Muslims, what was the Kaaba used for before Mohammad declared that Abraham built it?

Question

I am researching pre-Mohammadean Arabic history, and I've found some interesting facts. Some of the facts make me wonder how much of Islamic tradition is from Mohammad, and how much existed before Mohammad was even born. Many Muslim tell me that Mohammad's religion is completely original..."made from scratch"...but historical fact casts serious doubts as to whether that is actaully true. Who knows the primary function of the Kaaba BEFORE Mohammad was born?

Answer 1

The Kaaba is the small, black, cube shaped building in the centre of the Mosque of Makkah, not the Mosque itself.

According to Islamic tradition, God ordained a place of worship on Earth to reflect the house in heaven called al-Baytu l-Ma?mur [1]. Muslims believe that Adam was the first to build such a place of worship.

According to the Qur'an, the Kaaba was built by Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ismail (Ishmael). This is not accepted by non-Muslims, and there is some evidence to suggest that Mecca may have had a long history as a center of worship.

At the time of Muhammad, his tribe, the Quraysh, was in charge of the Kaaba, which was at that time a shrine to numerous Arabian tribal gods. Desert tribesmen, the Bedouin, and inhabitants of other cities would join the annual pilgrimage, to worship and to trade. Caravan-raiding, common during the rest of the year, was suspended during the pilgrimage; this was a good time, then, for travel and trade.

The Qur'an describes Mecca as a barren wadi where life is tough and resources scarce. Indeed, there is no evidence that Mecca was anything but a center of local trade and worship

Muhammad, preaching the doctrine of monotheism and the promise of the Day of Judgment, faced mounting opposition in the city of Mecca. The Quraysh persecuted and harassed him continuously, and he and his followers eventually migrated to Medina in 622 CE. After this pivotal migration, or Hijra, the Muslim community became a political and military force. In 630 CE, Muhammad and his followers returned to Mecca as conquerors and the Kaaba was re-dedicated as an Islamic house of worship. Henceforth, the annual pilgrimage was to be a Muslim rite, the Hajj.

Answer 2

Who ever told you Mohammad's religion is completely original is TOTALLY misguiding you.

The Kabaa was the House of God built as you already know who.

Mohammad never declared it was built by Abraham. This fact was already known by those arabs before Mohammad was born. That is a wrong perception in your question.

Finally, there is no suh thing as a Mohammad religion or Jesus religion or Moses religion.

Mohammad is not the father of the islamic religion. God is. Historians have always been wrong in attibuting a religion to the pophet who was at that time or a place. Buddism = Buddha. Chriatianity = Christ. Judaism = River of Judee. Hinduism = River of Indus.

I wish you good luck in your quest for knowledge. I was there 14 yars ago.

Answer 3

I don't know any educated Muslim that would tell you that Islam was created by Muhammad (pbuh). Islam has existed since the time of Adam. It may have not been called "Islam" but the monotheistic beliefs of Islam were believed and preached by Adam, Solomon, David, Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Ismael, Lot, Job, Jesus, etc.etc (pbut). Muhammad came as a prophet to teach and guide people to the same thing that all the prophets (mentioned above---and more) before him did. The Kabbah has always been a place of worship, even before Muhammad. Abraham and his son were ordered by God to build the Kabbah as a place of worship to God (monotheistically). Over the years pagans and other idol-worshippers started using the Kabbah for the worship of their idols. There were 1000's of idols in the inside of the Kabah. Prophet Muhammad came and destroyed the idols and made the Kabah a place of monotheistic worship once more.

Answer 4

It was used for the same thing as now, except it was used by pagans too. If muslims did tell you Islam is from scratch they don't read much. Islam is the religion of all the prophets starting with adam who first built the ka'ba. There were remnants of the religion of abraham in Makkah and arabia, of which the pilgrimage to the ka'ba was part. I don't think you understand what Muhammad said, he said he was the last of the prophets and messengers and he was following the same religion. Saying 'from scratch' is a bizarre comment. You have started off with a false principle, ascribed it to islam, and then tried to debunk it. Congratulations

Answer 5

During the times of Prophet Abraham (pbuh) who built it with his son it was used for people to take pilgrimage to the Kaaba. It is a symbol of unity. A symbol of people of submission to one God to come together. Pagan ideas spread and people started making their own gods. Worshiping stones, sticks, bones. People still started going to pilgrimage to Mecca and worshiping of idols spread. Once the Last Prophet came and spread his message he ordered to destroy all the idols and pagan ideas. Islam is only religion with very strict laws of ONE God without partner. Islam is the most monotheist religion in the world. Now we don't worship the kaaba we pray facing it as a sign of unity. It is not a place where God is physically abides. It is a holy site for Muslims and place we worship just like Christians face Jerusalem when they pray.

Answer 6

o.k. my buddy, u have an thrilling quest. i m a muslim & what muslim leaders say is i do no longer have confidence I even have studied islam after consulting its words with technological know-how & historic previous so the certainty approximately Kaaba is .... the Kaaba became into made with the aid of abraham as a gloomy room the place u cant see something, there human beings would desire to take a seat in the dark & sense that now the international cant see them neither can they see the international yet in that darkness god is around them, something like last ur eyes in such darkness any regular individual gets scared & for this reason will comprehend how efficient god is, (the terror of something would struck 4m the dark some deadly beast or some form of....u comprehend....) in this form of case the guy will initiate apologizing 4 his sins, (something like u r placed interior a crashing airplane what's going to u do ?? initiate recollecting all ur bads) yet then the persons & the management needed "new style" of god so as that they made idols & stored them interior it, even that statute became into stated 2 b an unsightly a million which resembled devil then the relatively reason of "god" became into lost, they made 360 of such statues & claimed they r gods, the bigger the statue, the efficient the god then muhammad got here & defined islam "a real god is unknown & unseen he continues to be interior u & encourages u 2 do goodwill, the devil additionally continues to be interior u & he encourages badness,its up2 u whom u stick to,goodwill will take u 2 heaven"

Answer 7

it was built to determin the direction of praying and the recent scintific facts that kaaba is in the middle and the center of earth .and GOD said that his crowen in the heavens is above the kaaba thats why any bird or plane cant fly above the kaaba bec it get destroyed .
check this fact out

Answer 8

This is a very well understood part of history, despite a thosand years of effort by muslims to destroy all precious historical artifacts in the region.

Consider the origin of the 'crescent moon' symbol. trace it from its earliest known origins through its assimilation into Islam. Doing such an exercise will take you to your answer. Every bit of Islamic ritual is rooted in pagan ritual. Thats a fact.

Answer 9

Before Mohammed the Caaba was an idolatrous temple but since Mohammed it is a sancturary and object of pilgrimage of the Mohammedan world.
can be seen at http://www.3dkabah.com

Answer 10

It was a pagan temple. There where 360 gods. till this day there are 360 pillars around the square.