A shocking and deeply disturbing incident unfolded inside the world’s holiest mosque recently when a woman was detained at Masjid al-Haram after attempting to cut a piece of the Holy Kaaba’s sacred covering Kiswah, using a pair of scissors, apparently intending to keep it as a souvenir.
Security forces at Masjid al-Haram detained a Turkish woman from a Turkish Hajj group after she was caught attempting to cut a piece of the Kaaba’s covering, known as the Kiswah, with scissors. Worshippers standing nearby warned her before security intervened, with those around her hearing saying “Haji, it’s forbidden” as she made the attempt.
Security forces were seen detaining the woman by her headscarf at the scene. Claims circulating on social media suggested the woman was Egyptian, but the Islamic Information’s correspondent, who was present, confirmed she was Turkish and was travelling as part of a Turkish Hajj group. It has not yet been confirmed whether the woman has been released.
To understand the gravity of this act, one must appreciate what the Kiswah truly represents. The covering cloth of the Kaaba, known as the Kiswah, is a heavy silk cloth embroidered with Quranic verses in golden thread. It is changed annually on the 9th of Zilhaj. The new Ghilaf is prepared for seven million Saudi Riyals, using 670 kilograms of pure silk, 120 kilograms of gold, and 100 kilograms of silver.
Tampering with or removing any part of the Kiswah is strictly prohibited under Saudi law and considered a grave violation. The incident caused widespread outrage among Muslims globally, who called it an act of disrespect toward Islam’s most sacred site.
