Mecca or Makkah is the birthplace of prophet Muhammad, In the center of the mosque in Mecca, is the cube-shaped building called a Kaaba (Ka'bah) is found. All Muslims face the direction of the Kaaba during ritual prayer (Salat).
The Kaaba is draped with a black cloth, which is covered with Koranic verses that are embroidered in gold and silver thread. During performing the Hajj ceremony a Muslim walks seven times around the Kaaba and then he or she kisses and touch the Black Stone.

MY QUESTION IS: WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FACING MECCA WHEN PRAYING?

spywareczar: Mecca or Makkah is the birthplace of prophet Muhammad, In the center of the mosque in Mecca, is the cube-shaped building called a Kaaba (Ka'bah) is found. All Muslims face the direction of the Kaaba during ritual prayer (Salat).
The Kaaba is draped with a black cloth, which is covered with Koranic verses that are embroidered in gold and silver thread. During performing the Hajj ceremony a Muslim walks seven times around the Kaaba and then he or she kisses and touch the Black Stone.

MY QUESTION IS: WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FACING MECCA WHEN PRAYING?

relate your question to the below instances and get your answer:

Daniel 6:10
Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

Jonah 2: 4-7
“Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet ‘I will look again’ toward thy holy temple…When my soul fainted within me I remembered Yahweh; and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.”

2 Chronicles 6:18-21
18 “But will God really dwell on earth with humans? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! 19 Yet, LORD my God, give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence. 20 May your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name there. May you hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. 21 Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.

1 Kings 8:27-29
27 “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! 28 Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. 29 May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.

Isaiah 38:2
"Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD".

1 Kings 8:44-45
"When you command your people to go into battle against their enemies and they pray to you, wherever they are, facing this city which you have chosen and this Temple which I have built for you, listen to their prayers. Hear them in heaven and give them victory".


please see also: "Pilgrimage of Ezekiel to Mecca"
http://www.answering-christianity.com/ezekiel_pilgrimage.htm

It was a former Pagan Temple. muhammad knew that the place was associted with the SPirits of the Gods, even though the idols (physical manifestations) were removed. THerfeore the Kaabah is called Bayt Illahah. The House of the Gods.

PAGAN 9JA:
It was a former Pagan Temple. muhammad knew that the place was associted with the SPirits of the Gods, even though the idols (physical manifestations) were removed. THerfeore the Kaabah is called Bayt Illahah. The House of the Gods.

"bayt illahah"...what language is that?

mohammed's father was named Abdullah (means servant of Allah)
his father was born at least 50years before islam started. which Allah was he named after?

nnofaith: mohammed's father was named Abdullah (means servant of Allah)
his father was born at least 50years before islam started. which Allah was he named after?

The Name of the creator of all things. The pagan arabs believed in a supreme God, but they believed in the use of idols as intercessors.

tbaba1234:

The Name of the creator of all things. The pagan arabs believed in a supreme God, but they believed in the use of idols as intercessors.

that is not true, there was never a supreme being in arabia at the time of Abdullah. the pagans had about 360 gods then. Dont lie to me i was a muslim untill a few weeks ago.

@tbaba if mohammed's father was named after an Allah that existed before islam, read between the lines!

tbaba1234:

The Name of the creator of all things. The pagan arabs believed in a supreme God, but they believed in the use of idols as intercessors.

Give us proof they are intercessor and not god. Does allah mean an unknown God?

some pre islamic arabia names
-abdul uzza
-abdul manat
abdul muttalib
uzza, manat and muttalib were gods in the kaaba. read between the lines

nnofaith: mohammed's father was named Abdullah (means servant of Allah)
his father was born at least 50years before islam started. which Allah was he named after?

nnofaith: that is not true, there was never a supreme being in arabia at the time of Abdullah. the pagans had about 360 gods then. Dont lie to me i was a muslim untill a few weeks ago.

You were obviously not a very knowledgeable muslim otherwise you will not be where you are... This piece of information is even recorded in the Quran:

Say [Prophet], ‘Who owns the earth and all who live in it, if you know [so much]?’ 85 and they will reply, ‘ALLAH’ Say, ‘Will you not take heed?’ Say, ‘Who is the Lord of the seven heavens? Who is the Lord of the Mighty Throne?’ 87 and they will reply, ‘Allah’ Say, ‘Will you not be mindful?’ (Surah 23: 84-87)

The reply of the messenger's Questions to the pagan arabs..

Who owns the earth?
Answer: Allah

Who is the lord of the seven heavens??

Answer: Allah..

Inspite of their idol worship, they acknowledge Allah as the supreme creator. How do i Know that they considered Allah the almighty.. It is also in the Quran:

If you [Prophet] ask them, ‘Who created the heavens and earth?’ they are sure to say, ‘They were created by the Almighty, the All Knowing.’ (Surah 43:9)

So they believed that the world was created by Allah, the almighty and the all knowing.

nnofaith: some pre islamic arabia names
-abdul uzza
-abdul manat
abdul muttalib
uzza, manat and muttalib were gods in the kaaba. read between the lines

Muttalib was not a god, it is name of their ancestor..

As for the rest, The Quran also addresses them:

[Disbelievers], consider al-Lat and al-Uzza, and the third one, Manat –– are you to have the male and He the female? That would be a most unjust distribution!g ––these are nothing but names you have invented yourselves, you and your forefathers. Allah has sent no authority for them. These people merely follow guesswork and the whims of their souls, even though guidance has come to them from their Lord. (Surah 53 :19-23)


As regards your beliefs, before you get too lost, please read these threads...

Conversation with an atheist
https://www.nairaland.com/990238/conversation-atheist

The amazing Quran[b][/b]
https://www.nairaland.com/972776/amazing-quran-season-1

Please make an effort to read them, let us see when you are done.

b4 i become lost. can you kindly tell me why the holy phrophet killed the jews of banni quraiza?

read the threads, we will talk about banu quraiza, it is a simple case.

plus dont yuo think it rather convinient that while every other abdul was named after a god in the kaaba. the phrophet's faher's abdul is a general god that is not in the kaaba in pagan arabia?

muttalib was not an idol, yet we have an abdul muttalib.

if you are sincere, i would answer many of your questions just read the threads and come back.

if allah was not in the kaaba why the reverence for the kaaba in islam?

the threads talk about the koran!


? :why should i believe the koran
ans: cos mohammed said i should
? : why should i believe mohammed?
ans : cos the koran said i should.

doesnt make sense

nnofaith: if allah was not in the kaaba why the reverence for the kaaba in islam?

Are you sure, you were a muslim? these are basic things

if you read the Quran, you will know that the kaaba was built as a place of worship by ibrahim and his son (peace be upon them), later generations started putting idols in it.

nnofaith: the threads talk about the koran!


? :why should i believe the koran
ans: cos mohammed said i should
? : why should i believe mohammed?
ans : cos the koran said i should.

doesnt make sense

Read the threads first.

abraham was never in arabia. besides. why would allah that is suppossed to be for everybody appear to only one man (an arab) and his house is in arabia (kaaba)

read the threads then we can have a useful discussion. why are you avoiding it?

just read one in which you were talking about how great the arabic language is!

take your time.. also read the other as well, come back an we can talk about your problem with faith.

nnofaith: @tbaba if mohammed's father was named after an Allah that existed before islam, read between the lines!

how silly!!!

so you have the notion that Muslims believe in a "god" that can be quantified or objectified? or that Allah started to exist with the coming of Prophet Muhammad (sa) and Islam? you need to check your head.and if you claim you "were muslim",have you ever read this in the Quran:

Holy Quran 2:255
"Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great".

tbaba1234: take your time.. also read the other as well, come back an we can talk about your problem with faith.

he is obviously a liar.what time does he need?

LagosShia:

he is obviously a liar.what time does he need?

that i was not a muslim? am i the first ex-muslim ever?

nnofaith: that i was not a muslim? am i the first ex-muslim ever?

that you don't know that the Almighty God Muslims believe in is not an idol and have no beginning or end,and He is the Creator of everyone and everything and cannot be seen with the na.ked eyes.that is Allah (swt) muslims believe in.even for argument sake,let us assume there was an idol called "allah" in pre-Islamic times in Makkah,does that mean the distorted idea of godship (and corruption of a word by pagans) the pagans present is the same idea and description muslims hold? it is like comparing or mistaking ancient Israel and present-day Israel,because the same word is used-a misnomer.and what about going into the term "Allah" linguistically to know what it means and identify who it refers to in reality?

for you not to know what Allah means and which God muslims believe in,and to come here with Christian propaganda that muslims believe in a "moon god",you shouldn't be taken seriously.you should be thankful you are getting replied.

LagosShia:

that you don't know that the Almighty God Muslims believe in is not an idol and have no beginning or end,and He is the Creator of everyone and everything and cannot be seen with the na.ked eyes.that is Allah (swt) muslims believe in.even for argument sake,let us assume there was an idol called "allah" in pre-Islamic times in Makkah,does that mean the distorted idea of godship (and corruption of a word by pagans) the pagans present is the same idea and description muslims hold? and what about going into the term "Allah" linguistically to know what it means and identify who it refers to in reality?

for you not to know what Allah means and which God muslims believe in,and to come here with Christian propaganda that muslims believe in a "moon god",you shouldn't be taken seriously.you should be thankful you are getting replied.

i am not a christian if that is what you are implying,what i have come to realise is that all religions are man made.

nnofaith: i am not a christian if that is what you are implying,what i have come to realise is that all religions are man made.

whatever.
the idea you expressed,is what Christian propagandists are fond of.it doesn't mean you must be Christian.

If you are an ex muslim, it means you knew nothing about your religion.

LagosShia:

whatever.
the idea you expressed,is what Christian propagandists are fond of.it doesn't mean you must be Christian.

rather simplistic i must say!

let me just say i left because i got tired of the fairy tales about hell and all that.plus you are probably a muslim because you were born into the islamic faith if you were say an eskimo you wont be a muslim.the truth is all religions are man made.i used to laugh and mock pagans and christians when i was growing up because my mualim made me understand that they were misguided pple, now that i no longer believe in islam i see things diffrently islam is no better than those other religion you only think it is! just like they feel thier religion is better than yours. i must confess though that islam has shaped my character i feel i am a good person because i have been guided from childhood by my mualims and the society that i grew up in to be of exemplary character.