Faisal, Emir of Makkah region, washed the Holy Ka'ba Saturday on behalf of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. Dr. Yusuf Al-Wabil, Deputy General President for Services Affairs, told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that the Holy Ka'ba is washed twice a year – in Muharram and in Sha'ban, which is after Haj and before Ramadan. These dates have been specified because there is no overcrowding in the Grand Mosque. Previously, the Holy Ka'ba was washed on Dhul Qada 20. Al-Wabil said washing the Holy Ka'ba is a Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). When the Prophet (pbuh) entered Makkah during the year of the conquest, he washed the Holy Ka'ba with Zamzam water, perfumed it and glorified Allah by making the Takbir in different parts of the Ka'ba. The Ka'ba is washed on the inside with Zamzam water mixed with rose water. It is washed either by the King or on his behalf by some other official. Al-Wabil said the Holy Ka'ba was renovated during the era of the late King Fahd (may Allah shower His mercy on him) and a green Kiswa was placed inside. The Ka'ba holds pitchers, kettles and other antiquities including inscriptions dating back to the Ummayad and Abbasid periods. He added that it was not Bid'ah, a heresy, to keep the cloths used to wash the Ka'ba. “It is not worship or an attempt to seek blessings (Tabarruk) with these cloths and implements. Some people want to keep them as souvenirs.” The event on Saturday was attended by Prince Bandar Bin Khaled Al-Faisal; Sheikh Saleh Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Hussein, President of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque of Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Madina; Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation; Dr. Fouad Bin Abdulsalam Farsi, Minister of Haj; Dr. Osama Bin Fadl Al-Bar; Mayor of Makkah; Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Bin Nasser Al-Khozaim, Vice President of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque; and Dr. Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah Al-Khudairi, Undersecretary of the Emirate of Makkah region. The ceremony was witnessed by members of the Muslim diplomatic corps accredited to the Kingdom, a number of ministers, heads of government departments, attendants of the Holy Mosque and citizens. __
