Caaba
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Definition
Proper noun * The Kaaba (also spelled Caaba): The most sacred site in Islam. It is a cube-shaped building located within the Masjid al-Haram (the Grand Mosque) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Muslims around the world face its direction (the qibla) during their five daily prayers.
Usage
- The word Kaaba (preferred modern spelling) or Caaba (an older transliteration) is always capitalized as it is a proper noun referring to a specific, unique structure.
- It is typically used with the definite article the.
- Example: "Every year, millions of Muslims perform the Hajj pilgrimage, which involves circling the Kaaba seven times."
Advanced Usage
- The Black Stone (Al-Ḥajar al-Aswad): A revered stone set into the eastern corner of the Kaaba. It is not the Kaaba itself, but a part of it.
- Example: "Pilgrims seek to touch or kiss the Black Stone embedded in the Kaaba."
- As the Qibla: The Kaaba serves as the direction of prayer.
- Example: "Mosques worldwide are oriented so that the prayer niche indicates the direction of the Kaaba."
Variants and Related Words
- Kaaba (n): The modern and most common transliteration of the Arabic word (الكعبة), meaning "the Cube."
- Al-Bayt al-Ḥarām (n): An Arabic name meaning "The Sacred House."
- Al-Bayt al-ʿAtīq (n): An Arabic name meaning "The Ancient House."
Synonyms
- The Sacred House
- The House of God (Bayt Allah)
Related Terms and Concepts
- Hajj (n): The annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that includes specific rites at the Kaaba.
- ʿUmrah (n): The lesser pilgrimage to Mecca that can be performed at any time of the year, also involving rites at the Kaaba.
- Tawaf (n): The ritual of circumambulating the Kaaba seven times in a counter-clockwise direction.
Noun
- (Islam) a black stone building in Mecca that is shaped like a cube and that is the most sacred Muslim pilgrim shrine; believed to have been given by Gabriel to Abraham; Muslims turn in its direction when praying