Why do Muslims circle the Kabah seven times in a counter clockwise direction?
Muslims revere the Ka`bah because God tells us of its special status in the Qur’an (His words given to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)). God, the Creator and Possessor of the universe, and the All-Knowing, is the One who can best declare the significance of certain places (and times) to us, according to His wisdom. The Ka`bah also symbolizes the unity of Muslims, as they are all commanded to face towards it in prayer (Qur’an, 2:144, 149, 150). It should be noted that Muslims do not worship the Ka`bah; it is merely a direction in which we are ordered to face during the ritual prayer. Muslims worship only God. Circumambulating (walking around) the Ka`bah is an integral rite of the Hajj and `Umrah pilgrimages, and also serves to remind us of the cosmic harmony of Allah’s universe, in which electrons orbit atomic nuclei, moons circle around planets, and planets orbit stars. May Allah guide all of us through the right path.
