DivineNames said:
THE PAGAN SOURCES OF ISLAM
by Silas
http://answering-islam.org.uk/Silas/pagansources.htm
Interesting article.
DivineNames Instead of reading this rubbish from anti Muslims site, why you don’t read from the Muslims, read:
The Ka'bah: A Symbol of Unity
Behold! We pointed the site, to Abraham, of the (Sacred) House, (saying): "Associate not anything (in worship) with Me; and sanctify My House for those who compass it round, or stand up, or bow, or prostrate themselves (therein in prayer) --22:26
The Ka'bah is located in the holiest of cities, Makkah, in present day Saudi Arabia. It is the place where Hajar took her son, Ismail (a), and the place where Prophet Abraham (a) and his son Prophet Isma'il (a) built the first house of worship. This sacred house, the Ka'bah, has an important meaning for those who understand wisdom.
First, we must understand that the house itself is only a building. It is only stone, and it must be kept like any other house. Even before the Prophet Muhammad (s) began preaching Islam to the Makkans, one of their tribes was responsible for the house. They were the custodians of the sacred house. This noble tribe, the Quraish, was responsible for the upkeep of the house, but they abused that honored privilege. They exploited the house for capital gain. They became wealthy and powerful by housing 360 idols within the walls of the Ka'bah.
Prior to hearing the call of Islam, they knew that Abraham(a), who worshipped the one God, built this house, but they closed their hearts to this memory. The allure of the material world (dunya) has the ability to blind us. Thus, the Quraish were blinded to the unity of God by the material gain of the house. They lost the meaning behind the house. They remembered the physical structure, but they forgot the symbolic meaning.
That symbolic meaning contained in that small, cube-shaped house is a symbol of Unity. It is a single house built for the worship of a single God. A single house was built for a single Ummah (nation or community). When we make the Hajj or pilgrimage to this sacred house, we circumambulate it. We all circle it in the same direction praying to the same Creator. We become unified in our cause, in our direction, in our prayers, and in our way of life. The stone itself is insignificant. There is no magic power in the stone. We must comprehend the symbol of Unity that the stone represents.
Arabia, at the time of our Prophet’s life, prior to his receiving revelations, was a beautiful example. It was a beautiful example of disunity. The tribes fought against each other. Some tribes would band together with other tribes only to fight against yet another tribe. They were constantly in competition for material and political superiority. There are now 56 Muslim countries in the world, not including the places where Muslims are the minority. We have seen wars where Muslims fought against Muslims, brother against brother. Why?
Just like the pagan tribes of Arabia did over 1400 years ago, our Muslims brothers have forgotten the house. They have abandoned it. They didn’t abandon it physically. They abandoned the symbol. They closed the door on Allah’s house and locked it. We, as a collective community, have ignored the symbol and message that Allah has given us in the house. Allah tells us that the world is a Masjid. Allah has also instructed us to worship the Lord of this house. What kind of house is it? It is a house of prayer. What do we call that type of house? We call it a Masjid. Our brothers and sisters have chosen to worship this world instead of worshipping the Lord of this world or the Lord of this house.
Now think about why we are in the chaotic state we are in today. Think about how Muslims leaders go to western powers for help. Muslim leaders steal small insignificant pieces of earth from each other and from their people. Worst of all are the Muslim individuals who do not rise up against this tyranny.
Why is it so easy for millions of Muslims from all over the world to go on Hajj together, but it is so hard for them to stay united when they go home? Allah has designed a practical solution to the problems listed above. The solution is unification through the Ka'bah. Once we understand the symbol, we will understand our unity. The message of the Qur’an is one of Unity: unity of God, unity of religion, unity of nations, and unity of humanity. In order to put this message into practice, we must be unified.