What is significance of Kaabah besides a place for doing worship?

Sources

• ✓ 5:97 · Al-Maaida

  5:97 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  ۞ جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْكَعْبَةَ ٱلْبَيْتَ ٱلْحَرَامَ قِيَٰمًۭا لِّلنَّاسِ وَٱلشَّهْرَ ٱلْحَرَامَ وَٱلْهَدْىَ وَٱلْقَلَٰٓئِدَ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِتَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

  Allah hath appointed the Ka'bah, the Sacred House, a standard for mankind, and the Sacred Month and the offerings and the garlands. That is so that ye may know that Allah knoweth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and that Allah is Knower of all things.

• ✓ 2:125 · Al-Baqara

  2:125 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا ٱلْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةًۭ لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًۭا وَٱتَّخِذُوا۟ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَٰهِۦمَ مُصَلًّۭى ۖ وَعَهِدْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِۦمَ وَإِسْمَٰعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِىَ لِلطَّآئِفِينَ وَٱلْعَٰكِفِينَ وَٱلرُّكَّعِ ٱلسُّجُودِ

  And when We made the House (at Makka) a resort for mankind and sanctuary, (saying): Take as your place of worship the place where Abraham stood (to pray). And We imposed a duty upon Abraham and Ishmael, (saying): Purify My house for those who go around and those who meditate therein and those who bow down and prostrate themselves (in worship).

• ✓ Majma al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an on 5:97

  Shia

  Majma al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an · 5:97

  Recitation: Ibn 'Amir alone reads it as "qiyma linnas" without the alif, while the others read "qiyaman" with the alif. The argument: The verbal noun "qiyam" is like that of "sawm" (fasting) or "‘iyadh" (seeking refuge). As for "qaim," it can be either a verbal noun as in "shab‘" (fullness) or a truncated form of "al-qiyam," similar to shortening a long vowel, but this is acceptable only in poetry, not in prose. If it is a verbal noun, it should be written with an alif because the root verb is defective; thus, the verbal noun follows the pattern of the verb. For instance, both the verb and verbal noun for seeking refuge with God have the defective letter correctly maintained. Likewise, "sawm" and "qiyam" maintain their vowels because the root verb is defective, so the verbal noun is also defective. Language: The Ka‘bah is called "Ka‘bah" because it is square. The term "ka‘bah" originally means a projection or bump. For example, the heel of a person is called "ka‘b" for its protrusion, and when a woman's breast protrudes, it is described as "haka‘bat." The Arabs call any square house "ka‘bah." Another explanation is that it is called "ka‘bah" because it stands alone apart from other buildings, but this still refers to the same root idea of projection from the ground. As for "al-Bayt al-Haram" (the Sacred House), it is called so because God forbade hunting its game, forbade cutting its trees, and forbade anyone from secluding themselves there, to show the sanctity of it. As narrated in a hadith: "Written below the Station of Abraham is: 'Indeed I am Allah, Lord of Bakkah, sanctified it the day I created the heavens and the earth, and the day I placed these two mountains and encircled it with seven monotheistic angels. Whoever visits me appreciating their right and affirming my Lordship, his body shall be forbidden to the Fire.'" Meaning: After stating the sanctity of the inviolable jurisdiction (the Haram), Allah follows mentioning the Ka‘bah saying, "Allah has made the Ka‘bah, the Sacred House, a stand for the people." This means that Allah has established pilgrimage to the Ka‘bah, or has made the Ka‘bah a pillar established for humanity. The phrase "a stand for the people" can mean that through the establishment of the Ka‘bah, people attain their means of livelihood and sustenance because it is a verbal noun derived from "qiyam" meaning establishment or standing. The meaning is that they stand by virtue of it, so their lives and affairs become stable and well-ordered because of what they gain by visiting it from commerce and various blessings. Sa‘id ibn Jubayr said: "Whoever comes to this House seeking something for this life and the next receives it," a narration also attributed to Abu Abd Allah (a.s.). Ibn Abbas explained: "It means Allah made the Ka‘bah a place of safety where people feel secure. Without it, they would perish, would not stand firm. Even in the pre-Islamic era, people felt safe there; if a man met his father's or son's killer in the Sacred Mosque, he would not kill him." Another interpretation of "a stand for the people" is that if they abandoned Hajj for even one year, they would see destruction approaching them. ‘Ata narrated from the Imams: "As long as people pilgrimage to the Ka‘bah, they will not perish; but if it is demolished and they abandon the pilgrimage, they will perish." As for "the sacred months," it refers to the four sacred months: one singular and three in succession. The singular is Rajab; the successive three are Dhu al-Qa‘dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram. They are mentioned in the singular and plural because the singular is treated as a category that encompasses all, and both are objects of the verb "ja‘ala" being connected grammatically as if saying, "I thought Zayd was departing and ‘Amr." Regarding "the sacrifices and neck ornaments," these were mentioned earlier in the Surah. They are stated again after mentioning the Ka‘bah because they are among the reasons for pilgrimage, thus considered part of it. The Arabs used to refrain from war during the sacred months, put away their spears temporarily, and people focused on their livelihoods. Men would adorn themselves or their camels with necklaces made of the bark of the sacred tree, which was part of the religion passed down from Prophet Isma‘il (peace be upon him). This tradition remained as a mercy from God to His creation until Islam came and forbade oppression and transgression. Abu Bakr al-Anbari said there are two ways to interpret this verse: first, that God granted Muslims by making the Ka‘bah the source of both their religious and worldly welfare, a support for them; second, that God informed about the state of the Ka‘bah during the pre-Islamic period. Regarding the phrase "that you may know that Allah knows what is in the heavens and what is on the earth; and that Allah is All-Knowing of everything," some objected why this statement is inserted here after saying "Allah has made the Ka‘bah the Sacred House, a stand for the people." The response is multifold: first, the signs and wonders within the sacred territory and sacred months indicate that God is All-Knowing of everything, as He made the sanctuary a place of safety where all creatures live peacefully. For example, the gazelle feels safe in the presence of the lion inside the sanctuary, but outside fears it; the lion doesn't attack inside the sanctuary; the same applies to birds and doves who are safe around humans within the sanctuary but flee outside it. This is among the many wonders referenced in the beginning of Surah Al-Imran with "clear signs" which indicate God's knowledge of all affairs. Second, Allah knew that Arabs were prone to enmities and grudges, and that they lived around the Ka‘bah. So when He created the heavens and earth, He made the Ka‘bah a place of security and elevated its sanctity deeply in hearts, which has persisted to this day. Without God's knowledge and arrangement beforehand, this would not have been possible. Third, after recounting the stories of Moses and Jesus and the Torah and Gospel and their judgments and news—things unfamiliar to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his contemporaries—He states here "that you may know Allah knows" to confirm that God’s knowledge of unseen and future events validates these accounts. The pronoun "that" refers to the information God provided about the unseen and knowledge of all created things. The text then continues to warn: "Know that Allah is severe in punishment and that Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."

• ✓ Majma al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an on 2:125

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  Majma al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an · 2:125

  Recitation variants: Nafi and Ibn 'Amir recited (وَاتَّخَذُوا) with the letter khāʼ pronounced with a fatḥah (opening vowel), while the other reciters read it with a kasrah (kasra under the letter). Argument: Those who read with a kasrah treat the verb as a command, linking it to the preceding address "O Children of Israel, remember..." It could also be connected logically to "And when We made the House a place of return for mankind," implying "so settle and make a place of prayer." Those who read with a fatḥah link it to the earlier verb introduced by إِذ (when), as if saying "and when they took..." Language notes: The term al-bayt (the House) is related to structures or a home and is linked by analogy to 'abyaat (verses of poetry) because it brings letters and words together like a home gathers its inhabitants. Among Arab usage, al-bayt includes quarters (neighborhoods) and also refers to a man's wife as his home. The word مثابة (mathābah) means a place to which one returns or resorts, coming from the root meaning to return or come back, like the noun مثاب or مثوبة. In the description of the sanctuary (haram), it is called مثاب because all the tribes come to it repeatedly. The word مقام (maqām) and مقامة (maqāmah) are synonymous meanings, referring to a place or station. The word طائف (ṭāʼif) means someone who circles, derived from the verb tauf meaning to revolve or circumambulate, often used for pilgrims circumambulating the Kaʿbah. The plural of طائف is الطوافون, which can also refer metaphorically to spirits or disturbing thoughts (ṭāʼif means also the demons or spirits that haunt the hearts). العاكف (al-ʿākif) means one who adheres or stays steadfast at a place; it specifically refers here to one who performs iʿtikāf, secluding himself in the mosque. The word ركع (rukuʿ) is plural of the one who bows, and سجود (sujūd) plural of the one who prostrates; these are active participles made from same root verbs by pattern on فعول which is a pattern often used for active participants in actions of bowing and prostrating. Meaning: The phrase "And when We made the House a place of return for mankind and a sanctuary" is linked to the previous phrase "And when We tested..." and is also connected with the command to the children of Israel to remember God's favor. The House mentioned is the Sacred House (al-Bayt al-Haram), that is the Kaʿbah. It is narrated that it was called the Sacred House because it was forbidden to polytheists to enter; it is called Kaʿbah because of its square form resembling the Heavenly House (Bayt al-Ma'mur), which is itself square because it is under the Throne, which is founded upon the four foundational statements of Islam: "Glory be to God, Praise be to God, There is no god but God, God is the Greatest." Regarding مثابة (a place of return), scholars have put forth several meanings: that people return to it annually; that no one leaves it feeling their religious purpose incomplete but return to it again; that the meaning is that pilgrims return repeatedly for worship; or that it is a refuge or sanctuary, a gathering place. The phrase وأمنا (and made it safe) means that God made it a place of safety, so anyone who seeks refuge in it is secure in person and belongings, which was respected even before Islam due to the reverence Arabs had for it. Even those who committed crimes in its vicinity feared entering it and remained secure inside. The term وسداة إبراهيم (Maqam Ibrahim) refers to the stone where the Prophet Abraham stood while building the Kaʿbah, an actual rock imprinted with his footprints; although some scholars say the whole sanctuary is considered maqam Ibrahim, the prevalent view is that it is a specific place where pilgrims perform two units of prayer after circumambulation. Narrations from Imam al-Sadiq tell that three stones descended from heaven: Maqam Ibrahim, the stone of Bani Israel, and the Black Stone. The Maqam Ibrahim was originally pure white but turned black due to the sins of mankind. Story: Ibn Abbas related a story about Abraham bringing Ishmael and Hagar to Mecca. After a passage of time, Hagar died, and Ishmael married a woman from the Jurhum tribe. Abraham asked Sarah's permission to visit Hagar, which was granted on the condition he would not stay in Mecca. Upon arriving at Ishmael's house in Mecca, Abraham found Hagar’s place empty. Abraham instructed Ishmael’s wife to greet Ishmael and tell him to change the threshold of his door. Ishmael divorced his wife and married another. Later, Abraham visited again at Sarah's request. Ishmael's wife welcomed him, provided hospitality and washed his head with the Maqam Ibrahim stone, which preserved the imprint of Abraham’s foot. Ishmael recognized Abraham from this and the blessing he conveyed. Hadith: The Prophet said that every day there descend 120 mercies upon this House (the Kaʿbah): 60 for those circumambulating, 40 for those observing iʿtikāf, and 20 for onlookers. The word مصلى (musallā) has been interpreted in several ways: as a place where one prays or makes invocation; as a direction of prayer; or as the place at Maqam Ibrahim designated for prayers after circumambulation. The command to take Maqam Ibrahim as a musallā indicates that the prayer there is prescribed and so the prayer at Maqam Ibrahim after tawaf is obligatory according to certain scholars, supported by the wording that implies obligation. Finally, regarding the purification (طهّرَا بيتي) of the House, this is understood as a command to Abraham and Ishmael to cleanse the Sacred House — interpreted variously as purifying it from filth and impure things thrown there before their time, or from the idols hung on its door, or in construction and design reflecting purity and honor. The House was singled out for such a cleansing out of respect and distinction. The terms للطاʼفين والعاكفين والركع السجود refer mainly to the circumambulating pilgrims, those secluding themselves for worship within the sanctuary, and those who bow and prostrate in prayers at or near the Kaʿbah. Some scholars interpret them respectively as the pilgrims, the residents or regular worshippers, and all Muslims who perform the prayer actions of bowing and prostration. According to 'Ata’, those who circumambulate are among الطائفين; those who sit (to rest or worship) are العاكفين; and those who pray are الركع السجود. The Prophet (peace be upon him) even said the Divine mercy descends in measurable portions to those groups during the days and nights.