days before the start of the month of Ramadhan and thirty days before the start of Hajj.
Washing of the Ka'ba is done twice a year with a mixture made from the Zamzam water, Taif rosewater and expensive Oud oil that is traditionally used in Arabian perfumes

21. Washing the Ka’ba Twice a Year

22. Keys of the Ka’ba
The keys to the Ka'ba are held by the Banī Shayba (بني شيبة) tribe.
Members of the tribe greet visitors to the inside of the Ka'ba on the occasion of the cleaning ceremony.
A small number of dignitaries and foreign diplomats are invited to participate in the ceremony.
The governor of Mecca leads the honored guests who ritually clean the structure, using a simple broom.

23. Keys of the Ka’ba

24. From Idol Worship to the Almighty’s Worship
The Arabs thronged to Mecca annually and worshipped their personal gods, the idols.
It was over four thousand years later that Prophet Muhammad entered Mecca triumphantly,
He along with his cousin Ali went inside the Ka'ba and around, destroyed all the idols of Ka'ba with their own hands.
There were 360 idols on top, around and inside the Ka’ba at the time.

25. Truth has come and falsehood has vanished
At one stage of this destruction of idols, the tallest of the idol Hubal was brought down after ‘Ali had to stand on the shoulders of the Prophet to carry out God’s orders.
The Prophet of Islam was reciting the Verse from the Quran:
وَقُلْ جَاءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ ۚ إِنَّ الْبَاطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا
“Truth hath come and falsehood hath vanished.” (17:81)
This was done in the 8th year of Hijrah, January 630 AD after the bloodless victory at Mecca by the Prophet of Islam.

26. Artist Rendering: Hubal and other idols
Yaghuth
Hubal

27. Building the Ka’ba
Ibrahim with the help of his son Isma'eel erected the new shrine consisting of
only four walls but
without a roof .
Centuries later during the time of Kusayi (who was the leader of the Tribe of Quraish in Mecca)
a taller building was completed with a roof
and a quadrangle wall around it to give it the shape of a sanctuary and doors all around the sanctuary walls.
People entered through these doors to come to the Ka'ba for worship.

28. Rough description
The Ka’ba nowadays is 60 feet high, 60 feet wide from east to west and 60 feet from north to south.
A door is fixed about 7 feet above ground level facing North East.
A Black stone (Hajar al Aswad) was fixed into its eastern corner.
In front of the building was Maqam Ibrahim,
the Zamzam Well.

29. Surroundings
Just outside are the Hills called Safa and Marwa and the distance between the hills is about 500 yards.
These days both of the hills are enclosed into the sanctuary walls with a roof over it.
The whole building is built of the layers of grey blue stone from the hills surrounding Mecca.
The four corners roughly face the four points of the compass.
At the East is the Black stone (Rukn al-Aswad), at the North is al-Rukn al-Iraqi, at the west al-Rukn al-Shami and at the south al-Rukn al-Yamani.

30. The Kiswa (Cover) of the Ka’ba
The four walls are covered with a curtain (Kiswa). The kiswa is usually of black brocade with the Shahaada outlined in the weave of the fabric.
About 2/3rd’s of the way up runs a gold embroidered band covered with Quranic text.
The first time the Ka'ba was clothed was during the rule of the Jurhum tribe during the visit of King Tuba of Himyar (now in present-day Yemen).
Muhammad and the Muslims in Mecca did not participate in the draping of the Ka'ba until the conquest of the city at 630 AD (7 AH),
as the ruling tribe, Quraish, did not allow them to do so.
When Mecca was taken by the Muslims, they decided to leave the Kiswa as it was until a woman lighting incense in the Ka'ba accidentally set fire to the Kiswa.
Muhammad then draped it with a white Yemeni cloth.

31. Manufacture of the Kiswa
From the time of the Ayyubi,
the Kiswa was manufactured in Egypt,
with material sourced locally as well as
from Sudan, India, and Iraq.
The Amir al-Hajj (commander of the hajj caravan) transported the Kiswa from Egypt to Mecca on an annual basis.
Amir al-Hajj was designated by the sultans of the Mamluk, and later, Ottoman Empires,
The tradition continued until 1927, when its manufacture was moved to Saudi Arabia.[

32. Every year after the Hajj ceremony
the place is closed for one month and
on the Day of Ashuraa the Ka'ba is washed from inside
by the Water from the well of Zamzam and
a new Kiswa is brought to cover the Ka'ba for the next year.

33. The cover (Kiswa)

34. Making the cover (Kiswa)

35. The Black Stone (Hajar al Aswad)
In the Eastern corner about 5 feet above ground the Hajar al Aswad (the black stone) is fixed into the wall.
Its real nature is difficult to determine,
its visible shape is worn smooth by hand touching and kissing.
Its diameter is around 12 inches.
Ever wondered how the Black Stone came to be in the silver casing that surrounds it?

36. The Black Stone

37. The Black Stone is broken
Most agree that it was damaged in the middle ages by an extremely heretical Ismaili group from Bahrain called the Qaramita
They declared that Hajj was an act of superstition.
They decided to make their point by killing thousands of hajjis and dumping their bodies in the well of Zamzam.
They took the Black Stone to the East of Arabia and then Kufa in Iraq where they held it ransom until:
They were forced to return it by the Abassi Khalifa.
When they returned it, it was in pieces and the only way to keep them together was by encasing them in a silver casing.
Some historians narrate that there are still some missing pieces of the stone floating around.

38. The Ka’ba and its surroundings
Opposite the North west wall but not connected with it, is a semicircular wall of white marble. It is 3 feet high and about 5 feet thick. This semicircular space enjoys an especial consideration and pilgrims wait in queue to find a place to pray there.
The graves of Isma'eel and his mother Hajar are within this semicircular wall.
Between the archway and the facade (N.E.) is a little building with a small dome, the Maqam Ibrahim.
Inside it is kept a stone bearing the prints of two human feet.
Prophet Ibrahim is said to have stood on this stone when building the Ka'ba and marks of his feet are preserved.
On the outskirts of the building to the North East is the ‘Zamzam Well’ (this is now put under ground).

39. Schematic of the Ka’ba

40. The Damage to the Ka’ba
After the martyrdom of the family of the Prophet at Karbala in 61 Hijrah (681 AD),
the Umayya Yazid Ibn Mu'awiya did not stop there in the pursuit of his destruction.
He sent a large contingent under the command of Haseen Ibn Namir to Medina which terrorized the people and damaged the Mosque of the Prophet.
They did not stop there but proceeded to Mecca
and demolished the four walls of the Ka'ba
and killed thousands of Muslims who protested.
Soon Yazid died and Ibn Namir returned to Damascus,
Ka'ba was rebuilt by Ibn Zubair and his associates, just as it was built by Prophet Ibrahim.

41. The Next Damages to the Ka’ba
Benu Umayya forces invaded Mecca again,
they killed Ibn Zubair, hung his body on the gates of the Ka'ba for three months for all to see the Umawi power.
The Ka’ba was damaged by the catapult of Hajjaj forces
But soon the arrogance of power brought its own consequences and Mukhtar became the ruler in Iraq.
Under Mukhtar’s guidance the Ka'ba was refurbished and pilgrims began to arrive in safety to perform Hajj.
The Ka'ba successfully withstood the Karamita invasion of 317/929,
only the Blackstone was carried away which was returned some twenty years later.
In the year 1981 the Wahhabis brought tanks inside the Ka'ba to crush the kahtani revolution against the Saudi regime and
almost demolished the South Eastern Wall. This was later restored with the help of the Meccan people.

42. It has been reconstructed several times
From time to time The Ka'ba needed rebuilding after natural and man-made disasters.
Of course, a major reconstruction took place during the life of the Prophet before he became a Prophet.
Since then, there has been an average of one major reconstruction every few centuries.
The last renovation took place in 1996 and was extremely thorough,
leading to the replacement of many of the stones and
re-strengthening the foundations and a new roof.
This is likely to be the last reconstruction for many centuries (insha'Allah) as modern techniques mean that the building is more secure and stable than ever before.

43. The Brilliant Change of Direction in Prayer
For the 1st 15 years of the advent of Islam, Muslims turned towards Jerusalem in prayers.
About a year and a half following the Hijrah:
the Prophet was ordered during prayer to turn towards Mecca.
The particular mosque in Medina where this happened is called Masjid al-Qiblatain, meaning the mosque with two Kiblahs. The Quran tells the Muslims,
فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنْتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ ۗ
“Turn then thy face towards the sacred mosque and wherever ye be turn your faces towards that part ” (2: 144)

44. Masjid al-Qiblatain

45. It used to have two doors … and a window
The original Ka'ba used to have a door for entrance and another for exit.
For a considerable period of time it also had a window situated to one side. The current Ka'ba only has one door and no window.

46. Ka'ba used to be open to everyone
Until recently, the Ka'ba was opened twice a week for anyone to enter and pray.
However, due to the rapid expansion in the number of pilgrims and other factors, the Ka'ba is now opened only twice a year for dignitaries and exclusive guests only.
Watch the simultaneous gasps of a Million people as they cry out at this auspicious moment.

47. You could swim around it when flooding
The Ka’ba, being at the bottom of a valley, when it rains it tends to flood.
This was not an uncommon occurrence in Mecca.
For days on end the Ka'ba would be half submerged in water.
Yet that did not stop Muslims from performing the Tawaf?
Actually Muslims just started swimming around the Ka'ba.
Modern adjustments to the surrounding landscape and flood prevention techniques mean we may not see such sights again.

48. The Ka’ba: Flood 1941

49. The inside contains plaques commemorating the rulers who renovated it
For years many have wondered what it looks like inside the Ka'ba.
The interior of the Ka'ba is now lined with marble.
a green cloth covering the upper walls.
Fixed into the walls are plaques each commemorating the refurbishment or rebuilding of the Ka’ba by the ruler of the day.

50. The Inside of the Ka’ba

51. There are Two Ka'bas!
Directly above the Ka'ba in heaven is an exact replica. This Ka'ba was mentioned in the Quran and by the Prophet.
The Messenger of Allah, narrating about the journey of 'Israa wal Mi'raaj, said:
“Then I was shown Al-Bayt al-Ma'mur (i.e. Allah's House). I asked Gabriel about it and he said, This is Al Bayt al-Ma'mur where angels perform prayers daily and when they leave they never return to it (but always a fresh batch comes into it daily).”

52. It's not supposed to be a cube shape
The Ka'ba was never meant to be a cube.
The original dimensions of the Ka’ba included the semi-circular area known as the Hijr Ismail.
When the Ka'ba was rebuilt just a few years before the Prophet received his first revelation,
the Quraish agreed to only use income from pure sources to complete the rebuild.
That meant no money from gambling, looting, prostitution, interest etc. was to be used
Ultimately, there was not enough untainted money in this wealthy city to rebuild the Ka'ba to its original size and shape!

53. Ka'ba is the Epicenter of Mecca
There is no place on Earth as venerated, as central or as holy to as many people as Mecca.
By any objective standard, this valley in the Hijaz region of Arabia is the most celebrated place on Earth.
Thousands circle the sacred Ka'ba at the center of the Haram sanctuary 24 hours a day.
Millions of homes are adorned with pictures of it and over a billion face it five times a day.
The Ka'ba is the epicenter of Mecca.

54. The Ka’ba as the symbol of unity
The cube shaped building is at the heart of the most well-known real estate in the history of mankind; it is shrouded in black and its fair share of mystery.
The Ka’ba connects us to our glorious and not-so-glorious past so that we may derive lessons and feel that we are a part of an eternal mission.
In a day and age where Muslims are increasingly disconnected from our history, as well as each other, the Ka'ba reminds us of our shared heritage and bonds.
It is a symbol of unity in an Ummah sorely in need of it.

55. Haj, Pilgrimage

56. In Conclusion, Let us Read Surah al-Asr together
By the eons of Time,
وَالْعَصْرِ
Verily Man is in loss,
إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ
Except those who believe and do good, and enjoin one another to truth and enjoin one another to patience.
إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ
وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ
وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ

57. Thank you
And
May Allah Bless you
Dr. Hashim