1. Al-Ka’abah, the most sacred place for Muslims, was built by Prophet Ibrahim and his son Prophet Isma’il, peace be upon them. Since then, the Arabs used to perform Al-Hajj to Al-Ka’abah. When Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, preached Islam to all mankind, performing Al-Hajj to Al-Ka’abah became the fifth pillar of Islam. Al-Ka’abah is a 13.8-metre-high, box-shaped building. Its north and south walls are 11 metres long, and its east and west walls are 9.6 metres wide. Al-Ka’abah is built of grey stone and it stands on a marble base which is 23 centimetres high.

2. The four walls of Al-Ka’abah are covered with a black curtain (Al-Kiswah). This curtain is covered with writing in silver and gold. Al-Kiswah is replaced by the government of Saudi Arabia once a year. It is made in a factory in Makkah and costs SR 10 million. The door which leads inside Al-Ka’abah is made of gold. Inside, there are two rows of wooden pillars and many gold and silver lamps. The floor is covered with marble. Near the door, in the eastern corner of Al-Ka’abah, there is the black stone. This is surrounded by silver.

3. Answer the following questions: 1. Who built Al-Ka’abah? 2. When did the Arabs begin performing Al-Hajj? 3. Where does Al-Kiswah come from? 4. How often is it replaced? 5. How much does each Kiswah cost? It was built by Prophet Ibrahim and his son Prophet Isma’il, peace be upon them. Since Prophet Ibrahim and his son Prophet Isma’il, peace be upon them built Al-Ka’abah. It comes from a factory in Makkah. It replaced once a year. It costs SR 10 million.