As Muslims gather for the annual pilgrimage of Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, they will circle around the “Kaaba,” a black cube draped in gold-embroidered cloth. A ceremonial textile – known as the “kiswah” – covers the Kaaba, around which Muslims will walk seven times in a ritual known as “tawāf.” It is the central act of the annual pilgrimage.

The Kaaba itself is a roughly cubic gray granite structure about 43 feet tall, which Muslims believe was established by the Prophet Abraham – Ibrahim in Arabic – and his son Ishmael as a place of monotheistic worship in antiquity. The Kaaba is empty inside, with no altar, idol or relic on display.

Yet, it is the geographical and spiritual center of the Muslim world. Muslims across the globe turn toward the Kaaba during their five daily prayers. The kiswah is what they actually see when they get there.

As a scholar of Islam, I study how spiritual objects carry meaning across generations. For all Muslims, the black cloth covering the Kaaba is deeply sacred as it touches Islam’s most sacred site and is believed by many to perform miracles simply through a touch.

The history of the kiswah

The earliest documented covering, recorded in........

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