The black half of the Holy Kaaba which is in Arabic "
Kiswat al-ka’bah ”. To the Muslim Ummah, the Holy Kaaba is an emotional place of love and respect. A small piece of cloth is placed on the holy Kaaba and becomes a symbol of holiness. The artist's skillful hand-made designs and black colors make this sacred black ghilaf a different curiosity in the mind of every human being.
History of making the ghilaf of the Holy Kaaba Sharif:
As soon as we hear about the half of the Holy Kaaba Sharif, a piece of black magical cloth with various verses of the Qur'an embroidered in gold and silver thread may float in front of our eyes. But from the beginning of use, was the ghilaf of Kaaba Sharif like this? There is a history of evolution in the making and use of the Kaaba Sharif's chief. During the reigns of different caliphs and Saudi kings over the ages, changes in color and use of this sacred ghilaf have been noticed. At first, the color of the gilaf was white, then green, red, and lastly black gilafa was used.
The Kaaba was first covered with a Khilafah by the Prophet Ishmael (peace be upon him) and later by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) using a Yemeni cloth Khilafah. According to Islamic historian Abdel Aziz, the second caliph of Islam, Omar ibn al-Khattab, asked the then governor of Egypt, Omar ibn al-As, to cover the Kaaba with an Egyptian white cloth called "Al-Qabbati", which was then the most expensive. And one of the most valuable fabrics. When the third caliph of Islam, Uthman Ibn Afan (R), started using the cover of the Kaaba made of "silk", the cover of the Kaaba was changed twice a year. During the rule of Khalifa Abbasi (R) the ghilaf of Kaaba Sharif was changed three times a year. On the first day of Hajj, a half of "red silk" was used. On the seventh day of the month of Hijri, he used to wear a white "Al-Qabbati" cloth half, and on the last day of Ramadan, he used a white "silk" half. Before 1192, the ghilaf of the Holy Kaaba was made on the island of Tanish Lake in Egypt, known as "Al-Manjila". Salah al-Din, the first sultan of Egypt and Syria, moved the art of making the holy ghilaf to Cairo, Syria during his reign. Every year, half of the Kaaba, built before the Hajj, was carried on camels from Cairo, Syria, to Makkah, known as "Mahama". Sultan Solomon of the Turkish Ottoman Empire and the Holy Kaaba provided the half.
Where the chief of Kaaba Sharif is currently made:
After coming to power, King Abdul Aziz felt the need to set up a modern factory to make the shroud of the Holy Kaaba Sharif and in 1926 set up a factory called "King Abdul Aziz Complex" near the city of Mecca to make the shroud of the Kaaba Sharif.
This is how the ghilaf of the Holy Kaaba is made now:
A total of five pieces of cloth are made from 48 pieces of cloth, 14 meters long and 101 centimeters wide, of which four pieces surround the Holy Kaaba Sharif and the fifth piece is attached in front of the door of the Kaaba Sharif. About 60 kg of high-quality silk, 120 kg of gold yarn, and 100 kg of silver yarn are used to make these five pieces of cloth.
The gulf is engraved with various verses of the Holy Qur'an by calligraphy. The gold inlaid letters are illuminated in gold. More than two hundred calligraphers do this calligraphy for nine months and more. The calligraphy is first outlined with sieve ink, then the craftsmen place a thick line of silk thread inside the font and embellish the front with gold and silver thread especially. Earlier this calligraphy work was done by the skilled hands of the artist but now some modern machines are used in this calligraphy. Every step of glassmaking is done with the utmost skill and purity in dyeing, weaving, printing, and manufacturing. This ghilaf is made by following a special process that can withstand high temperatures so that the color and quality of the ghilaf are not lost in the high-temperature sun. The Saudi government spends about 18-20 million dollars to make half of the holy Kaaba Sharif.
Every year on the ninth day of Jilhaj, when the pilgrims are on the plain of Arafat, a new ghilaf is recited on the Holy Kaaba. 160 workers are engaged in this work. The old khilafat was cut into pieces and given as gifts to various Muslim governments and eminent persons. Thanks
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