The short answer
No. Muslims worship Allah alone and face the Kaaba only as a direction of prayer (qiblah) that Allah chose, a House that the Quran says Ibrahim (AS) and Ismail (AS) built for His worship. Umar ibn al-Khattab said to the Black Stone, "I know that you are a stone and can neither benefit anyone nor harm anyone", and kissed it only because he had seen the Prophet ﷺ do so.
The Kaaba is a house of worship, not an object of worship. The Quran says Ibrahim (AS) and Ismail (AS) raised its foundations while praying, "Our Lord, accept [this] from us" 1, and that Allah told Ibrahim, "Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who perform Tawaf" 2. The command in the Quran is to "worship the Lord of this House" 3, not the House itself.
Facing it in prayer is about unity and obedience. For about sixteen or seventeen months after the Hijrah the Muslims prayed toward Jerusalem, until Allah turned them toward the Sacred Mosque in Makkah 45. If Muslims worshipped the building, they could not have prayed toward another city at Allah's command. The Quran also says that righteousness is not in turning one's face to east or west, but in faith and good deeds 6.
The clearest answer about the Black Stone comes from Umar ibn al-Khattab. He kissed it and said, "No doubt, I know that you are a stone and can neither benefit anyone nor harm anyone. Had I not seen Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) kissing you I would not have kissed you" 7. The act is following the Prophet ﷺ, not believing in the stone.
In fact, the Kaaba was once surrounded by idols, and the Prophet ﷺ removed them. When he entered Makkah at the conquest there were 360 idols around it, and he struck them with a stick, saying, "Truth has come and Falsehood will neither start nor will it reappear" 8.
Ibrahim and Ismail raised the House's foundations, asking Allah to accept it from them.
وَإِذۡ يَرۡفَعُ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمُ ٱلۡقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ ٱلۡبَيۡتِ وَإِسۡمَٰعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلۡ مِنَّآۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ١٢٧
And [mention] when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and [with him] Ishmael, [saying], "Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the Hearing, the Knowing
"Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House."
وَإِذۡ بَوَّأۡنَا لِإِبۡرَٰهِيمَ مَكَانَ ٱلۡبَيۡتِ أَن لَّا تُشۡرِكۡ بِي شَيۡـࣰٔ ا وَطَهِّرۡ بَيۡتِيَ لِلطَّآئِفِينَ وَٱلۡقَآئِمِينَ وَٱلرُّكَّعِ ٱلسُّجُودِ ٢٦
And [mention, O Muhammad], when We designated for Abraham the site of the House, [saying], "Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who stand [in prayer] and those who bow and prostrate
Worship the Lord of this House.
فَلۡيَعۡبُدُواْ رَبَّ هَٰذَا ٱلۡبَيۡتِ ٣
Let them worship the Lord of this House
Muslims prayed toward Jerusalem for sixteen or seventeen months before the qiblah changed.
Narrated Al-Bara' (bin 'Azib): When the Prophet (ﷺ) came to Medina, he stayed first with his grandfathers or maternal uncles from Ansar. He offered his prayers facing Baitul-Maqdis (Jerusalem) for sixteen or seventeen months, but he wished that he could pray facing the Ka'ba (at Mecca). The first prayer which he offered facing the Ka'ba was the 'Asr prayer in the company of some people. Then one of those who had offered that prayer with him came out and passed by some people in a mosque who were bowing during their prayers (facing Jerusalem). He said addressing them, "By Allah, I testify that I have prayed with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) facing Mecca (Ka'ba).' Hearing that, those people changed their direction towards the Ka'ba immediately. Jews and the people of the scriptures used to be pleased to see the Prophet (ﷺ) facing Jerusalem in prayers but when he changed his direction towards the Ka'ba, during the prayers, they disapproved of it. Al-Bara' added, "Before we changed our direction towards the Ka'ba (Mecca) in prayers, some Muslims had died or had been killed and we did not know what to say about them (regarding their prayers.) Allah then revealed: And Allah would never make your faith (prayers) to be lost (i.e. the prayers of those Muslims were valid).' " (2:)
حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ خَالِدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ أَوَّلَ مَا قَدِمَ الْمَدِينَةَ نَزَلَ عَلَى أَجْدَادِهِ ـ أَوْ قَالَ أَخْوَالِهِ ـ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ، وَأَنَّهُ صَلَّى قِبَلَ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ سِتَّةَ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا، أَوْ سَبْعَةَ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا، وَكَانَ يُعْجِبُهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ قِبْلَتُهُ قِبَلَ الْبَيْتِ، وَأَنَّهُ صَلَّى أَوَّلَ صَلاَةٍ صَلاَّهَا صَلاَةَ الْعَصْرِ، وَصَلَّى مَعَهُ قَوْمٌ، فَخَرَجَ رَجُلٌ مِمَّنْ صَلَّى مَعَهُ، فَمَرَّ عَلَى أَهْلِ مَسْجِدٍ، وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ فَقَالَ أَشْهَدُ بِاللَّهِ لَقَدْ صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قِبَلَ مَكَّةَ، فَدَارُوا كَمَا هُمْ قِبَلَ الْبَيْتِ، وَكَانَتِ الْيَهُودُ قَدْ أَعْجَبَهُمْ إِذْ كَانَ يُصَلِّي قِبَلَ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ، وَأَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ، فَلَمَّا وَلَّى وَجْهَهُ قِبَلَ الْبَيْتِ أَنْكَرُوا ذَلِكَ. قَالَ زُهَيْرٌ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ فِي حَدِيثِهِ هَذَا أَنَّهُ مَاتَ عَلَى الْقِبْلَةِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُحَوَّلَ رِجَالٌ وَقُتِلُوا، فَلَمْ نَدْرِ مَا نَقُولُ فِيهِمْ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى {وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَانَكُمْ}
Allah turned the Muslims toward the Sacred Mosque as their qiblah.
قَدۡ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجۡهِكَ فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِۖ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبۡلَةࣰ تَرۡضَىٰهَاۚ فَوَلِّ وَجۡهَكَ شَطۡرَ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِۚ وَحَيۡثُ مَا كُنتُمۡ فَوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ شَطۡرَهُۥۗ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ لَيَعۡلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمۡۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا يَعۡمَلُونَ ١٤٤
We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it [in prayer]. Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture well know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do
Righteousness is not in facing east or west but in faith and good deeds.
۞لَّيۡسَ ٱلۡبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ قِبَلَ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلۡبِرَّ مَنۡ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأٓخِرِ وَٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَءَاتَى ٱلۡمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ ذَوِي ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَٱلۡيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينَ وَٱبۡنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَٱلسَّآئِلِينَ وَفِي ٱلرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلۡمُوفُونَ بِعَهۡدِهِمۡ إِذَا عَٰهَدُواْۖ وَٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ فِي ٱلۡبَأۡسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَحِينَ ٱلۡبَأۡسِۗ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُواْۖ وَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُتَّقُونَ ١٧٧
Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous
Umar told the Black Stone it could neither benefit nor harm, and kissed it only to follow the Prophet ﷺ.
Narrated `Abis bin Rabi`a:`Umar came near the Black Stone and kissed it and said "No doubt, I know that you are a stone and can neither benefit anyone nor harm anyone. Had I not seen Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) kissing you I would not have kissed you
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَابِسِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ، عَنْ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّهُ جَاءَ إِلَى الْحَجَرِ الأَسْوَدِ فَقَبَّلَهُ، فَقَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ حَجَرٌ لاَ تَضُرُّ وَلاَ تَنْفَعُ، وَلَوْلاَ أَنِّي رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُقَبِّلُكَ مَا قَبَّلْتُكَ.
At the conquest of Makkah the Prophet ﷺ struck down the 360 idols around the Kaaba.
Narrated `Abdullah:When the Prophet (ﷺ) entered Mecca on the day of the Conquest, there were 360 idols around the Ka`ba. The Prophet (ﷺ) started striking them with a stick he had in his hand and was saying, "Truth has come and Falsehood will neither start nor will it reappear
حَدَّثَنَا صَدَقَةُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَجِيحٍ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ دَخَلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَكَّةَ يَوْمَ الْفَتْحِ وَحَوْلَ الْبَيْتِ سِتُّونَ وَثَلاَثُمِائَةِ نُصُبٍ، فَجَعَلَ يَطْعُنُهَا بِعُودٍ فِي يَدِهِ وَيَقُولُ " جَاءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ، جَاءَ الْحَقُّ، وَمَا يُبْدِئُ الْبَاطِلُ وَمَا يُعِيدُ ".
This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24