Why do Muslims pray towards the Kaaba?

Table of Contents

Muslims do not worship the Kaaba itself. It is simply a symbol of unity and the qiblah (direction) for prayer, not an object of worship. Muslims believe it was built by Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael as a house of worship for the One true God. For over 1,400 years, it has been a center for pilgrimage and prayer. But Muslims pray only to Allah, not to the Kaaba, not to any physical object, and definitely not to any human being.

Now here’s the part that some Christians and Hindus can’t digest:

Christians falsely accuse Muslims of worshipping the Kaaba, while their own Bible shows prophets facing and worshipping in temples. Hindus, without hesitation, bow to idols, statues, animals, even humans. And Christians? They turned a prophet into a god, a man who ate, slept, cried, and yes, had a physical body with private parts. According to their own Bible, Jesus was circumcised by the Jews on the eighth day (Luke 2:21). That means the very body part they don’t talk about was cut, and yet they call him divine and worship him, As for Krishna, also claimed to be “God”, he had a human body, desires, and stories of chasing women. These are the figures some people raise to divine status? But let’s be clear: This isn’t to insult or mock Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him). Muslims love and honor him as one of the greatest messengers of God, The issue is with what Christians invented, Jesus never said to worship his body, nor did he call himself God. That false worship came later, made up by those who couldn’t separate divine truth from emotion and culture, So before accusing Muslims of worshipping a building, ask yourselves honestly: Are you worshipping the Almighty Creator, or a man who was born, circumcised, and crucified by other men? Muslims worship the One who created Jesus, not the body Jesus lived in.

Here are a few examples:

Quran 2:139
Say, [O Muhammad], “Do you argue with us about Allah while He is our Lord and your Lord? For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds. And we are sincere [in deed and intention] to Him.

Quran 2:140-41
Or do you say that Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants were Jews or Christians? Say, “Are you more knowing or is Allah ?” And who is more unjust than one who conceals a testimony he has from Allah ? And Allah is not unaware of what you do. That is a nation which has passed on. It will have [the consequence of] what it earned, and you will have what you have earned. And you will not be asked about what they used to do.

Do we worship the black box?A BIG NO!!!

Quran 2:125
And [mention] when We made the House a place of return for the people and [a place of] security. And take, [O believers], from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer. And We charged Abraham and Ishmael, [saying], “Purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who are staying [there] for worship and those who bow and prostrate [in prayer].

Quran 2:126
And [mention] when Abraham said, “My Lord, make this a secure city and provide its people with fruits – whoever of them believes in Allah and the Last Day.” [ Allah ] said. “And whoever disbelieves – I will grant him enjoyment for a little; then I will force him to the punishment of the Fire, and wretched is the destination.

Quran 22:-28
And proclaim to the people the Hajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass – That they may witness benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allah on known days over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. So eat of them and feed the miserable and poor. That they may witness benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allah on known days over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. So eat of them and feed the miserable and poor.

Quran 2:127-28
And [mention] when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and [with him] Ishmael, [saying], “Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the Hearing, the Knowing, Our Lord, and make us Muslims [in submission] to You and from our descendants a Muslim nation [in submission] to You. And show us our rites and accept our repentance. Indeed, You are the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.

Quran 2:129
Our Lord, and send among them a messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise.

Quran 2:130
And who would be averse to the religion of Abraham except one who makes a fool of himself. And We had chosen him in this world, and indeed he, in the Hereafter, will be among the righteous.

Quran 2:142
The foolish among the people will say, “What has turned them away from their qiblah, which they used to face?” Say, “To Allah belongs the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a straight path.

Quran 2:143
And thus we have made you a just community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you. And We did not make the qiblah which you used to face except that We might make evident who would follow the Messenger from who would turn back on his heels. And indeed, it is difficult except for those whom Allah has guided. And never would Allah have caused you to lose your faith. Indeed Allah is, to the people, Kind and Merciful.

It is a test for the true believer, because the true believer, unlike others, accepts the commands of Allah. Allah has spoken of this in the Qur’aan.

Quran 2:144
We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it [in prayer]. Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture well know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do.

The simple reason we pray facing towards Masjid al Haraam in Makkah is because it is the command of Allah, our Creator, Whom we worship. This is what Allah says in the Qur’an: Absolutely. We are not worshipping the Ka’bah, nor Masjidul Haram, nor Makkah, by facing it in prayer. We worship none but Allah. That is why, even if the Ka’bah is directly in front of us, we do not look at it, rather we look at the ground before us, as the focus of our prayer is never on any created object, but Allah alone.

Quran 2:148
For each [religious following] is a direction toward which it faces. So race to [all that is] good. Wherever you may be, Allah will bring you forth [for judgement] all together. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.

Quran 2:149
So from wherever you go out [for prayer, O Muhammad] turn your face toward al- Masjid al-Haram, and indeed, it is the truth from your Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.

Quran 2:150
And from wherever you go out [for prayer], turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] may be, turn your faces toward it in order that the people will not have any argument against you, except for those of them who commit wrong; so fear them not but fear Me. And [it is] so I may complete My favor upon you and that you may be guided.

Quran 2:158
Indeed, as-Safa and al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah . So whoever makes Hajj to the House or performs ‘umrah – there is no blame upon him for walking between them. And whoever volunteers good – then indeed, Allah is appreciative and Knowing.

Quran 2:115
And to Allah belongs the east and the west. So wherever you [might] turn, there is the Face of Allah . Indeed, Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.

A muslim should try his best to find Qiblah direction. But if it’s impossible for him, e.g. a man lost in the sea or in the desert, traped in a prison, or even out of this planet, he can pray in any direction. Because prayer is addressed to Allah, and wherever you turn you can find Allah’s direction.

Quran 2:255
Allah – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.

Why Do Muslims Kiss the Black Stone (Hajr e Aswad) in Mecca?

Hajr e Aswad is a stone from Paradise, gifted to Prophet Abraham (AS) by the angel Gabriel. Muslims do not worship it. Kissing or touching the Black Stone is done because Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did so, and Muslims follow his Sunnah. As Umar ibn al-Khattab said:
📖Sahih al-Bukhari 1597
Umar said: “I know that you are only a stone that can neither harm nor benefit. Had I not seen the Prophet ﷺ kissing you, I would not have kissed you.”

Kissing the Black Stone is also a rewardable deed, and yes, it can forgive sins, not because the stone has power, but because Allah made that act a means of earning His forgiveness, Just like prayer doesn’t forgive sins by itself, or water doesn’t purify by magic, but Allah made these actions part of the path to forgiveness.

It’s not about the object, it’s about obedience.

Now look what Christians and Hindus do:

Christians mock Muslims for kissing a stone, while their own Bible is filled with stone-based rituals and symbolism:

📖Joshua 24:26–27 – A stone is declared a witness that “has heard all the words of the Lord.”
📖Zechariah 3:9 – A stone with seven eyes is placed by God to remove sin in one day.
📖Isaiah 6:5–7 – A burning coal is touched to a prophet’s lips and it forgives his sin.

So let’s get this straight, your own prophets touched stones and got forgiven, but when Muslims follow a command from their Prophet, suddenly it’s “stone worship” That’s not logic, that’s hypocrisy. Unless you’re ready to admit your God ordered strange things, you’ve just exposed your own beliefs as flawed, And Hindus? They’re on a whole different level. They don’t just kiss stones, they worship them. They bathe them, put clothes on them, feed them, and call them gods. Some even believe certain rocks are reincarnations of divine beings. And when not worshipping stones, they’re bowing to cows, rats, or human gurus.

So here’s the truth:

Muslims do not believe the Black Stone has power.
Kissing it is a deed of obedience, just like praying, fasting, or giving zakat, only Allah forgives, and He chooses the path.
Christians have stones that “hear God’s words” and coals that burn away sin, that’s your own Bible.
Hindus have turned stone worship into an entire religion.

Hadith – Accounts of the Sayings and Actions of Prophet Muhammad

Sunan Ibn Majah 3932
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr said: “I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) circumambulating the Ka’bah and saying: ‘How good you are and how good your fragrance; how great you are and how great your sanctity. By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, the sanctity of the believer is greater before Allah than your sanctity, his blood and his wealth, and to think anything but good of him.

Tirmidhi 862
“When the Prophet arrived in Makkah, he performed seven (circuits) of Tawaf around the House. Then he came to the Maqam and said: And take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim as a place of prayer. Then he prayed behind the Maqam. Then he came to the (Black) Stone to touch it. Then he said: ‘We begin with what Allah began with.’ So he began at As-Safa and recited: Indeed As-Safa and Al-Marwah are among the Symbols of Allah.

Sunan Ibn Majah 2960
“When Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) finished circumambulating the House, he came to Maqam Ibrahim. ‘Umar said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, this is the Maqam of our father Ibrahim, about which Allah says, “And take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim as a place of prayer. [2:125]

Tirmidhi 877
The Messenger of Allah said: “The Black Stone descended from the Paradise, and it was more white than milk, then it was blackened by the sins of the children of Adam.

Tirmidhi 860
“I saw Umar bin Al-Khattab kissing the (Black) Stone and saying: ‘I am kissing you while I know that you are just a stone, and if I had not seen the Messenger of Allah kissing you, I would not kiss you.

Musnad Ahmad 381
It was narrated from Hisham, from his father, that `Umar (رضي الله عنه) came to the [Black] Stone and said: I know that you are only a stone and you cannot cause harm or bring benefit. Were it not that I saw the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ ) kiss you, I would not have kissed you. Then he kissed it.

Sahih Muslim 1268 b
I saw’lbn ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with them) touching the Stone with his hand and then kissing his hand. and he said: I have never abandoned it since I saw Allah’s Messenger (way peace be upon him) doing It.

Summary of Hadith

Hadith Reference	Summary of Hadith
Ibn Majah 3932	The Prophet (ﷺ) declared that the sanctity of a believer is greater before Allah than the sanctity of the Kaaba, as well as his blood and wealth.
Tirmidhi 862	The Prophet (ﷺ) performed Tawaf around the Kaaba and prayed behind the Maqam of Ibrahim, which is a place of prayer.
Sunan Ibn Majah 2960	Umar pointed out to the Prophet (ﷺ) that Maqam Ibrahim is the place of prayer mentioned in the Quran.
Tirmidhi 877	The Black Stone descended from Paradise and became blackened by the sins of humanity.
Tirmidhi 860	Umar kissed the Black Stone out of reverence for the Prophet (ﷺ) who had also kissed it.
Musnad Ahmad 381	Umar kissed the Black Stone only because he saw the Prophet (ﷺ) do it, knowing that it is just a stone.
Sahih Muslim 1268 b	Ibn Umar also kissed the Black Stone out of reverence for the Prophet (ﷺ) who had done so before him

Additional Information

Kissing the Black Stone during Hajj or Umrah is a Sunnah (recommended act), done because Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did so. The stone was sent from Heaven to Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and his son Ismail (AS) as a symbol of their covenant with Allah. Muslims kiss it to follow the Prophet’s example, not to worship it, The act may bring blessings and forgiveness, not because the stone has power, but because Allah honors the deed done with obedience and sincerity. If someone can’t reach it, they can simply raise their hand and continue their worship, the pilgrimage is still valid.

Important Note:
This is not an insult to Hindus or Christians. Everyone has the right to believe and worship as they choose. But if you mock Muslims for kissing a stone out of love and obedience —
first look at your own practices:

Christians honor stones and coals in their own Bible.
Hindus openly worship statues, animals, and rivers.

So before pointing fingers, ask: Is your criticism genuine, or just hypocrisy?