Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News, 2013-10-09
Hajj 1434 is underway, and of the many projects in Saudi Arabia, there are two that leave the world mesmerized. These are the Zamzam project and the production of the Kiswa, which is the black cloth that covers the Holy Ka’ba.
The project to pump Zamzam water in the Saudi city of Makkah has produced more than 55 million water bottles since the project's inception around three years ago.
The kingdom’s national water company said it had launched early preparations for this year's hajj season – which began this month – by increasing the producing capacity in order to meet demand.
The Zamzam project provides water for more than 6,000 Muslim’s a day, that’s five people every minute.
Hajee’s at the Haram (Grand Mosque) make sure they drink as much as possible from the Zamzam Well and buy containers to take home to family and friends.
The company also said that these preparations aim to increase its daily production capacity by 50 percent in order to meet the hajee’s demands.
The other project that is also pertinent during the Hajj season, is the production of the Kiswa, or cover of the Holy Ka’aba.
On Monday, Sheikh Abdulrahman al-Sudais, the imam of the Haram (Grand Mosque) in Makkah, handed over the Kiswa to Abdul Qader al-Sheibi, the head key-bearer of the Holy Ka’ba, as per the yearly traditions.
The Sheibi family has been honored with gatekeeping the Holy Ka’aba for generations, and entrusted with the keys to its gates.
In 1927, Saudi King Abdul Aziz ordered the establishment of a factory dedicated to manufacturing the Kiswa in Makkah. This factory has witnessed a series of upgrades in order for the Kiswa to be of the best quality and shape.
The Kiswa weighs approximately 670 kilograms and is made of pure silk dyed in black and padded with white cotton fabric. It’s embroidered in Quranic verses, all made with threads of pure gold and silver.
More than 1.1 million foreign hajee’s have arrived in Makkah for the annual Hajj, which all physically and financially able Muslims are required to perform once in their life.
0 Comments