Qandeel Allah Hu Akbar – 1440 Hijri – 2018
Above the Hajar al-Aswad (Black Stone) on the eastern corner of the Holy Kaaba, there are five embroidered Qandeel motifs integrated into the Kiswah design. Among the inscriptions featured in this section is the phrase “Allāhu Akbar” (Allah is the Greatest), prominently woven in gold-plated silver thread onto the black silk. This placement above the Ḥajar al-Aswad — the sacred stone from Jannah set into the corner of the Kaaba — reflects a design of honour and reverence, with the declaration of Allah’s greatness positioned directly above one of the most venerated points of Tawāf
The Qandeel Kiswah refers to the lamp-shaped embroidered motifs that appear on sections of the Kaaba’s covering. The word Qandeel (قنديل) means “lamp” or “lantern,” and the design is inspired by the Qur’anic imagery of light, most notably the verse: “Allāhu nūru as-samāwāti wal-arḍ” (Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth, Qur’an 24:35)
Historically, actual lamps were suspended inside the Holy Kaaba from its ceiling beams, particularly in the pre-modern and Ottoman periods, before modern lighting systems replaced them. The embroidered lamp motif reflects this long-standing tradition and symbolises divine light. These Qandeel panels are made from black silk—the same high-quality silk used for the external Kiswa—and are embroidered with silver thread plated in gold at the King Abdulaziz Complex for the Kiswa in Makkah
Qur’anic Verses
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ – Al-ḥamdu liLlāhi Rabbil-ʿĀlamīn – (Surah al-Fātiḥah 1:2)
ٱللَّهُ نُورُ ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ – Allāhu Nūru as-Samāwāti wal-Arḍ – (Surah al-Nūr 24:35 – opening phrase of Āyat an-Nūr)
Common Devotional Inscriptions (Asma’ al-Ḥusnā & Takbīr)
يَا رَحْمَٰنُ – Yā Raḥmān
يَا رَحِيمُ – Yā Raḥīm
يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ – Yā Ḥayy Yā Qayyūm
ٱللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ – Allāhu Akbar
Some pieces also include the name of the calligrapher or supervising official as part of the production record. The number and exact arrangement of Qandeel motifs can vary depending on the design of the Kiswa in a given year
