How does praying towards Kaabah not amount to Shirk?

Sources

• ✓ 2:150 · Al-Baqara

  2:150 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  وَمِنْ حَيْثُ خَرَجْتَ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُۥ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَيْكُمْ حُجَّةٌ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَٱخْشَوْنِى وَلِأُتِمَّ نِعْمَتِى عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ

  Whencesoever thou comest forth turn thy face toward the Inviolable Place of Worship; and wheresoever ye may be (O Muslims) turn your faces toward it (when ye pray) so that men may have no argument against you, save such of them as do injustice - Fear them not, but fear Me! - and so that I may complete My grace upon you, and that ye may be guided.

• ✓ Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 2:150

  Sunni

  Tafsir Ibn Kathir · 2:150

  This is the third command from Allah Almighty concerning the direction of prayer towards the Sacred Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) from all parts of the earth. Scholars have differed regarding the wisdom of this repetition of the command three times. Some say it serves as an emphasis, because it was the first ruling to be abrogated in Islam, as narrated by Ibn Abbas and others. Others, like Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, interpret the repetition as addressing different conditions: the first command for those who see the Kaaba directly, the second for those present in Mecca but not in sight of it, and the third for those residing in other lands. Al-Qurtubi offers a similar view but distinguishes the categories differently: the first for those in Mecca itself, the second for those in other towns, and the third for travelers abroad, favoring this explanation. Some scholars consider the repetition related to the surrounding context of the verses, showing the response to the Prophet's request about facing the Qiblah he preferred and was content with. The third directive cuts off objections from the Jews, who used to argue that the Prophet's facing their Qiblah made his claim invalid. They knew from their scriptures that he would eventually turn to the Qiblah of Abraham, peace be upon him, the Kaaba. Similarly, the polytheists of Arabia lost their argument when the Prophet turned away from the Jewish Qiblah to the Kaaba, which they esteemed highly and whose acceptance pleased them. Regarding the phrase “so that people may have no argument against you,” it refers to the People of the Book who recognized this community by their turning to the Kaaba. Had they lost this distinguishing feature, they might have used it as a pretext to dispute with Muslims or to claim agreement in direction towards Bayt al-Maqdis. Abu al-Aliyah explains that the People of the Book declared that Muhammad had turned to the Kaaba because he yearned for his ancestral house and his tribe's religion, and used this as an argument that he would eventually return to their religion just as he returned to their Qiblah. This is narrated from Mujahid, Ata, adh-Dhahhak, ar-Rabi ibn Anas, Qatadah, and as-Suddi. Concerning the phrase “except those who have wronged among them,” it is understood as referring to the polytheists of Quraysh, some of whom rejected this interpretation. They claimed it was contradictory for the Prophet to say he followed the religion of Abraham while initially facing Bayt al-Maqdis and then turning away from it. The answer is that Allah first directed the Prophet to face Bayt al-Maqdis for wise reasons, and the Prophet obeyed. Then He commanded him to turn to the Qiblah of Abraham, which is the Kaaba, and the Prophet complied as well. Thus, he is obedient in all his affairs and his community follows him. The command “Do not fear them but fear Me” means: do not fear the false claims or pressure from stubborn oppressors, but hold exclusive fear and reverence for Allah, who alone deserves to be feared. Lastly, “to complete My favor upon you” is connected to the previous mention of preventing people from having an argument against you. It means completing the favor through the legislation of facing the Kaaba, thereby perfecting the law in all its aspects. This guidance leads you to that which previous communities lost, making your nation the most honorable and best among nations.

• ✓ Sahih Muslim 1:153

  Sunni SAHIH

  Sahih Muslim · Book 1, Hadith 153 · Narrated by Abi Sufyan

  The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Between a man and shirk (associating partners with Allah) and disbelief is abandoning the prayer.