Wetin be di Holy Kaaba and why access inside am special for Muslims?
Wia dis foto come from, Bola Tinubu via X
- Author, Abubakar Maccido
- Published
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu say e pray for peace, unity and prosperity for Nigeria during im visit to Saudi Arabia, wia e perform Umrah and enta di Holy Kaaba to pray.
Di president disclose dis one afta e finish im visit to di Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, wia e say both im and members of im delegation get di opportunity to enter di Holy Kaaba.
For one statement, Tinubu express gratitude to Saudi Arabia King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman for granting dem dat privilege and showing dem hospitality during dia visit.
Tori of im visit to Saudi Arabia to pray for Nigeria bin first trend, followed by tori say e bin get di opportunity to enter di Holy Kaaba.
So, why entrance inside di Kaaba dey rare and special for Muslims?
Wetin be di Kaaba and why dem regard am as di holiest place for Muslims?
Di Kaaba, wey mean "cube" for English, na one stone building wey dey located for di centre of di Grand Mosque for Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
E serve as di "qibla", di direction wey all Muslims across di world dey face during prayer.
Di Kaaba measure 13.1m (43 feet) high, 12.8m (42ft) long and 11.03m (36ft) wide.
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To visit di Kaaba at least once for a Muslim lifetime na one of di five pillars of Islam, anoda reason why many Muslims make effort to perform di Hajj pilgrimage.
Statistics show say at least 13 to 15 million pipo dey visit evri year, including more dan 11 million pipo wey perform Umrah and between 2 to 3 million pipo wey perform Hajj evri year.
Di Sacred Kaaba, wey dey for di centre of di Grand Mosque for Mecca, na di most revered structure for Islam and di qibla (direction of prayer) for Muslims around di world.
As di Quran tok, "Indeed, di first House [of worship] wey establish for mankind na dat at Bakkah - blessed and a guidance for di worlds" (Al-Imran 3:96).
Di phrase "di first House [of worship] established for mankind" get deep significance for Islamic tradition.
To learn more about di origin and construction of di Kaaba, BBC contact Dr Ibrahim Disina, one Nigerian Islamic scholar wey study religion for Saudi Arabia, wia di Kaaba dey.
Di scholar provide di writer wit one special page on di history of di holy building, for dis article.
Who fit enter di Kaaba?
Wia dis foto come from, Anadolu via Getty Images
According to Sheikh Mustapha Umar for Sokoto wey tok to BBC, e tok say evri Muslim fit enta di Kaaba, wey include ordinary pipo as well as prominent individuals.
"Anybodi fit enta di Kaaba. No difference dey between poor person and rich person. Di reason why pipo tink say e no easy to enter na bicos officials dey always dey in charge of di entrance.
"So, pesin gatz get permission from Saudi authorities bifor dem go allow am enter."
How often dem dey open di Kaaba and why access to am dey considered privilege?
Wia dis foto come from, Anadolu via Getty Images
According to Sheikh Umar, dem fit open di Kaaba at any time, weda na morning, afternoon or night.
"No fixed time dey wey dem don set aside for opening inside di Kaaba. Dem fit open am at any time on any day, if pesin get permission from Saudi authorities di pipo wey dey guard di Kaaba entrance, go let am enta."
E add say during di time of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), di Prophet enta di Kaaba and perform two raka'at of voluntary prayer (nafl) wit some of im companions wey enta wit am, although many odas no get di opportunity.
"Di reason why pipo dey feel privileged wen dem enta di Kaaba na sake of say Prophet Muhammad imself enta am and perform two raka'at of voluntary prayer inside wit im companions," e tok.
E add say many pipo wey don get di opportunity to enta di Kaaba dey feel great joy bicos dem don follow di example of di Prophet.
Wetin be di significance of di Black Stone wey worshippers dey touch or kiss for di Kaaba?
Wia dis foto come from, Anadolu via Getty Images
Muslims wey dey perform Hajj pilgrimage dey touch di Black Stone for di Kaaba during di Hajj ritual wey dem dey call Tawaf.
Pilgrims dey often struggle to touch di Stone during di Hajj pilgrimage for Mecca.
To waka round di Kaaba seven times na wetin dem dey call Tawaf, and during dis ritual, worshippers dey try touch di Black Stone, wey dem know as Hajar al-Aswad.
Evri year, plenty people dey push each oda, some even dey step on rocks, to see whether dem go get di chance to touch di stone.
But, e compulsory for pilgrims to touch dis stone during Hajj, and wetin be im real meaning?
Islamic scholar Ustadh Aminu Zubairu explain say Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) actually touch dis stone.
E say Muslims wey dey try touch di stone dey follow di example of di Prophet so dem fit receive di blessings wey dey there.
Ustadh Aminu Zubairu explain say to kiss di stone no be ritual, but e get significance because di Prophet touch di stone when e go for Umrah and Hajj.
Di Islamic scholar say all di followers of di Prophet kiss di stone.
"However, person wey no get di opportunity to touch di stone fit use stick touch di stone and then touch di stick."
Ustadh Aminu say if pesin no get di privilege to kiss or touch di black stone for di Kaaba, e no go make im Hajj invalid.
“Wetin we know be say di Prophet touch di stone, so if person receive blessings by touching di stone, dat person gatz do di work wey di Prophet do.”
Dis kind work dem dey consider as work wey get plenty benefit and blessing, meaning say touching dis stone no be compulsory.
“Na Sunnah bicos di Prophet dey do am, and dis kind Sunnah no dey make Hajj invalid,” di Ustadh tok.
