Qur’an 3...

Qur’an 3:96 You are not allowed to enter this sacred house if you are still self attached, that is, thinking of yourself. Mecca is called "Baite-Atiq". Atiq represents being free! Mecca belongs to nobody. It is free from the reign of rulers and oppressors; therefore, no one controls it. Allah is the owner of Mecca while the people are its residents. Under the provisions of, the Muslim is allowed to shorten his prayers if traveling at least forty miles away from his home.

But at Mecca, regardless of where you are from or how far you have traveled, your prayer is complete. It is your land, your community and you are safe. You are not a visitor, but you are at home. Before coming to Mecca, you were a stranger, exiled in your own land. But now, you are invited to join Allah's family. Mankind, the dearest family of the world, is invited to this house.

If you as an individual are "self centered", you will feel like a homeless stranger lost with no shelter and no relatives. Therefore, shed the self distinctive tendencies. You are now prepared to enter the house and join this family. You will be welcomed as a friend and close relative of Allah's family. The Prophet Ibrahim (as) who was the oldest and most rebellious man of history, may be visualized. Denying all the idols on earth, he greatly loved and obeyed Allah alone.

With his own hands, he built the Kaaba. This structure symbolizes Allah in the world. The building is very simple. Black rocks of "Ajoon" are laid on top of each other. There is no design or decoration involved. Its name, Kaabah, means a "cube" in terms of architectural design - but why a "cube"? Why is it so simple lacking color and ornamentation? It is because Almighty Allah has no "shape", no color and none is similar to Him.

No pattern or visualization of Allah that man imagines can represent Him. Being omnipotent and omnipresent, Allah is "absolute". Although Kaaba has no direction (because of its cubic shape), by facing Kaaba when performing the prayers, you choose Allah's direction and face Him. Kaaba's absence of direction may seem difficult to comprehend. However, universality and absoluteness prevails. Having six sides, the appropriate structure is a cube!

It encompasses all directions and simultaneously their sum symbolizes no direction! The original symbol of this is the Kaaba! Unto Allah belongs the east and west, and whither so-ever you will be facing Allah. Qur’an 2:115 When praying outside of Kaaba you must face it.