My Experience during Hajj Pilgrimage 2008 (12)

Masjidil Haram and Ka’bah

I felt my heart beat rapidly, when finally we arrived to Masjidil Haram. “Oh my God, I can’t believe what has happened. Finally I’m here, standing in front of the greatest mosque in the world. The mosque surrounds the Ka’bah, which is the most sacred spot in the earth. I just can wait to see Ka’bah with my own eyes!” That’s what I thought.



Masjidil Haram today covers an area of 356,800 square meters including the outdoor and the indoor praying spaces. It can accommodate up to 1.2 million worshippers during the hajj period.

When we entered the mosque, I tried to calm my heart down, but it was highly affected by an emotion, a very strong emotion that was hard to describe. The climax was when I saw the Ka’bah, I cried. I just can’t hold my tears from falling. I felt I was so close to God.



So, this is it. The most sacred spot on the earth is a black-draped square shrine called Ka’bah, which stands in the central courtyard of the vast Al- Haram mosque. The whole building is constructed out of the layers of gray blue stone from the hills surrounding Mekkah. The four walls are covered with a curtain ( Kiswah ) which is usually black brocade with Shahadat outlined in the weave of the fabric. About two-thirds of the way up runs a gold embroidered band covered with Qur’an text.

My husband and I after performing Umrah

Ka’bah symbolizes unity in worshipping one God. Ka’bah is the Qibla or the direction that Muslims turn to in their prayer. And it is the goal of every devout Muslims to make a pilgrimage to Ka’bah at least once in a lifetime.