For many Muslims today, the ultimate dream is to visit Makkah for Hajj and Umrah and see the Kaaba. It is the direction of salat for all Muslims and a symbol of unity. But when we witness what happens around it, a difficult question arises: has the Kaaba shifted from being our direction of salat and a symbol of unity to now becoming an object of devotion itself?
Pre-Islam
Before Allah graced Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) with the revelation of the Qur'an, the Quraysh had filled the Kaaba with idols. They believed in Allah, even more so than most Muslims today, but with misguided sincerity, saying "...we only worship them so that they may bring us nearer to Allah..." (39:3). Today, the idols are long gone, but the Qurayshi mindset has returned in a new form.
Touching the stones for blessing
Every day, crowds push and struggle to touch the Kaaba’s walls or the black stone, believing that being able to touch the Kaaba carries a spiritual benefit. Yet the Qur'an challenges this idea directly. It describes people who serve "...besides Allah what does not harm them nor benefit them..." (10:18) as wicked people "...who invents lies about Allah..." (10:17). Ibrahim questioned his own people in the same way when he asked them "...do you worship besides Allah that which does not benefit you at all nor harm you?..." (21:66).
If an object cannot benefit or harm, the belief that touching it brings blessing is an empty ritual and is no different to the idol worship of the pagans of Arabia.
Illusion of being closer to Allah
Many people cling to the Kaaba’s structure or cloth because they feel it brings them closer to Allah or makes their supplications stronger. But this is the same reasoning the Quraysh used when they said their idols were simply intermediaries "...so that they may bring us nearer to Allah..." (39:3). The Qur'an also points out that humans often believe in Allah while mixing that belief with practices that resemble idolatry, saying that most people "...do not believe in Allah except while associating partners with Him..." (12:106).
The Qur'an teaches that Allah's closeness is not tied to touching objects. Allah says He knows when a person's "...soul whispers to him and We are closer to him than his jugular vein..." (50:16). Closeness to Allah is spiritual, not physical.
Prayers stronger in Makkah
Another common belief is that supplication made near the Kaaba is more likely to be accepted. This has led to a widespread practice where people ask friends or relatives travelling to Makkah to make supplication on their behalf, assuming that a prayer made in the Kaaba's presence carries more weight than one made elsewhere. This creates a situation where those living in Makkah have better access to Allah. But Allah tells us that when a person turns to Him, then it is possible from anywhere as Allah says "...I am near; I answer the call of the caller when he calls upon Me..." (2:186) and reinforced again when He says "...'call on Me and I will respond to you..." (40:60).
Allah's nearness is not tied to any physical location. The Qur'an reminds us that "...to Allah belong the east and the west, so wherever you turn, there is the face of Allah..." (2:115). A sincere prayer in England will be answered by Allah just as quickly as one made beside the Kaaba.
Since Allah's nearness is not tied to a single place, any belief or behaviour that treats a location as spiritually superior resembles the idol worship of the Quraysh who would say "...we only worship them so that they may bring us nearer to Allah..." (39:3).
The original Kaaba
Many believe the Kaaba today is the same building from the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). But history proves otherwise. After Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), the Kaaba was significantly damaged by catapult fire during the early Muslim civil wars and rebuilt by Ibn al‑Zubayr in the late 7th century. Shortly after, the Umayyads reversed his changes. In the 17th century, the Ottomans rebuilt it again after flood damage. The modern Saudi state continues to carry out ongoing major renovations.
The Kaaba standing today contains none of the original materials. When people venerate the physical structure, they are venerating stones which have been placed there by human hands. The cloth is manufactured each year in a factory in Makkah and replaced annually. People are simply clinging onto a piece of fabric produced by humans, not something with inherent spiritual power. The Qur'an reminds us that physical objects have no benefit with Allah. When speaking about sacrifice, the Qur'an says that "...neither their meat nor their blood reaches Allah, but what reaches Him is your righteousness..." (22:37). The same principle applies here. The value lies in a person's sincerity and not in material objects.
Conclusion
The Kaaba is a direction for prayer and a symbol of unity. The Qur'an does not teach that touching its walls bring blessing or that prayers made beside it are more likely to be answered. When physical objects become associated with spiritual advantage, the Qur'an warns that this resembles the mindset of earlier communities who sought intermediaries between themselves and Allah.