Salam, one of my friends asked me that since worshiping of stones and other things is haram (forbidden) in Islam then why all Muslims worship around the Kabah in Saudi Arabia.
Salam Dear Brother,
Thank you for your question and for contacting Sunna Files Website.
As you know, the Kabah is the prayer direction for all Muslims around the world; known as qiblah in Arabic.
So the Kabah does not represent divinity, it only unites all the Muslims around the world, forming a standardized way of praying so worshipers do not face different directions creating chaos.
It is rather a way to maintain order.
There are several rituals in Islam, the most important of which is the salat or Muslim prayer. This can be performed anywhere around the world but still facing the Kabah if one is able to identify its direction.
Are Muslims Worshiping the Kabah?
Other rituals must be performed near the Kabah; these are Umrah or minor pilgrimage and Hajj, the pilgrimage.
During these times Muslims circulate around the Kabah, not to worship it but to glorify their Creator, Allah.
The Kabah is not mentioned in any Muslim prayer or regarded as one of the things to be worshipped; being close to it does not mean that Muslims worship it, it is only a structure.
When it is opened, Muslims step inside it and pray to Allah by performing salat on its floor, the same way they pray in any other Masjid.
So it is like asking, “Why do you have to go to the Masjid to pray; is it not idol worship?”, since a Masjid is made out of stone and worshipers, at many occasions, have to face its pillars which are stone.
Monotheism
What is important to understand is that Islam’s main creed is monotheism, worshipping only one God, the creator, alone without associating any other gods with him, whether a thing or a person.
If any Muslim starts thinking that the Kabah is divine or has any significance other than what it was intended for—which is to support performing Islamic rituals—then that person is no longer a Muslim unless he corrects his ideology and repents to Allah.
So, it is all a matter of intention since Allah judges us according to our intentions whether good or bad.
We also have to distinguish between idols and places of worship clearly.
Some people believe that idols are divine, such as statues of Mary or Jesus for Christians, or the statues of Vishnu or Lakshmi for Hindus, which are directly worshiped and are given attributes of God even though they are clearly stone.
Definitely, the Kabah does not have the same significance for Muslims as statues in polytheistic or idol-worshipping religions.
I hope this helps answer your question.
Salam and please keep in touch.
