Good Muslims must recite ritual prayers (salat) five times a day in Arabic. Yet Islam teaches that God is not limited by language. So why must ritual prayers be said in Arabic? Muslims are also taught to pray toward Mecca because the “House of God” is there. If God is everywhere, why must Muslims pray toward Mecca? What exactly is the “House of God?”
The Mecca Prayer Direction
While Muhammad was in Medina, he noticed that the Jewish people prayed facing Jerusalem every day. So Muhammad told the Muslims to pray facing Jerusalem.
However, the Jewish did not accept Muhammad as a prophet. So Muhammad changed the direction of prayer toward Mecca. He said that the “House of God” (Ka’bah) was in Mecca (Qs 2:142-145, 149-150).
Does God Have a House in Mecca?
Muslims confess that God is everywhere. But, it appears that He is only in Mecca. If God does not live in a house, then why is the Ka’bah called “The House of God?”
Kissing the Black Stone During the Pilgrimage (Hajj) 
Islam forbids Muslims from worshiping images. This goes against the Islamic creed, “There is no God but Allah.” God’s Book fully supports this. “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below” (Taurat, Exodus 20:4).
Do Muslims break this law when they bow toward the Ka’bah? What about when they kiss the Black Stone while saying, “We are fulfilling your call, O God?”
Prayer Direction and Prostration Are Unnecessary!
The Injil teaches that God does not have a house in this world. Heaven is His throne and the earth is His foot-stool (Acts 7:48-50).
Praying in a specific way or in a specific direction is not needed. God is wherever we are. The key to God hearing us pray is having a pure heart. The Psalmist wrote, “If I had not confessed sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18, NLT). We must first confess our sin and have God cleanse our hearts (I John 1:7-9). Then God will hear us.
Where Does God’s Spirit Dwell?
Where Does God’s Spirit Dwell?God’s Spirit lives inside every person who receives Isa Al-Masih as his Savior. “Don’t you know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit? The Spirit is in you. You have received him from God. You do not belong to yourselves” (1 Corinthians 6:19).
We become God’s temple when we ask Isa Al-Masih to forgive our sins. If you accept Isa as your Savior, you will be able to say, “My body is the Temple (House) of the Spirit of God.”
[We invite you to visit us at https://www.isaandislam.com/way-of-salvation to learn more about God’s gift of Salvation. God loves you and waits to hear from you. Isa clearly said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Injil, John 14:6). For a deeper understanding of Isa we suggest you subscribe to “Isa, Islam, and Al-Fatiha” at this link.]
SOME QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW
We encourage our readers to comment on the article above. Comments that don’t directly relate to the topic will be removed. Please start a dialogue with us by focusing on one of the following questions:
1. If God is everywhere, why do Muslims have to pray toward Mecca?
2. Does God hear you if you don’t pray in a specific form?
3. Where does God’s Spirit live?
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@ question 2. God does hear you when you pray only in Isa’s name and according to His will. God’s will is His word.
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We can pray to God anywhere, anytime and anyhow according to His will. His will is revealed more through Isa Al-Masih. It’s also the right way to pray to God in the name of Isa Al-Masih (Jesus Christ) because He’s “…the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father, except through me (Isa)” (Injil, John 14:6).
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Christians say that Isa Peace be upon him is the way and the truth. But you have never described how to follow this way. What were the practices which were done by Him. How did He pray to God? How did He live His life because you can’t follow the way without guidelines.
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Dear U,
Thanks for your comment and questions. To follow Him means to follow what He taught according to His way as taught in the Injil. When a person decides to follow Isa, generally, he must leave everything that hinder him in following Isa. He must be the center. He should stop sinning and believe in Isa Al-Masih. Learn more details through this link: https://www.isaandislam.com/Way-of-Salvation/five-steps-of-salvation.html.
Blessings.
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Dear Friends: We highly value all comments on our website. Yet we do have some guidelines:
1. No one may enter more than one comment at a time. Thus you may not fill multiple comment boxes.
2. Your comment should be directly related to the theme of the lead article.
3. It is best if you only put forward one or two questions at a time.
4. Use good English. If the comment is not clear, we may edit it.
5. Don’t use abbreviations.
6. Do not use capital letters to emphasize something.
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In Islam, prophet Adam created the house of God. And he was told that someone will come to follow him by all the Muslims on earth; and his name is Muhammad.
Prophet Abraham built the Kabba at Mecca, but the prophet Muhammad came and told everyone to pray toward mecca. Like the article said the Jewish people would not accept prophet Muhammad in their Torah, so prophet Muhammad said to pray towards Mecca.
And yes, if you pray in a different form, God will answer your prayers, after all God created all the languages on earth so yes.
God’s spirit lives everywhere. God is like the Jewish God, or Jehova, or Yahweh. And of course God is also like the Father, but it is stated that God is alone, and has no siblings, or son, or other Gods like him, because they would fight. So yeah if you pray to God , God can be closer to you than your jugular vein. God is the one that created the earths, and heavens, the stars, plants, and all that is around.
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Dear Sherif,
Thanks for joining the discussion. A good follower of God will seek God’s way. He will follow God’s commandment and His revelation. God of Moses, Abraham and Jacob is the same as our God. And Our God revealed that He sent Isa Al-Masih to come on earth and died for our sins. Many people argued with this revelation. Because they denied that Isa Al-Masih is the Son of God. They misunderstood that God doesn’t beget nor begotten. These people misunderstood the whole point, that the Christian’s God begets a child, named Isa Al-Masih. No, it’s wrong. From the beginning, Isa Al-Masih was there. “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus [Isa Al-Masih] answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (Injil, John 8:58). He was God’s Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Injil, John 1:1). When God’s word manifested into flesh, he was named Isa Al-Masih. Get more understanding of the Son of God through this link: https://www.isaandislam.com/Isa-Al-Masih/what-is-meant-by-the-term-qson-of-godq.html.
Blessings.
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First, you don’t know the reason to why prophet Muhammad pbuh changed qibla from Jerusalem to Mecca. Second, I would like you locate a verse that calls Jesus ‘Isa’ in the Bible.
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Dear Ramazan,
It could be that Muhammad hated the Jews as written in Tirmidhi Hadith, Number 1024, narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas. For more information, you can read it at https://www.answering-islam.org/Shamoun/qiblah.htm
Islam started 600 years after the life of Jesus so you will not find Isa (Arabic name for Jesus) in the Bible. Jesus (in Greek) and Isa (in Arabic) refer to the same holy child born of virgin Mary in the Quran 3:45.
Sahih International: [And mention] when the angels said, “O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary – distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near [to Allah] (Qs 3:45).
Shakir: When the angels said: O Marium, surely Allah gives you good news with a Word from Him (of one) whose name is the ‘. Messiah, Isa son of Marium, worthy of regard in this world and the hereafter and of those who are made near (to Allah) (Qs 3:45).
“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:” (Luke 1:30-32 KJV)