Do Muslims worship the Kaaba?
Worshipping anything or anyone apart from The Almighty God alone is the most heinous sin of all in the sight of Almighty God. So much so that The Almighty God says in the The Quran (the meaning of which is):
“Allah does not forgive that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgives anything else, to whom He pleases; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin Most heinous indeed”. (Quran 4:48)
With verses as such it is inconceivable to even imagine worshiping other than the Creator. If anyone intentionally commits such a sin and dies without repentance then they are doomed for eternity.
It is a misconception that Muslims worship the Kaaba. Muslims only
worship Allah the Almighty God.
The Kaaba is the “qibla,” or the direction, towards which all Muslims around the world
face to pray. The Kaaba is the center that brings all Muslims together in a globally unified form of worship of One God.
The instruction to face the Kaaba to perform the prayers was given by The Almighty God Himself. The same Almighty who forbade mankind to associate any partners with Him in worship.
Allah says (the meaning of which is):
“Turn then your face in the direction of the sacred Mosque; Wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction”. (Quran 2:144)
When we go for Hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca), we circumambulate around the Kaaba because everyone knows that all circles have only one center. Kaaba is that center for us in our ritual of circumambulation. Instruction to do this was also given by The Almighty God.
Allah says (the meaning of which is):
“And mention when We made the House (i.e., the Kaaba) 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 instructed Abraham and Ishmael, [saying], “Purify My House for those who perform circumambulation (Tawaf) and those who are staying there for worship and those who bow and prostrate in prayer.” (Quran 2:125)
Muslims pray in the same direction as a sign of unity in worshiping One God.
The caller for prayer Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) at the time of the prophet (peace be upon him) climbed on top of the Kaaba to make the call for the prayer. Muslims still climb on top of the Kaaba today when changing the cloth covering it. No idol worshiper climbs on top of their idol or puts the idol under their feet.
If Muslims worshipped the Kaaba, then a model of the Kaaba would be found in every Muslim prayer place. If you have witnessed Muslims praying then you would know that this is not the case.
The Kaaba can neither do a Muslim any good or bring any harm. A believer’s affairs are totally dependent on only One alone and that is The Almighty God, who alone is worthy of all worship.