CAIRO,
April 2, 2006 (IslamOnline.net) – A door curtain (kiswa) of the
Ka`bah dating back to 1909 and a collection of rare Islamic manuscripts
will be put on sale Wednesday, April 5, at the London-based Sotheby's
auction house.
The
rectangular curtain, carrying the seal of Sultan Mohammad V Rashad Bin 'Abd
Al-Majid and dating A.H.1327/A.D.1909, is embroidered with heavy gold
and silver thread on a grey-black velvet ground, according to Sotheby's
website.
The
decoration is made up of calligraphic cartouches of varying form,
rectangular, square, circular and foliate, enclosed and bordered by
arabesques with a central cream ground panel bearing the name of the
sultan.
The
uppermost border with three roundels is interspersed with oval
cartouches.
Each
roundel bears an inscription reading from right to left "Allah is
my Lord", "Allah is my Judge," and "Allah is my
Lord."
The
right hand cartouche is inscribed with verse 144 from Surat Al-Baqarah.
The
bismillah and the opening surah decorate all the oval medallions
surrounding this panel.
There
are eight horizontal panels inscribed with verses from the Noble Qur'an
like Ayat Al-Kursi and phrases like "Allah is my judge."
The
Ka`bah is the first and the most ancient house of worship ever built for
all of humankind.
It
is dedicated to the worship of one God. So by facing toward the Ka`bah
in prayers, Muslims are stressing the unity of humankind under the
Lordship of the One and only God.
Kiswa
History
It
is an Islamic tradition to change the Ka`bah kiswa once or twice
a year, a practice that is still very much alive today.
It
was customary also to produce two cloths, one to be kept in reserve in
case of emergency.
In
pre-Islam period, the responsibility of covering the Ka`bah was not
confined to any one, rather any interested party could do it.
According
to tradition, the first to cover the Ka`bah was As’ad, a king of
Yemen, in the fourth or fifth century, and the covering was made of
colorful Yemeni fabric.
The
first to cover the Ka`bah under Islam was Prophet Muhammad himself
(peace and blessings be upon him), and he chose Yemeni silks. The
Righteous Caliphs then took over.
Under
the Ottomans, the Sultan, as Caliph, retained the privilege of providing
the kiswa, though it continued to be manufactured in Egypt.
In
recent history under the reign of Saudi King ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz Al Saud,
Egypt was banned from sending the kiswa due to political tensions
between both countries.
The
king ordered that the mantle be sewn in Makkah itself.
In
1937, relations between the Saudi and Egyptian states returned to normal
and the Egyptians once again produced the cloth until 1962 when the
honor was restored to the people of Makkah.
Rare
Manuscripts
 |
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A paper of Qur'an written in Kufi calligraphy and dating back to the 10th century is also for sale.
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A
covering from the tomb of the Prophet in Maddinah made during the rule
of Ottoman Sultan Mahmoud II (1808-1839) will be also on display.
This
magnificent cloth was made for the wall facing the room where the
Prophet is buried.
A
collection of rare Islamic manuscripts will also be sold at Wednesday's
auction.
They
include a complete Qur'an in 30 separate juz', illuminated Arabic
manuscript on paper and dating A.H. 1004/A.D. 1595.
Also
for sale is a paper of Qur'an written in Kufi calligraphy and dating
back to the 10th century.
A
copy of the 36th and 11th sections of Sahihul Bukhari (authentic hadiths
of the Prophet) dating A.D. 1137 and 1384 respectively as well as a copy
of the fifth juz' of the Qur'an dating back to the 15th century
are also put on sale.
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