Were pieces of the Kaaba’s covering sent to Epstein?
Documents released in the United States have sparked controversy after emails suggested that fabric pieces claimed to be from the Kaaba’s covering were shipped to Jeffrey Epstein. The claims have drawn reactions from Muslims in different parts of the world.
Papers made public by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of the Jeffrey Epstein files include email correspondence referring to the shipment of three pieces of fabric described as parts of the Kiswah, the cloth that covers the Kaaba in Mecca. The documents indicate that the items were sent in 2017, triggering debate and criticism on social media and in religious circles.
Emails and shipment details
According to the documents, the correspondence took place between Epstein’s staff and an email account associated with a person identified as Aziza al-Ahmadi. The messages refer to three separate pieces of cloth: one described as green and said to be from the interior, another identified as black fabric used on the exterior covering, and a third piece containing embroidered writing.
Shipping records cited in the files indicate that a package reached Epstein’s residence in Palm Beach on March 4, 2017, before being forwarded to the U.S. Virgin Islands. Customs paperwork reportedly listed the contents as “paintings, drawings and pastels.”
Photographs and unanswered questions
A photograph dated 2014, also included in the files, appears to show Epstein examining a richly embroidered fabric resembling a decorative textile. However, it remains unclear whether the material in the image was actually part of a Kiswah or related to the shipment mentioned in later emails.
The authenticity of the alleged fabric pieces has not been confirmed, and the documents do not establish whether the items were genuine or how they were obtained.
Religious significance of the Kiswah
The Kiswah is made of black silk and embroidered with Quranic verses in gold and silver thread. It covers the exterior walls of the Kaaba, the most sacred site in Islam, and is ceremonially replaced each year. Because of its association with the Kaaba, the cloth holds deep symbolic and emotional significance for Muslims worldwide.
Specialists note that pieces of older coverings have at times been distributed as gifts, but the process is typically controlled by Saudi authorities, and the authenticity of any specific fragment must be verified.
Ongoing debate
The appearance of these claims in the Epstein documents has led to calls in some quarters for clarification and investigation. So far, no definitive confirmation has been made regarding the origin of the fabrics or the circumstances under which they were allegedly sent.
