etween God and humanity. At the core is a moral earnestness (Ahmed, 16). The Quran also teaches that humanity is created by God and therefore God understands its weaknesses and in Allah humans find the source of peace. Islams appeal lay and lies in the simplicity: one God, one Book, one Prophet (Ahmed, 17). Islam is a religion of Weems 5 balance, equilibrium, and compassion. The Islamic virtues are courage, generosity, cleanliness, and piety: and in his life the Prophet exemplifies them (Ahmed, 17). The Kaaba or Caaba is the most sacred shrine of Islam. Its a small, cubeshaped building with a flat, roof near the center of the Great Mosque in Mecca. The Kaaba is also known for its famous Black Stone, enclosed in a silver ring that rests in the eastern corner of the Kaaba. Before the Prophet and his doctrine, the Kaaba was used for the practice of polytheism. There were, for example, according to the Muslims, 360 idols in the Kaaba, a shrine revered by the pagan Arabs because of the Black Meteorite stone in one of the walls (Nazir-Ali, 26). Its veneration was retained in Islam after it was purified of idolatry (Nazir-Ali, 26).The Kaaba is the chief goal of the annual pilgrimage of Muslims. Muslims everywhere are taught to turn their faces toward the Kaaba when in prayer. According to the tradition of Muslims, the Kaaba was originally built by Abraham and Ishmael and the Black Stone was given to Abraham by the angel Gabriel. Pilgrims run and walk around it seven times, praying and reciting verses form the Koran. They touch or kiss the stone to end the ceremony. Muslims claim that the Kaaba was Gods house originally built by Adam, repaired by Abraham and restored by Muhammad (Nazir-Ali, 27). Inside of the Kaaba, there is nothing. It is an empty space. The size, shape, color, and geographic location aid in purifying the mind for complete meditation and concentration on Allah. Kaaba is only a cornerstone, a sign to show ...
