The historicity of Gulbarga from the Islamic point of view is hardly in doubt. The city which is believed to be the birthplace of Urdu literature hosts a number of historic Islamic monuments, most significant of them being the Jamma Masjid in the midst of the fort, the only one of its kind in the country and the second of its kind in the world after Spain.

It was in the 14th century that the Bahman kingdom was established here, heralding an Islamic era in this part of the Indian peninsula. Hazrath Khwaza Bandanawaz, the celebrated sufi saint, who made Gulbarga his hometown, has immortalised the city in the Islamic world through his everlasting literary works in Urdu. The dargah after his name here is one of the holiest places for Muslims, attracting millions of pilgrims from across the world.

Going by this rich historical background, the Kaaba connection to Gulbarga is not surprising and it is certainly a matter of pride to the city which has come to stay as one of the most important Islamic centres of India, right from the medieval period. When Syed Shah Waliulla Hussaini of Sedam came across a programme on the key of the Kaaba Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in a QTV programme recently, his emotions were ruffled for it was he who possessed the original key of the Kaaba mosque!

The Waliulla family has been preserving the precious relic, claimed to be the original key of Kaaba, for generations now. Made of panchaloha - gold, silver, copper, brass and iron - the 400 gm weighing key is undoubtedly one of the oldest and of antique value. The key is engraved on its either sides with scripts from the holy Koran. Apart from the key, the man also possesses other precious items such as pieces of gold laced clothes used to cover the Kaaba stone, a piece of broom used in the original Kaaba and other materials. If Waliulla’s claims are genuine, the materials in his possession are priceless, deserving their safe preservation for posterity.
How did the Kaaba key land in Sedam? The dilapidated Asar Mohalla in Sedam, a taluk centre about 52 km east of Gulbarga, on the Secunderabad-Mumbai-Chennai broad gauge, cannot give an iota of clue that it is the treasure house of relics of national and international importance. Syed Shah Waliulla has inherited these relics from his ancestors dating back to 14th-15th century. He is the descendent of Shah Naimatollah Wali, a sufi proponent of the 14-15th century. Hussaini’s ancestor is said to be Hazarath Ali, son-in-law of Prophet Mohammed. He claims that reference to the key in his possession finds mention in the texts which have been preserved in the Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad. The value of the key cannot be quantified simply for its intrinsic pricelessness.

Sufi activist Shah Naimatollah Wali was originally from Iran and moved to Mecca after having found a guru there for himself. He was there for about seven years. His son Khaliulla Bhutshikhan moved to Bidar at the invitation of King Shah Wali Bahman about 600 years ago. After the death of Bhutshikhan, the family moved to Sedam as per the wishes of Bahman Shah. With him also moved the Kaaba key and other relics. The greatness of Waliulla’s family is that they have been able to preserve priceless Islamic relics. Syed Walliulla was working at the Kurkunta cement factory of the Cement Corporation of India till it was closed down recently.

But there are many who may not take Waliullla’s claims on its face value. Dr Syed Shah Khusro Hussaini, the Sajjada Nasheen of the Khwaza Bandanawaz Dargah of Gulbarga, is not sure of the claims of Waliulla. He agrees that the key in question is certainly pretty old and had high antique value but he is sceptical about the claim. “It is very difficult to prove that it is the original key of Kaaba,” said Dr Khusro Hussaini, who is currently on a study of Islmaic monuments of Gulbarga and Bidar districts.

According to Dr Khusro Hussaini, the Kaaba key was handed over to a unique tribal family called Sheeba which is found only in Mecca after its conquest by Prophet Mohammed. In fact, Dr Hussaini had met the Kaaba caretaker at Mecca recently and found the key there to be totally different from the one in Sedam. He mentioned about the Sedam key to the Kaaba official and it was news to him, said Dr Hussaini.

There would be no full stops for claims and counterclaims on the key issue. It is really a matter of
challenge for scholars and researchers to come to an acceptable conclusion through credible research.

Kaaba, the earliest mosque

The significance of Kaaba lies in its ancienty. It is considered the first ever mosque built anywhere in the world. It is believed Kaaba was built by Prophet Ibrahim and his son Prophet Ismail about 4,000 years ago on the orders of Almighty Allah. After the completion of the Kaaba building, Allah ordered Prophet Ibrahim to invite people across the world to visit the Kaaba. Every year, followers of Islam visit Kaaba during their Haj pilgrimage.