Some crazy non-Muslims misinterpret our facing the Kaa'ba while praying

[Ruhi_Rose]

There are some astonishingly stupid and hostile creatures who think (or pretend to think) that the Muslim practice of turning to the Kaa'ba while offering prayers is "worshipping a stone building."  That's how dumb and atrocious the sinful human mind becomes when it wanders in the darkness of ignorance. 

The Holy Kaa'ba is the first place of worship built by Prophet Abraham and his son, Ishmael, for the sole purpose of worshipping Allah Almighty only.  The Kaa'ba is the first structure in history which is symbolic of total Monotheism or Tawheed.  It provides special pleasure to the heart of a believer to call out to Allah Almighty from the premises of the Kaa'ba.  Every believer yearns to visit this earliest symbol of Monotheism at least once in their lifetime.

When Allah Almighty commands all believers to turn their faces towards the Kaa'ba while praying, it's NOT a gesture of worshipping the stone sturcture of the Kaa'ba.  It's a sign of love and awe for the first place of worship and for the dedication of Prophet Abraham and Ishael.  The purpose to turning to the Kaa'ba is to provide greater peace and satisfaction to believers.  While facing the Kaa'ba and praying, the believer imagines that he or she is offering salaat to Allah Almighty from the Kaa'ba itself and thus derive greater pleasure from their worship of Allah alone.   

At the same time, Allah has also clarified in the Quran that being righteous does not simply mean to turn one's face to the East or West.  But righteosness comes from the strength of one's faith in Allah and from good conduct. 

"It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the God-fearing. "  2:177 - Noble Quran 

In unusual or difficult circumstances if a person is not sure of the direction of the Kaa'ba, they can still pray no matter which direction they are compelled to face.  But during normal times Allah commands the believers to face the Kaa'ba as an additional source of love and respect for Him alone. 

[N. Truth Seeker]

While facing the Kaa'ba and praying, the believer imagines that he or she is offering salaat to Allah Almighty from the Kaa'ba itself and thus derive greater pleasure from their worship of Allah alone.   

I recall, a friend of mine once brought up this issue.  He is not very educated on Faith, unfortunately.  And he too misinterpreted saying why Muslims "bow down before a stone structure."  But some scholarly persons who were present brought up more or less the same point as stated by sister Rose.  They said that first, it's a sign of respect & love for the Kaa'bah, the first mosque in the world build for the purpose of Tawheed.  And secondly, turning toward the Kaa'bah and praying does not indicate bowing down before that building, but it's symbolic of praying within the Kaa'bah or praying within the premises of the Kaa'bah.