Rare Islamic Artefacts Go on Display in England Ahead of Hajj Pilgrimage
The exhibition will take place on Saturday at the Unity Centre Masjid Ghausia in West Yorkshire, offering the public a rare opportunity to view sacred items, according to local media.
Hajj is a pilgrimage that millions of Muslims undertake each year. It takes place during the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijjah and culminates in a series of rituals in and around Mecca.
Among the data-x-items on display is a 29-foot-long cloth made of pure silk, embroidered with Quranic verses using 22-carat gold and silver thread. Known as the Kiswa, this cloth is traditionally used to cover the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure considered the most sacred site in Islam. The Kiswa is ceremonially replaced each year on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah, the day before the major rites of Hajj begin.
The exhibition also features relics from the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) tomb, the original lock and key of the Kaaba, ceremonial tools used in its annual cleansing, and other artefacts from inside the sacred structure.
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Councillor Imran Safdar, who helped coordinate the exhibition’s Huddersfield stop, said the event offers a rare cultural and spiritual insight to local residents.
“Not everyone can travel to Istanbul, or indeed to Mecca or Medina, to see such historical Islamic artefacts, so such an event coming to our town fills me and the mosque volunteers with pride,” he said.
The exhibition is part of a touring installation that has previously been displayed at Batley Town Hall and Bradford City Hall.
Source: Agencies
