Written by Islam4peace
Agniveerhas come up with a silly article attacking Muslims as idol worshippers. In this article, we hope to debunk this stupid claim and clear misconceptions if there are any.
Let us see what the Quran has to say about the Ka’abah:
The first House (of worship) appointed for men was that at Bakka: Full of blessing and of guidance for all kinds of beings. (Al Quran 3:96-97)
So the Ka’abah was the first Mosque and PLACE OF WORSHIP for the Muslims. A place to worship the one true God.
And [mention, O Muhammad], when We designated for Abraham the site of the House, [saying], “Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who stand [in prayer] and those who bow and prostrate. (Al Quran 22:26)
The above verse clarifies that Ka’abah is not a place for worshipping idols. In fact when the Ka’abah came back into the hands of the Muslims, the Muslims made sure to get rid of all the idols and idolatry that had been imposed on it by the pagans. Thus saying that “Muslims worship the Ka’abah as an idol” is clearly the most absurd thing ever pronounced in the history of mankind.
We face THE DIRECTION of the Ka’abah during the prayers because Allah (swt) directs us to do so. How in the world does it prove Idol worship?
a) It is mentioned in Surah Baqarah:
“We see the turning of thy face (for guidance) to the heavens: now shall We turn thee to a Qiblah (direction) that shall please thee. Turn then thy face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque: wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction.”
[Al-Qur’an 2:144]
The above verse was revealed 2 years after Hijrah. And until then (i.e. for almost 15 years), the Muslims prayed in the direction of Bait al Muqaddas in Jerusalem. This fact tells us that turning to Ka’abah does not mean worshipping it, but it was only a direction for prayer, similar to that of the mosque in Jerusalem.
b) “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.” [Al-Quran 2:115]
c) “Let them worship the Lord of this House, Who has fed them, [saving them] from hunger and made them safe, [saving them] from fear. [Al-Quran 106:3-4]
d) The 360 idols in Mecca were broken only after the conquest of Mecca. This means that when the direction of prayer was turned to Ka’abah, it still had 360 idols along with the Black Stone. Does this mean that Muslims then worshipped the idols as well? Certainly not. This is another evidence to prove that Ka’abah was only a DIRECTION of prayer and no idols or stones of the mosque are worshipped. It is a direction symbolic of the fact that we adhere to the same religion of Abraham.
As for the reasons as to why we have the Black Stone in the wall of the Ka`abah, we read about the following reasons, that
a) It symbolizes the starting-point during the circumambulation of the Ka`abah, thus facilitating the remembrance of the number of circumambulations.
b) At this point, the Muslims, who are close to the Ka`abah (during their circumambulation) touch the stone, while those who are away from it, raise their hands towards it, symbolizing the renewal of their pledge of allegiance with the Lord of the Ka`abah. In this symbolic expression, the Black Stone is taken as a symbol of an oath on the hand of God.
Argument 1. Kaba is Qibla (direction) and since we Muslims believe in unity, we face in the direction of Kaba while praying.
Comments:
a. Muslims believe in unity according to Zakir Naik! More than 100 sects of Islam today are in support of his claim! Sunni, Shia, Qadiyani, Khoja, Wahabi, Bohra…..all support him with unity! Can anyone still dare to ask him that if muslims were/are so united, how could more than 100 sects within Islam come into existence?
b. What is the need of unity during the prayers? Should not one be free to pray as per one’s own choice? If unity is required everywhere then why not eat, drink, and sleep at the same time and in same direction? If I want to pray in any direction, why will not God accept it?
c. Many Muslims pray alone in their houses most of the times. How does Qibla (direction) matter in this case when there is no one to get united?
d. Do Muslims actually have unity in direction while prayers? When a Muslim in east of Mecca faces west, at the same time a Muslim in west of Mecca faces east! Both face opposite to each other! If Zakir Naik says this as unity then two armies facing each other should also be considered as united and thus friends!
e. To which direction a Muslim will bow, who is just opposite of Mecca on spherical earth ? He has both options to bow to his east or west! How does the concept of unity work there?
f. Very few Muslims know that inside Mecca no direction is needed. People can face and bow down to any direction they want. This exposes the fallacies of Zakir’s claim of unity blatantly. Zakir says that Muslims should bow down to one direction only, so that they can remain united. One can ask him; don’t Muslims inside Mecca need unity? And if they can remain united without bowing down to a common direction inside Mecca, why can’t they do it outside too?
g. This is very strange that after so much of efforts to remain united, today, most of the bombers and their victims are Muslims!
h. Uthmaan, third Caliph of Islam, compiler of modern Quran was killed by none other than Muslims led by Aisha’s brother and Abu Bakr’s son while he was offering prayer. Can there be a greater example of unity during prayers than this? (Remember that Aisha was Muhammad’s beloved child wife with whom Allah had divinely fixed his marriage!)
Our Response
The author has used what is known as a perverted analogy. He has used Zakir Naik’s analogy to mean something other than what was intended.
We shall analyze each of his claims.
a) The necessity of a common direction for prayer is explained clearly by Zakir Naik : “For instance, if Muslims want to offer Salaah (Prayer), it is possible that some may wish to face north, while some may wish to face south. In order to unite Muslims in their worship of the One True God, Muslims, wherever they may be, are asked to face in only one direction i.e. towards the Ka’abah”. Where does Zakir Naik say Muslim sects ARE UNITED because of this? Doesn’t the author know that the disunity in sects are due to other issues ? The author is giving examples where people deviated from this, so does this make the original proposition invalid??
b) The author has not understood the reason for a common direction for prayer. Doesn’t the author know that Muslims are encouraged to pray in congregation than independently? The Friday prayers are obligatory upon all Muslims. How do we pray in congregation if there is no common direction?. Standing shoulder to shoulder in prayers does help in fostering unity. Since, Hindus don’t have anything similar, they don’t realize it.
c) Even in homes, Muslims are encouraged to pray in congregation if there are more than one person.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (4/323) “If a man does not have anyone to pray with, he may pray alone, but the more people who pray, the dearer that is to Allah.”
What is wrong in praying to a specific direction chosen by Allah(swt) than to any direction which I or you feel like?
d) See points a) and b) to know the need for a common direction. Moreover, people in the West do not pray at the same time as that of the people in the East.
e) The point just opposite to Mecca is in Pacific Ocean !!!!
f) Inside Mecca, people pray towards Ka’abah. I don’t know from where the author is getting these false information from. Refer to points a) and b) regarding unity of prayers. It is inside the Ka’abah, all directions are valid. When people worship inside the kaba they are facing the Qibla no matter where they are in the Ka’abah, if one guy is praying towards one wall of Ka’abah and the other guy to another wall it does not matter because they both are facing the qibla (direction).
g) What has these events got to do with the so called claim of Ka’abah worship?
h) Firstly, Uthman (ra) was killed while he was reading Quran and not while offering prayer. Secondly, Aisha’s brother Muhammed ibn Abu Bakr (ra) had no role in the murder of Uthman (ra). [Tareekh al Khulafa by Suyuti] Neither do these events have got anything to do with the article.
What I understand is that the author has just found a term UNITY without proper understanding and he has elaborated his ignorance in 8 points.
Swami Dayanand Saraswati says in the preface to Satyarth Prakash, which the author seems to have forgotten :
“There are four elements necessary to convey a complete sense of a passage, viz:-
1. Akankasha consists in entering the spirit of the speaker or the author.
2. Yogyata in the fitness of compatability of sense. For instance, when it is said “water irrigates” there is nothing absurd in the mutual connection between the objects signified by the words.
3. Asatti consists in regarding or speaking words in proper sequence, i.e., without detaching them from their context.
4. Tatparya is to give the same meaning to the words of a writer or a speaker which he intended that they should convey..
There are many people who, through bigotry and wrong-headedness, misconstrue the meaning of the author. The sectaries are the greatest sinners in this respect because their intellect is wrapped by bigotry.”
The author is being a bigot here by giving a meaning to our facing the Ka’abah, which neither Zakir Naik nor any other Muslim gives..
Argument 2. Kaba is at the centre of the earth.
Comments:
a. According to Zakir’s science, Kaba is at the centre of the globe but science says that every point on a sphere is geometrically same. In this way every place on earth is centre. If Zakir means equidistant from both poles, he is wrong. Kaba is at 21 degree north on globe which means that if it is at a distance of 30 units from North Pole, it has to be 50 units distant from South Pole!
b. Anyway, whatever may be the case with Kaba’s latitude and longitude, one thing is clear. There are infinite number of places on earth which either have same latitude or same longitude as that of Kaba. So there is no reason why Kaba should be given a special status.
Our response:
No place upon earth is visited as much as the Kaba. In this respect, Mecca and the Kaba have become a center, which plays a role of uniting and gathering people by lifting political boundaries. And again with no religious place upon earth are people in contact for 24 hours a day except the Kaba.
1. MECCA IS THE FIRST LAND CREATED
Mekka, also Baca, where Muslims do their Hajj is proved to be the first land created. It is scientifically established that the globe in the beginning was completely submerged in water( a huge ocean), later volcanoes in the bottom of this ocean erupted violently sending out huge amounts of lave and magma forming “a hill”, and this hill was the land which God ordered to be floor of the Kaba (kiblah),the basalt stones from Mekka were proved to be the most ancient stones in the earth by a scientific study ,
If so, this means that God must have extended land from this place. So this is the oldest place in the world. The following prophetic hadith denote this staggering fact.
“Narrated Abdullah bin Umar, Mujahid, Qatada and Sadi that at the time of the creation of Earth and heavens the first thing that emerged on surface of the water was, ‘Ka’aba’. Initially it was white foam which had freezed and subsequently the earth was spread from within it”.
Rahbar Farooqi, Ma’arifat-e-Ka’aba. P.5 quoted in Tafsir Mawahib-ur-Rahman by Amir Ali, Vol 4. P.15.
2. MECCA IS THE CENTER OF THE WORLD
PROOF 1
Professor Hussin Kamel stumbled over a staggering fact that Mekka is the center of the world. He was in search of a way of determining the direction of the Qiblah in the major cities of the world.
To achieve this goal, he drew a chart and, having drawn the continents taking into consideration the locations of the seven continents to Mekka and their distances, he started to draw the equal lines just to facilitate how to project the longitudes and the latitudes lines.
After two years of arduous toiling work aided by highly advanced complicated computer programmes to determine the correct distances and the different variations and many other necessary things, he, to his amazement, discovered that Mekka is the center of the earth; he realized that it is possible to draw a circle with Mekka centered in it and the circle’s borders will be outside the continents and in the same time its circumference moves with the external circumference of the continents ( Al-Arabi agazine,number237, August 1978).
Satellite’s Pictures, later in the nineties of the 20th century, emphasized the same result when further studies concerning the topography of the earth’s layers and the geography of the land were made.
It is scientifically established that the earth plates, through the long geological age, have been moving regularly around the Arabian plate; these plates constantly converge towards it as if they pointed to it. This scientific study was done for different purpose; it wasn’t meant to prove that Mekka is the center of the earth but, anyhow, this study was published in many scientific magazines in the west.
God says in the Holy Quran what means:
“And this is a Book which We have sent down, bringing blessings, and confirming (the revelations) which came before it: that thou mayest warn the mother of cities and all around her…” (6:92)
These few words” the mother of cities and all around her…(92)” mean that Mekka is center and the other cities are just around her. Moreover, the Arabic word” Um, which means “mother” has a significant meanings in the Islamic culture; as ” a mother” is the source of the progeny, Mekka is also is the source of all the other land as already shown in the beginning of this study. Also, the word” Mother” gives Mekka the primacy over all the other cities.
PROOF 2
Geographers symbolically divided the earth into small squares with lines called latitudes and longitudes in order to find easily, practically, and correctly show any point on earth. However, the beginnings of these lines are determined theoretically, i.e. arbitrarily. There exist no certain scientific facts. For example, the line of longitude that is presumed to pass from Greenwich, England is taken as ‘0’ (zero). It is a known fact that the earth has a rounded shape, with a slight flat at the poles and bulge around the equator. The longest latitude that crosses the equatorial bulge is called the latitude zero. And it is considered that it divides the world into two theoretically.
The poles are the two ends of an axis that crosses from the exact center of the circle of the Equator. However, the reality is not so. This is just an assumption. The world has real north and south poles. We know that the earth rotates on liquid-iron-nickel like a dynamo and that in the course of this rotation it produces an electromagnetic area and electricity just like a dynamo. This magnetic power forms the magnetic protective layer called magnetosphere, which constitutes the outer layer of the atmosphere coming out of the north and south poles. For this reason, compasses in the North Hemisphere always show the North Pole.
Why are the poles shown by the latitudes and longitudes and the magnetic poles shown by the compass bear a distance of 27′? We know that the earth has an inclination of 23º ecliptically. If the head of the world was not inclined that way, we would live just one season, for example always summer or winter. Days shorten and lengthen according to this inclination. This inclination changes the place of the poles. While drawing the latitudes and longitudes, if we take into attention this inclination of the earth, i.e. the real north and south poles that the compasses always show, there would emerge a new equator. Then this time, the Equator, which is the biggest latitude with the zero degree, will cross just the middle of Mecca with its new condition. And this shows that the Ka’abah is at the center of the world.
On the other hand, the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer drawn in this way cross the block where Mecca is situated. The longitude drawn in this sense divides the tropics and the Equator again in the same block, uniting the two poles. The junction is again Mecca. That these latitudes and the longitudes intersect in Mecca bears the point that the place of the Kaba was exclusively determined and the mystery why people head towards there. It is thus understood that the Kaba is the center of the world in the present condition of the continents and it was so when the continents were just one body.
PROOF 3
The Kaba lies at the center of the Old World (Europe, Asia and Africa). It is nearly of the same distance from these three continents.
If you take a map and draw a line from North America to Australia, from Northeast Asia to South America, you will see Mecca, therefore the Kaba, at the junction where these lines meet; i.e. at the center. When you make these drawings, you should begin from the furthest points of the continents.
3. MECCA IS THE CENTER WHERE THE RADIATION OF THE UNIVERSE CONVERGES
It has been proven that Mekka is the center of the universe and research followed and to the amazement of the scientists, Mekka has been found to be the center where the magnetic attraction converge and this explains why everyone visits Mekka is always affectionately attracted to it
Robert Coleman, an American prominent scientists, conducted successive experiments in his lab, he did some experiment on the center of magnetic gravitational source of the earth and the meeting point of the universal radiation, he found that these all meet in one point on the surface of the earth and when he searched for its geographical location, he found that it is Mekka. He did his study for sheer scientific goals. So, Mekka is the center of the seven continents and it is also the center where the magnetic attraction radiations meet.
Argument 3. We Muslims circumambulate the Kaba because it represents that there is only one God just like there is only one centre of a circle.
Comments:
a. Many hindus circumambulate their holy places. But then why is that Shirk in the eyes of Zakir Naik if circumambulation can mean “just believe in one God”?
b. During “Aarti”, a Hindu ritual, in which prayers are offered by devotee, the plate is moved around making circle with a unique centre! So Hindus also believe in one God and they show it by moving the plate so that it makes circle with one centre!
c. Can a Muslim circumambulate his house or a temple for this purpose? If yes, why do Muslims go for Hajj? How does circumambulation of the temple or a house different than that of Kaba?
d. Can Zakir Naik give any reference from Quran or Sahih Hadith, which supports his claim of “one centre-one God” concept behind circumambulation?
e. If I interpret the circumambulation as “a circle has infinite points inside it and thus there are infinite Gods in Islam”! How can Zakir refute my claim?
f. If circumambulation means “one centre-one God”, why don’t Muslims do it in their mosques along with their prayers every time? If one says that prayers already include One God philosophy then circumambulation at Hajj is needless as Muslims offer their prayers there too!
g. According to Zakir Naik, unique centre of a circle represents One God. Is it not Shirk to believe the centre of a circle similitude of God? If Muslims themselves believe in such representations of God, why do they condemn non-Muslims for their idols? If such rituals in the name of One Allah can be accepted by Zakir Naik, why can’t he accept the idols as yet another representation of God’s different qualities in different forms?
The purpose of Tawaf is to symbolically represent the idea that our life should revolve around thinking and remembering Allah Almighty. The believer is the one who subsumes all his thoughts in one big thought, that is, Allah the Almighty.
The Ka’abah is the center and the focus that we are directed to turn in our prayers. By making Tawaf we are re-enforcing the centrality of this spiritual focus in our life. It also connects us with the tradition of Prophet Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him) who was perfect monotheist. By performing this rite consciously we are re-enforcing such ideals as Prophet Ibrahim, Isma`eel and Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon them all) manifested in their lives.
Find out, how the pilgrim goes on glorifying Allah the most High, while performing the rounds, with these noble hymns: “Glory be to Allah! All Praise be to Allah! There is no deity save God. Allah is Most Great! There is no handling, nor power, save by Allah’s Help.” A Monotheist (One-God worshipper) holds these sublime prayers far more valuable than the earth’s entire riches. With these, he praises his One and Only Lord, as he circles a spot made Holy by the presence of His House. Is there any remotest trace of Polytheism (multi-god worship) or Idolatry in such an act?
OUR RESPONSE
a) When did Zakir Naik say circumambulation of holy places is Shirk?. Circumambulation does not mean ‘belief in one God’. It has to be understood that while Muslims do Tawaf, they reinforce the concept of belief in One God.
b) Great logic. So, tomorrow, you will say “I draw a circle with a compass, it means I worship only One God !!. ” And how can there be oneness of god when millions of hindus do the ‘aarti’ of many gods at once and even of humans.
c) and d)
Everything in this universe move the same direction as in a Hajj. On examination, it is found that the entire universe which is in constant circular or elliptical rotation, is in actual fact moving in the pattern as the Tawaf.
1. The electrons of an atom revolve around its nucleus in the same manner as making Tawaf, in an anti-clockwise direction.
2. The ovum, prior to fertilization actually taking place, surrounded by sperms, turns remarkably in anti-clockwise direction, thereby resembling the Tawaf.
3. Considering the globe as a whole, it could be found that the earth has two movements. It rotates on its own axis in 24 hours causing day and night. The various seasons of the year are due to the earth’s simultaneous revolution around the sun in 365 days. It is really astonishing to note that the earth, in both these movements, rotates anti-clockwise.
4. The earth platelets moves around the Arabian platelet anticlockwise .
5. In the human body ,the cytoplasm moves around the nucleus of a cell anticlockwise.
6. The proteins molecules are arranged from left to the right anticlockwise.
7. The blood starts its movement from the left side to the right side anticlockwise.
8. The sperm, when reaching the ovum, moves around itself anticlockwise.
9. The human blood circulatory starts its movement anticlockwise.
10. The sun moves around itself anticlockwise.
11. The sun with all its solar system moves around a certain point in the galaxy anticlockwise.
12. The galaxy also moves around itself anticlockwise.
Doesn’t this add spiritual meaning to the Muslim circumambulation around Kaba, all from atom to galaxy in submissive motion that Allah imposed on all.
The entire universe from the atom to the galaxies is in constant circular rotation like a circumambulator who encircles the Ka’abah in the anti-clockwise direction. All objects in the universe, atoms, moon, stars, electrical current, galaxies, etc. are rotating in the same way.
Moreover, the angels encircle the heavenly Baitul Ma’mur in an ever-lasting Tawaf. In the same way, the Ka’abah in Makkah is never free from circumambulators. “Know that the world will come to an end when no soul will circumambulate the holy Ka’abah.”
e) Why should Zakir Naik refute your stupid interpretations? Do you really think your point makes sense ?
f) Because, Allah (swt) did not ask us to do it.
Do you really know the meaning of ”HOLY” ? Why do hindus go to Amarnath and Tirupati yatra (travel) when the idols are present in their houses?
g) Certainly NOT. Learn what is polytheism first before commenting on it. Idols are images or representation of a god used as an object of worship. Hindu rituals are associated with worshipping the deities and hence, clearly its Shirk and unacceptable. How are idols representation of God’s different qualities in different forms? Which quality of God is represented by gods and goddesses like Ganapati, Ayyappa, Parvati etc.?
Argument 4:
Bukhari [2-56-675]-Umar told muslims that he kissed the black stone only because Muhammad did so, otherwise this stone can neither benefit me nor can it cause me harm. This is the proof that we Muslims don’t worship the Kaba.
a. Now Zakir Naik has the testimony of Umar that, kissing black stone is not idol worship because there is nothing special about that stone other than Muhammad kissed it. Can we ask, why did Muhammad kiss the stone then? There must be something special with the black stone so that Muhammad kissed it.
Umar sees nothing special with black stone and thus Zakir says kissing it is not idol worship! By the same logic, since Muhammad kissed it, he would certainly be convinced of its divinity and thus kissing it is idol worship and Muhammad did it! Since Muhammad was a bigger authority than Umar, kissing black stone is idol worship! ( I know this one would be too complex for madarsa minds!)
b. If Umar and Muslims kiss black stone just because Muhammad did so, and if it is not idol worship, it is no less than human worship since following someone’s order even without thinking its right or wrong shows the ultimate belief of the followers of a person in him. This is Shirk to believe someone other than God to be ultimate. So it is up to Zakir Naik what he wants to be, an idol worshipper or a human worshipper! In both cases, Islam would send him to Dozakh (Hell).
c. By the same logic, Hindus and Christians can say that they do idol worship because this is written in their books and their ancestors did so. If their ancestors would have not done this, they also would not be doing so! How will Zakir Bhai refute their claim?
OUR RESPONSE
The black stone is a stone that was brought from the heaven to the earth, it is there inserted in the structure of the Kabba and surrounded with silver frame.
Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The Black Stone came down from Jannah (Paradise).” (At-Tirmidhi)
The English Geographical association planned to study it, so it asked an English man by the name Richard Francis Burton to travel among the Egyptian pilgrims ,disguising himself in Arabian clothes, His task was to steal a piece from the black stone and he succeeded in stealing three pieces of the black stone which is now preserved in the English Museum in London. When the English scientists studied these pieces, to their amazement, they discovered that these pieces have different chemical structure from meteors and the final conclusion was that this piece is not from even our solar system, it is even different from all the aerolite that found on the earth.
The English traveler embraced Islam and authored a book under the title” My Journey to Mekka”
a) Firstly, from which ashram did you learn that kissing means worship? Black stone is certainly divine and was sent down to earth. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) kissed it as a sign of reverence and honour of the symbol of Allah (swt) as explained in the Quran [22:32 ] “And whoever honors the symbols [i.e., rites] of Allah – indeed, it is from the piety of hearts.”
b) WOW… So if parents kiss their children or spouses kiss each other, according to Hinduism, it means worshipping humans.
c) Muhammad (pbuh) is a prophet of God unlike any idol worshipping ancestor of Hindus.
Argument 5: At the time of the prophet, Sahabas (companions of Muhammad) used to stand on Kaba and then give the Azaan. Can any idol worshipper do that? This is the proof that we Muslims don’t worship Kaba.
a. Great logic! But all the Hindus on Ganesh Utsav throw their idols in the rivers! Can any Muslim do that with black stone? Since no Muslim can do that, it proves by Zakir’s logic that Hindus don’t worship idols but Muslims do!
b. Can any Muslim today, to debunk the claims of non Muslims of idolatry in Islam, touch the black stone with his feet?
c. If Kaba is just a Kibla (direction), can Zakir Naik hammer it down just like his Arab masters did with the idols of Hindus while they invaded India? (If anyone is hurt by this, please read those verses of Quran which order Muslims to break idols of others and kill the idolaters)
OUR RESPONSE
a) Hindus create some idols, paint them and throw them in rivers polluting them. Why should Muslims do the same? Moreover, we honour the symbols of Allah(swt). What has the author intended by his super logic ? !!!!! Doesn’t the author know that Hindus immerse only Ganesh’s idol and not every idol because they think the idol will return to the heaven.?
b) Sorry, we honour the symbols of Allah (swt). We don’t disrespect them. Do Hindus turn the pages of Vedas with foot fingers?
c) Why should one hammer a structure, built by people whom we love and respect? Just to prove to ignorants that we don’t worship them, should we destroy them???? Where does Quran orders Muslims to break idols? And the killing verse referred to was about the war between the idolators and muslims.
Argument 6. We Muslims don’t bow to Kaba, we only bow to Allah.
a. Zakir Naik says that Muslims actually bow to Allah, but for unity they bow in one direction. But as we know, Allah is on seventh heaven, should not then Muslims face upwards which is the actual direction of Allah instead of facing Kaba, which is a mere stone?
b. Every idol worshipper says that he bows to his God only, but for the sake of physical representation, he bows before idol. Why then Zakir Naik sees Shirk in the idols of others but “Tauheed” in bowing, kissing, circumambulation of a stone called Kaba.
OUR RESPONSE
a.) Where is it said that Allah (swt) is on the seventh heaven?. When we bow down we actually are surrendering before the Almighty. It does not mean God is on earth. Moreover, Vedas says Ishwar is in heaven. See the verse below.
Rig Veda Mandal 8; Sukt 13; Mantra 2
In his expansive heavenly mansion, is the location of Ishwar, he who brings success,
Most glorious, prompt to save, who wins the water-floods.
b) Because, unlike Hindus, we worship only One God. If at anytime the structure of the Ka’abah is destroyed then too, it will be compulsory to perform salaat facing the direction of the Ka’abah . Therefore, we can say without a shadow of doubt that Muslims do not worship its stone structure, otherwise by its destruction Salaat would immediately come to a temporary stop.
HISTORY UNFOLDS A RARE ASPECT
Assuming that the Black Stone is missing for one reason or another, does it render the Tawaf and Pilgrimage invalid and void on such account? Absolutely not. This is exactly what has already happened in the history of Islam. The Karamathians (Arabic: al-Qaramitah), the most un-islamic sect in Islam, had removed the Black Stone during their mad merrymaking in the year 317 AH/980 AD. They carried it away with them to their territory in Al-Ahsa (in the Arabian Gulf). After keeping it there for twenty years, they had returned it back to Makkah in the year 339 AH (see shorter Encyclopedia Leiden 1953, P. 219). In such an event, the Shariah (Law) maintains that the pilgrim shall perform his Tawaf without the Black stone. Instead of the Black Stone, the pilgrim shall touch its place at the corner of the Ka’abah, or point at its spot, and continue his Tawaf. Thus the total absence of the Stone itself makes no difference in the validity of the Tawaf and the Pilgrimage.
If a person decides to perform salaat on the roof of the Ka’abah, the Salaat will be valid. Therefore had we worshipped the Ka’abah then Salaat performed above it would be incorrect; because firstly, the thing worshipped must appear in front and secondly, it is utterly disrespectful and disgraceful to the thing worshipped by standing on top of it.
Now, what about Vedas commanding women to bow to men? So does that mean Women worship Men?. RigVed 10.30.6 says
“So maidens bow before the youthful gallant who comes with love to them who yearn to meet him.”
CLAIM: Now we will quickly summarize the similarities and dissimilarities between idol worship and Kaba worship.
Similarities:
1. Muslims bow down to Kaba. Hindus bow before idols.
2. Muslims claim to remember Allah while they bow to Kaba. Hindus claim to remember Eeshvar while bowing before idol.
3. Muslims circumambulate and kiss the Kaba. Hindus do Aarti before idol and fold their hands.
OUR RESPONSE
1) Muslims bow down to Allah (swt). Most Muslims see the Ka’abah only once in their lifetime or don’t even see it at all.
2) Muslims don’t bow down to Ka’abah, but face it while in prayer.
3) Similarities in rituals to that of Hindus doesn’t mean we worship the Ka’abah. And hindus also do aarti to humans and animals.
Dissimilarities:
1. Muslims bow Kaba five times a day whereas most of the Hindus hardly bow to idols once a week.
2. Muslims don’t have liberty of choosing their direction of bowing whereas Hindus can face whichever direction they want by choosing appropriate direction of idol.
3. Hindus throw their idols after they perform their rituals especially on some occasions but no Muslims can ever think of doing so with the stone of Kaba.
4. Hindus fold their hands before idol just to give respect to God but Muslims kiss the black stone because Muhammad did so.
OUR RESPONSE
1) Muslims pray to Allah (swt) five times a day facing the Ka’abah whereas Hindus bow to unlimited number of gods.
2) Hindus can face any direction and worship any idol, any object etc. Muslims obey the commands of Allah (swt).
3) And 4) Hindus create idols of everything and use it in whatever way they feel like. Muslims don’t make a model of Ka’abah or Black Stone, but honour them as a symbol of Allah (swt).
CONCLUSION
Idol worship means the worship of idols or images that are not God. Ka’aba is a Masjid. The Black Stone is neither an idol nor a representation of God. Hindus practice of idol worship has no rational behind it and is clearly against the sacred scriptures like Vedas. It is clear polytheism. Whereas, in Islam, Muslims worship one, true Almighty God. A direction of prayer has been chosen by Allah (swt) for the reasons explained earlier. The Hindus trying to justify that Muslims worship Ka’abah is only to find an excuse for their polytheism. We request our Hindu brothers and sisters to embrace true monotheism which is free of all polytheistic practices.
In his expansive heavenly mansion, is the location of Ishwar, he who brings success,
Most glorious, prompt to save, who wins the water-floods.
