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Fatwa CenterMuslims Bow Down and Prostrate to Allah and Not to the Black Stone
Question
Who do muslims bow down and worship to the Black stone in their prayers and whats the importance of Kabah, is it a symbol or statue?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
The Muslims bow down and prostrate in their prayers to Allah Almighty and not to the Ka’bah or to the Black Stone. Worship cannot be devoted to anyone else except to Allah Almighty.
Allah Says (what means): {And [He revealed] that the masjids are for Allah, so do not invoke with Allah anyone.} [Quran 72:18]
The meaning includes two matters:
- The first is that the mosques are the Houses of Allah Almighty, so do not worship anyone else besides Him.
- The second is that the members of the body upon which one prostrates, such as the feet, the knees, the hands, and the forehead, are also the property of Allah Almighty, so do not prostrate with them to anyone other than Allah.
Ibn ‘Abbas 
said about the interpretation of this verse:
“Whenever the Jews and Christians used to enter their churches and synagogues, they would associate partners with Allah. Thus, Allah commanded His Prophet to tell them that they should single Him out alone for worship.” [Exceprted from Tafseer Ibn Katheer]
According to the Sharee’ah, we kiss and wipe over the Black Stone with our hand but not by prostrating to it and bowing down to it. Therefore, we Muslims kiss the Black Stone and wipe over it as a way of following the example of the Prophet and not that it benefits or harms. When ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allah be pleased with him, kissed the Black Stone, he said: “I know that you are a stone and can neither benefit anyone nor harm anyone. Had I not seen Allah’s Messenger kissing you, I would not have kissed you.’ [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
The Ka’bah is a House of Allah that was built by His Messenger and His intimate friend Ibraheem (Abraham) 
. Allah Commanded us to glorify His House and to perform Hajj for Allah to it, and circumambulate around it.
When we want to pray to Allah, Allah Commanded us to face His House, and all this is in order to obey Him and worship Him Alone, and not associate with him anyone else.
‘Eesa (Jesus), Son of Maryam (Mary) will perform Hajj and pray towards the House of Allah when he comes down at the end of time.
The Prophet said, “(I swear) By Him in Whose Hand is my life, Ibn Maryam (i.e. Jesus Christ) would certainly pronounce Talbiya for Hajj or for Umra or for both (simultaneously as a Qiran) in the valley of Rawhah – a place between Makkah and Madeenah.” [Muslim]
Besides, the Prophet informed us about the method of how Prophets, Moosa (Moses) and Yunus (Jonah), may Allaah exalt their mention, performed Hajj.
Ibn 'Abbas narrated that the Prophet passed through the valley of Azraq, and he asked: “Which valley is this? They said: This is the valley of Azraq, and he observed: (I perceive) as if I am seeing Moses coming down from the mountain track, and he is calling upon Allah loudly (saying: Here I am at your service, my Lord! ). Then he came to the mountain track of Harsha. He (the Prophet) said: Which mountain track is this? They said: It is the mountain track of Harsha. He observed (I feel) as If I am seeing Yunus (Jonah – ) son of Mattah on a well-built red dromedary, with a cloak of wool around him and the rein of his dromedary is made of the fibers of date-palm, and he is calling upon Allah (saying: Here I am at your service, my Lord! ).” [Muslim]
For more benefit on the Black Stone, please refer to Fataawa 157543 and kissed the black stone during Tawaaf ">91316.
For more benefit on the universality of Islam, please refer to Fataawa 82427, 34493, 358264, 160221, 111063, and 86091.
Allah knows best.
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