Mecca, the Kaaba, and the Koran

Islam’s holy book, the Koran, “is considered the constitution of [Saudi Arabia] and provides ethical values and guidance,” states an official brochure. A pamphlet states: “The Kingdom frames its social, political, and economic policies in light of Islamic teachings.” While there were several handwritten copies of the Koran on display, the principal theme of this sector was the pilgrimage city of Mecca (Arabic, Makkah) with its huge mosque and the Kaaba in the center. These were portrayed by large-scale models.

The Kaaba, a huge cube-shaped building made of stone and covered by a heavy black cloth, is defined by an Islamic publication as “the place of worship which God commanded Abraham and Ishmael to build over four thousand years ago.”b Thus Islam (started by the prophet Muḥammad in the seventh century C.E.) claims to be linked with Abraham, the patriarchal forerunner of Judaism and Christianity. It is therefore one of the three major monotheistic religious systems.

In reality the Kaaba is located in the center of the huge open-air square that forms part of the great mosque of Mecca. At the annual pilgrimage (ḥajj), over a million Muslims flock there to pray and to circle the Kaaba seven times. Each able-bodied Muslim considers it an obligation to make this journey at least once in a lifetime. The exhibition also included a model of the massive mosque of Medina (Arabic, Madinah), Muḥammad’s burial place.

Especially interesting were the heavy ornate doors of the Kaaba that were on display. Normally, only Muslims ever get to see these, since only they are allowed into the mosque of Mecca. It was hard to believe they were originals until a guide explained that they were the doors that had been used from 1942 to 1982, when they were replaced by new ones. They are made of gold and silver and are decorated with gold plaques that have verses from the Koran inscribed in Arabic. Hanging from a nearby wall was a kiswah, or heavy black curtain, used to cover the Kaaba, embroidered with more Koranic quotations in gold.

While I found the visit to be very informative, I could not help but notice the omissions in the field of religion. I learned nothing about the actual Kaaba stone, a black meteorite that is revered by Muslims who visit Mecca. Before the founding of Islam, the stone “was venerated as a fetish,” states Philip K. Hitti in his History of the Arabs. The tradition is that while Ishmael was rebuilding the Kaaba, he received the black stone from the angel Gabriel.

Another omission in the exhibition was that I found no reference to the two major divisions of Islam, the Sunni and the Shia. This split goes back all the way to Muḥammad’s successors and is based on a difference of interpretation as to who are his rightful spiritual heirs​—does the line follow in Muḥammad’s bloodline as the Shiite Muslims claim or is it based on elective office as the majority Sunni claim? The Saudis belong to the strict Wahhabi sect of the Hanbali school, the most rigid of the four schools of Sunni Muslims.

Notably absent from the exhibition were Arabian women. I assumed that this omission was due to the strict Saudi interpretation of Islamic laws on the role of women in public life.

As I left the exhibition, I was forcibly reminded of the saying that there are two sides to every coin. Outside on the street, there were Arab protesters giving out pamphlets alleging acts of cruelty and injustice in Saudi Arabia and denouncing the lack of democratic process in that country (there is no secular constitution or parliament). It made me realize that for some people sand, oil, and religion are not necessarily the whole story. But at least I had received a clearer perspective of life in Saudi Arabia and the impact of Islam on its people.​—Contributed.

[Footnotes]