Whether it is going to Hajj or Umrah, Muslim worshippers pay hundreds, sometimes even thousands of Dollars, to get closer to God every year.

Last week, one broker attempted to make the most out of those devout people’s love for God by offering them the chance to buy a piece of cloth he claimed came from the Kiswah - the embroidered black and gold cloth covering the Kaaba - for the asking price of $2.1 million.

The identity of the seller was not made public, but the broker insisted that he had a certificate proving the authenticity of the rare item, which he said belonged to Al Sheebi family.

On Sunday, Abdul Malik Al Sheebi, a senior caretaker of the Kaaba, said that his family did not own a piece of the cloth, nor were they selling it.

The caretaker added that there has been a surge in the number of people claiming to own original pieces of the Kiswah and attempting to sell it.

“Many people claim they have an authentic piece of the Kiswah and use my family’s name to gain the trust and confidence of those willing to buy it,” he said. “However, the pieces they put out for sale are often imitations made in India or Egypt. The original Kiswah belongs to the state and is preserved in special stores,” Al Sheebi said, reported Saudi daily Makkah.

Al Sheebi family has been looking after the Kaaba since pre-Islamic times, as per the request of Prophet Muhammad, who left the key to the Kaaba in the family’s protection, stressing that no one else is to take it away from them.

Spokesperson for the Emirate of Makkah, Sultan Al Dossari, also assured local media that they have not authorized the sale of any part of the Kiswah.
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The Kiswah

The Kiswah currently covers an area of 658 sq, weighs 670 kg in high-quality silk imported from Italy and Switzerland, and 120 kg in pure gold and silver threads.

The latest cloth was produced in a factory in Mecca; it took 210 workers and eight months to finish it.

A new Kiswah is produced every year in the same factory, which was opened in 1927.