Masjid al Haram

Kaaba

Pilgrims circumambulating the Kaaba

The Kaaba (Arabic: الكعبة‎‎) is a cuboid-shaped building in the center of the Masjid al-Haram and is one of the most sacred sites in Islam.[15]All Muslims around the world face the Kaaba during prayers, no matter where they are. The direction from the location of the person who prays to the Kaaba is called the Qibla.

The Hajj requires pilgrims to walk seven times around the Kaaba in a counter-clockwise direction. This circumambulation, the Tawaaf, is also performed by pilgrims during the Umrah (lesser pilgrimage).[15][16][17]

Black Stone[edit]

Muslim pilgrims jostle for a chance to kiss the Black Stone

The Black Stone (Arabic: الحجر الأسود‎‎ al-Ḥajar al-Aswad) is the eastern cornerstone of the Kaaba.[18] It was set intact into the Kaaba's wall by Muhammad in the year 605, five years before his first revelation. Since then it has been broken into a number of fragments and is now cemented into a silver frame in the side of the Kaaba. Its physical appearance is that of a fragmented dark rock, polished smooth by the hands of millions of pilgrims.

Many of the pilgrims, if possible, stop and kiss the Black Stone, emulating the kiss that Islamic tradition records it having received from Muhammad.[19] If they cannot reach it, they point to it on each of their seven circuits around the Kaaba.[20]

Maqām Ibrahim

The Maqām Ibrahim (Abraham's place of standing) is a rock that reportedly has an imprint of Abraham's foot, which is kept in a crystal dome next to the Kaaba. This rock was identified by most Islamic scholars as the one behind which Muhammad prayed when he circumambulated the Kaaba.[21] Several traditions existed to explain how Abraham's footprint miraculously appeared in the stone, including one suggesting it appeared when Abraham stood on the stone while building the Kaaba; when the walls became too high, Abraham stood on the maqām, which miraculously rose up to let him continue building and also miraculously went down in order to allowIshmael to hand him stones.[21] Other traditions held that the footprint appeared when the wife of Ishmael washed Abraham's head, or alternatively when Abraham stood atop it in order to summon the people to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca.[21]

Al-Safa and Al-Marwa

Main article: Al-Safa and Al-Marwah

Mount Al-Safa in the Masjid al-Haram

Al-Safa and Al-Marwah (Arabic: الصفا‎‎ Aṣ-Ṣafā, المروة Al-Marwah) are two hills, now located in the Masjid al-Haram. In Islamic tradition, Abraham's wife Hagar ran between the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah looking for water for her infant son Ishmael until God eventually revealed her the Zamzam. Muslims also travel back and forth seven times during the ritual pilgrimages of Hajj and Umrah as a remembrance to her sacrifice.

Al-Safa – from which the ritual walking (Arabic: سعى‎‎ saʿy) begins – is located approximately half a mile from the Kaaba. Al-Marwah is located about 100 m (330 ft) from the Kaaba. The distance between Al-Safa and Al-Marwah is approximately 450 m (1,480 ft)

Zamzam Well[edit]

An area with taps supplying Zamzam

A halaqa underway at the western part of the main complex.