History and Process Kiswa (Kaaba Cloth Cover)

At the temple we often see a kiswa (cloth / black duvet cover Ka'bah). The purpose of the installation of the fabric it is to protect the temple wall of dirt, dust, and heat can make it become corrupted. In addition it also serves as a decoration kiswah Ka'bah.

Historically, the Kaaba has been given since the time of Prophet Ismail kiswah U.S., son of Prophet Abraham. But there is no record that tells the time of the Prophet Ismail kiswah made ​​of what is and what color. New in the leadership of Raja Asad Abu Bakr Himyar of Yemen, stated that protect Kaaba kiswa is made of woven fabric.

Policy Himyar king according to attach kiswah Arab tradition that developed since the time of Ismail as followed by his successors. At the time of Qusay ibn Kilab, one of the prominent ancestor Prophet Muhammad, the Kaaba kiswa installation is the responsibility of the Arab tribe of Quraysh.

Prophet Muhammad himself had also ordered the creation of kiswah fabric originating from Yemen. While the four caliphs successor to the Prophet Muhammad are included in the Khulafa al-Rashidun ordered kiswah manufacture of cotton yarn.

Meanwhile, in the Ottoman era Abbasiyah, the fourth Caliph al-Mahdi ordered that kiswah Khuz made of silk fabric. During his reign, kiswah imported from Egypt and Yemen.

According to historical records, kiswah black color is not always as it is today. Kiswah first made of woven fabric of Yemen it is red and berlajur-lane. While in the Caliph Mamun ar-Rashid, kiswah made with a white background. Kiswah also made the green on the orders of the Caliph An-Nasir Abbasids (16th century AD) and kiswah also been made yellow by the command of Muhammad ibn Sabaktakin.

Replacement kiswah colorful over the years, seems to disturb the minds of the Caliph al-Mamun of the Abbasid dynasty, until finally it was decided that it should be the color kiswah fixed from time to time is black. Until now, though kiswah replaced every year, but the color is always black.

In the golden era of Islam, the responsibility of making and supplying kiswah always borne by each of the ruling caliph in the Hijaz, Saudi Arabia at any time. Although kiswah always the responsibility of the caliphs, some outside the land of Hijaz king had presented the government kiswah Hijaz.

First, kiswa is made of black silk that had come from Egypt cost the cash taken from the Egyptian kingdom. The tradition of sending kiswah of Egypt began in the time of Sultan Sulaiman who ruled Egypt about the year's 950-H until the reign of Muhammad Ali Pasha in the late 1920's.

Kaaba without kiswah

Every year, kiswah-beautiful kiswah made in Egypt was taken to Makkah on a stretcher through the beautiful land called mahmal. Kiswah along with other gifts in mahmal come along with a group of Egyptian pilgrims were headed by a amirul hajj.

Amirul hajj was officially designated by the government of the kingdom of Egypt. From Egypt, after the handover ceremony, escorted mahmal Egyptian army went to the Suez Canal with a special vessel to the port of Jeddah. Arriving in Hijaz, was paraded by mahmal very festive ceremony heading to Mecca.

Delivery kiswah of Egypt's never too late to start the month Dhu al-Hijjah. It happened some time after the outbreak of World War I. Kiswah delivery delays occur due to unsafe atmosphere conducive due to World War I.

Seeing the situation is not good at the time, King Ibn Saud (founder of Saudi Arabia) took the decision to immediately make himself kiswah given on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah, kiswah kiswah old should be replaced with a new one. Attempt is successful with the establishment of weaving company located in Kampung Jiyad, Mecca.

After World War I ended, King Farouq I of Egypt sends back to the land of Hijaz kiswah. But look at the conditions at the time, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under King Abdul Aziz bin Saud decided to make their own kiswa factory in Makkah in 1931. Until finally kiswah made in Saudi Arabia today.

Kiswah fabric has a unique and distinctive advantages. Spun-yarn spun gold and silver come together compose a scratch kalam Divine. kiswah be very valuable, not only because of the words of a holy God who spun on kiswah, but also because of its beauty and exotic yarns spun gold and silver on its surface.

The combination of gold and silver on the calligraphy adorning kiswah has exceptional artistic value. For making requires skill and outstanding talent because not everyone is able to make such beautiful art. Kiswah a symbol of strength, simplicity, grandeur too.

Process Kiswah

Kiswah first made made by a craftsman named Adnan bin Ad with raw camel. But in its development, kiswah made of silk fabric. To create a kiswah requires 670 kg of silk, or about 600 square meters of silk fabric consisting of 47 pieces of cloth. Each piece is a length of 14 meters and a width of 95 cm.

Size was adjusted to cover the Kaaba cube field on all four sides. As for the ornament of gold spun required 120 kg of gold and several hundred kilograms of silver.

Since 1931, kiswa to cover Kaaba manufactured in a factory located in the suburbs of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. In the factory, the manufacture of modern kiswah done using modern weaving machines. In the factory kiswah the area is 10 hectares it employed about 240 craftsmen kiswah.

In the factory, kiswah made ​​in bulk. That's where everything is prepared from design, prototype drawing calligraphy, washing silk yarn, knitting ground fabric, thread creation of kilograms of pure gold and silver to the spinning calligraphy of gold and silver thread, and sewing end.

Although kiswah appears black when viewed from the outside, but the inside kiswah it turns white. One sentence contained in spun gold kiswah are sentences creed, Jalla Jalallah Allah, La ilaha illallah, and the Prophet Muhammad. Surat Ali Imran: 96, Al-Baqarah: 144, surah Al-Fatihah, Surah Al-Ikhlash Terpintal beautifully in gold thread to decorate kiswah.

Calligraphy is used to decorate kiswah consists of verses related to Hajj and also asthma-asthma Kabah glorified God. Calligraphy ornaments made ​​of gold and silver sparkled beautifully when exposed to sunlight.

Because it uses raw materials from objects that are very valuable as silk, gold, and silver, the price is very expensive kiswah around Rp 50 billion.

So every year the Bureau of Endowments Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to provide funding of about USD 50 billion for the creation kiswah. According to the history, tradition kiswah replacement is done each year there since the time of Caliph al-Mahdi who is the ruler of the Abbasid Dynasty IV.

The tradition began when the Caliph al-Mahdi pilgrimage Kaaba keeper then report back to him about kiswah which at that time already fragile and it is feared will fall. Hearing worrying reports that Al-Mahdi ordered that every year kiswah replaced.

Since then, the Kaaba kiswa to always be replaced each year in the pilgrimage season and became a tradition that should always be run. Thus there is no longer a condition kiswah concern.

Because, every kiswah only have a lifetime of Kaaba for one year. In fact, the Kaaba was used kiswah was cut into pieces and then the pieces are sold to decorate the home or office.