The Holy Kaaba (al-Kaʿba, lit. "the Cube"), also spelt "Ka'ba," "Ka'bah" or "Kabah," sometimes referred to as "al-Ka'ba al-Musharrafa" (lit. "the Honoured Ka'ba," is a stone building at the centre of Islam's most important mosque and holiest site, the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is considered by Muslims to be the Bayt Allah (lit. "House of God") and is the qibla (direction of prayer) for Muslims around the world.

Understanding Islam's rise involves examining the socio-political context of pre-Islamic Arabia, the life and teachings of Muhammad, the establishment of the first Muslim communities, and the subsequent spread of Islam through conquest, trade, and cultural exchange.