DHAKA: Ever wondered who holds the key of the sacred Kaaba, which is considered the house of God by around 1.6 billion Muslims around the world?
The Al Shaibi family from Saudi Arabia have been the key keepers of the Kaaba for more than 16 centuries - before Islam and until this day.
The title of Sadin (the key keeper of the Kaaba) is inherited by the eldest member of the Al Shaibi family (not from father to son), who is usually referred to as First Sadin.
In 2015, the first Sadin is Shaikh Abdul Qader Al Shaibi. He is the 109th Sadin from the Al Shaibi family.
The First Sadin is in charge of opening and closing the Kaaba twice a year to clean the Kaaba using Zamzam water mixed with rose water and perfumed with oud.
Sadins are the grandchildren of Kabaa key keeper Qusai Bin Kilab Bin Murrah, who lived before Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
After Prophet Ebrahim built the Kaaba, his son, prophet Esmail, was the key keeper of the Kaaba but it was taken from him by the Jorhom tribe and the Khuza’a tribe after that.
Qusai, who is said to be one of Prophet Esmail’s sons and the fifth grandfather of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), however, retrieved the key, which was then inherited by his eldest son, AbdulDaar .
After Abdul Daar died, the key was inherited by the eldest successors until it got to Othman Bin Talhah , who lived at the time of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
In an interview with a local Arabic publication, the 108th Sadin, Shaikh Abdul Qadir Al Shaibi, who passed away in 2014, said when Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) successfully reclaimed and gained control over Makkah in the 8th year of Hijri, the key was taken from Bin Talha (who was not Muslim at the time).
The Prophet then entered the Kaaba, destroyed all the idols and prayed inside it.
Abbas Bin Abd Al Muttalib (the uncle of the Prophet) requested to keep the key, but Jibril (the Angel) came down to the Prophet with the verse:
“Verily Allah commands you to fulfil your trust to those whom it is due.....” [Al-Nisa’ verse 58]
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) gave back the key to Bin Talha and said:
"Take it, O Bani Talha, eternally up to the Day of Resurrection, and it will not be taken from you unless by an unjust, oppressive tyrant.”
Ever since that day until now, the key has not left the Al Shaibi family.
The 108th Sadin said the shape of the key changes from time to time, as there are currently 48 keys in the Islamic museum in Turkey that go back to the time of the Ottoman empire and two in the Riyadh museum in Saudi Arabia.
Sadins also have the job of changing the Kaaba’s Kiswa (the black cloth used to cover the Kaaba).
In the interview Shaikh Abdul Qader said the Kiswa is changed before the first day of Eid Al Adha on Arafat Day.
He said, it takes one day to change the Kiswa using the latest technology and electronic stairs. However, earlier it used to take around a month to change with the help of pilgrims.
Source: gulfnews
BDST: 1034 HRS, SEP 23, 2015
SR/SMS
