Q532 :A Christian friend of mine argues that the
city of Jerusalem is to be preferred to Makkah, even by Muslims for two
reasons: the fact that it was the first qiblah (direction of prayer)
and that it was the place from where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) ascended to heaven. In reply I mentioned several points
including the fact that the Kaabah in Makkah was the first sanctuary
ever to be dedicated to Allah and that Allah has guaranteed to protect
Makkah against His enemies. Moreover, it was at the Kaaba that the
angel Gabriel taught the Prophet how to offer his prayers. May I ask,
however, why were the Muslims required at first to pray toward
Jerusalem? Is there any historical background to that? May I also ask:
Who decided the direction of prayer when the Prophet was first
netmanded to pray? Please netment.
A532 : As you realize, Jerusalem was for quite a
long time center of the divine faith as it witnessed the efforts of
Prophet Abraham and his descendants to establish Allah’s message as the
constitution which people were required to follow. However, it was at
Makkah that Allah had netmanded Prophet Abraham to build the first
temple to be dedicated to Allah’s worship. Abraham’s grandson, Prophet
Jacob, was the one to build the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. The
preference between the two cities should not be of any great concern to
us, because it is Allah alone who decides whether a certain place has
any special value. It is He who has chosen that those who believe in
Him must face the Kaaba in Makkah when they pray. It is He who has
decided to reward His servants for each prayer they offer in Haram in
Makkah what He normally gives a reward for one hundred thousand
prayers. Nevertheless, the Prophet says, “The sanctity of a believer is
far greater in Allah’s sight than the sanctity of the Kaaba itself.”
It was Allah who decided that the Muslims should first turn toward
Jerusalem when they pray. He later changed that direction and netmanded
them to pray towards the Kaaba. The reason for that was the fact that
the Arabs, in their days of ignorance when they were worshipping idols,
attached great importance to the sanctity of the Kaaba. To them, it was
a symbol of national pride. By removing that attachment temporarily
from the minds of the Muslims, Allah wanted them to dedicate themselves
toward Him. There must be no confusion in their minds that their
submission is to Allah alone and that they would hold as valid only
that which He tells them to be valid. Therefore, they prayed toward
Jerusalem, knowing that ‘that’ was Allah’s will and that they had to
abide by His orders. When they had demonstrated their total dedication
and that they did not have any lingering national preferences or
loyalties, He put them back on the track that He had chosen for them.
They now faced the Kaaba, knowing that it was Allah’s orders to do so.
That gesture had no historical or national overtones. To them, now the
Kaaba was the house Abraham built, not the one held sacred for
centuries by the Arabs. It was the symbol of faith in the Oneness of
Allah, not the symbol of historical sanctity. This is a very important
factor and it was achieved through the decision by Allah to order
Muslims to turn in their prayer away from the Kaaba toward Jerusalem,
until their hearts had been purged of any national or tribal loyalty.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )