What it means
کعبه (ka’be) is the sacred cubic structure located at the center of Masjid al-Haram, the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The word is Arabic, derived from the root meaning cube, referring to the building’s roughly cubic shape. In Islamic belief, the کعبه is the House of God (بیت الله, bayt-ollâh) and the most sacred point on earth. Muslims around the world face the direction of the کعبه, called the قبله (qeble), when performing their five daily prayers. It is draped in a black embroidered cloth called the کسوه (kesve).
How to use it
- مسلمونا رو به کعبه نماز میخونن. (mosalmunâ ru be ka’be namâz mikhunán.) “Muslims pray facing the Kaaba.”
- آرزوم اینه که یه بار کعبه رو ببینم. (ârzum iné ke ye bâr ka’be ro bebinam.) “My dream is to see the Kaaba at least once.”
- طواف یعنی دور کعبه گشتن. (tavâf ya’ni dor-e ka’be gashtan.) “Tawaf means circling the Kaaba.”
- کعبه وسط مسجدالحرامه. (ka’be vasat-e masjed-ol-harâmé.) “The Kaaba is in the middle of Masjid al-Haram.”
Cultural note
For Iranian Shia Muslims, the کعبه holds the same profound sanctity as it does for all Muslims worldwide. The annual Hajj pilgrimage requires circling the کعبه seven times in a ritual called طواف (tavâf), one of the most recognizable images of Islamic devotion. According to Islamic tradition, the کعبه was built by the prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail. The black stone embedded in one of its corners, the حجرالاسود (hajar-ol-asvad), is traditionally kissed or touched by pilgrims when possible, though the crowds often make this very difficult.