What happened in MECCA?

Fitzblado

Just wondering why Muslims pilgramige to Mecca and what that stone in the middle is?

Wibbs

This web thing's only great...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecca

The stone. Apparently an meteorite remnant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaaba

larryone

Why pray towards it?

Wibbs

That's a very good point. I never looked at it that way before. If idolatry is a sin in Islam, surely the prayer around the Kaaba is a form of idolatry, only it's a place/stone, not a statue or picture?

larryone

This is *exactly* what I was thinking. Anyone who knows a bit morea bout it?

=0) The ammount of questions I've been asking over the last 2 weeks. I feel like seeking out an Islamic scholar somewhere in Clonskeagh. Maybe in the summer when I have more time.

Fitzblado

Other Muslims are more willing to believe that the Stone itself has some supernatural powers. They believe that this stone fell from the sky during the time of Adam and Eve, and that it has the power to cleanse worshippers of their sins by absorbing them into itself. They say that the Black Stone was once a pure and dazzling white; it has turned black because of the sins it has absorbed over the years

I am confused,in the artical i got this off it also says they clean the stone regularly,why?Are the making way for new sins!Seems very hocus pocus to me.

Suff

When Muslims pray towards the Kabbah they dont worship it or the spirit in it as some might think.
it's only a symbol of GOD's house on earth. the idea behind praying towards it is to unit the muslims around the world by directing their prayers to one place. did anyone see Muslims while they pray?

as in regards to the Black Stone, its said it came down from Heaven when Adam and eve were expelled from heaven. it does not have any magical powers or anything, they say it was pure white when it came down and got blackend due to man's sins on earth since time. now remember that the black stone was placed at a corner of the Kabbah Mecca for over 4000 years by Abraham and Ishmael.

Muslims when they perform the Hajj (the pilgrimage) they either kiss or touch the stone. I dont really know why??? I never went there, soon I hope

Wibbs

Suff wrote:

When Muslims pray towards the Kabbah they dont worship it or the spirit in it as some might think.
it's only a symbol of GOD's house on earth.

Could you not say that a statue or idol is a symbol of god's house on earth too though. I take your point re the communal aspect though.

Suff

I dont think so..,

a statue would represent an image of a person, like Christ, no one knows what he look like, some Christians in the states and europe see him as a Blond blue eye man in the ME as a ME man, in Africa as a black man.
I do understand they they are not praying to the statue but what it represents.
while the Kabbah is a Block, no image of a GOD of such, not praying to it or the what it represents, it's only used to unit, gather, point the muslims to a one point wherever they are in the world.

Gangsta

I never knew the stuff about it falling from the sky or whatever but it's just to give direction when you're praying I guess.