Pilgrims swallow ‘kiswa’ threads seeking blessings in Makkah

Misconceptions have led some Umrah pilgrims to swallowing the threads of the Kaaba cover (kiswa), thereby setting off a pointless practice that leads to the disfiguring of the cover.

They remove the threads using rings and scissors in the hope that it will bring them good luck and blessings. This continued action has disfigured the kiswa, Makkah daily said.

The director of the factory manufacturing the Kaaba kiswa, Muhammad Bajoudah, said many Umrah performers pluck the threads of the kiswa and then swallow them due to wrong beliefs. He said this is due to their ignorance, as they have not given the ritual its due importance.

These Umrah and Haj pilgrims carry out practices that contradict the correct rites, as they cut the threads of the kiswa hence disfiguring it. He prayed to Allah Almighty to guide them.

Bajoudah said there is a department in the kiswa factory for repairing the portions that have been removed. There is a team of experts, specialists and field workers on hand to deal with these problems that occur almost daily due to wrong notions of the pilgrims.

This article was first published in the Saudi Gazette on June 10, 2014.