The Excellence of Looking at al-Ka‘bah

كُنْتُ قَاعِداً إِلَى جَنْبِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع- وَ هُوَ مُحْتَبٍ‌[1] مُسْتَقْبِلُ الْكَعْبَةِ فَقَالَ أَمَا إِنَّ النَّظَرَ إِلَيْهَا عِبَادَةٌ فَجَاءَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَجِيلَةَ يُقَالُ لَهُ عَاصِمُ بْنُ عُمَرَ فَقَالَ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع إِنَّ كَعْبَ الْأَحْبَارِ كَانَ يَقُولُ إِنَّ الْكَعْبَةَ تَسْجُدُ لِبَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ فِي كُلِّ غَدَاةٍ فَقَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع فَمَا تَقُولُ فِيمَا قَالَ كَعْبٌ فَقَالَ صَدَقَ الْقَ

“I, once, was sitting near abu Ja’far (a.s.), while he was sitting in an Ihtiba’ position (holding one’s knees against one’s belly with one’s arms or a piece of cloth) facing al-Ka’bah. He (the Imam) said, ’Looking at al-Ka’bah is an act of worship.’ At this time a man from Bajilah people who was called ‘Asem ibn ’Umar

إِنَّ لِلَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى حَوْلَ الْكَعْبَةِ عِشْرِينَ وَ مِائَةَ رَحْمَةٍ مِنْهَا سِتُّونَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَ أَرْبَعُونَ لِلْمُصَلِّينَ وَ عِشْرُونَ لِلنَّاظِرِينَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that Allah, the most Blessed, the most High, has one hundred twenty blessings around al-Ka’bah of which sixty are for those who perform Tawaf, forty for those who perform salat (prayer) and twenty for those who look at al-Ka’bah.’”

إِنَّ لِلْكَعْبَةِ لَلَحْظَةً فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ يُغْفَرُ لِمَنْ طَافَ بِهَا أَوْ حَنَّ قَلْبُهُ‌[2] إِلَيْهَا أَوْ حَبَسَهُ عَنْهَا عُذْرٌ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that for al-Ka’bah, there is a moment every day in which forgiveness is granted to those who perform Tawaf around it, or whose hearts incline toward it or are prevented from visiting it for a good reason.”

مَنْ نَظَرَ إِلَى الْكَعْبَةِ لَمْ يَزَلْ تُكْتَبُ لَهُ حَسَنَةٌ وَ تُمْحَى عَنْهُ سَيِّئَةٌ حَتَّى يَنْصَرِفَ بِبَصَرِهِ عَنْهَا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that as long as one keeps looking at al-Ka’bah, one good deed is written for him and one bad deed is deleted until he turns away from looking at al-Ka’bah.”

النَّظَرُ إِلَى الْكَعْبَةِ عِبَادَةٌ وَ النَّظَرُ إِلَى الْوَالِدَيْنِ عِبَادَةٌ وَ النَّظَرُ إِلَى الْإِمَامِ عِبَادَةٌ وَ قَالَ مَنْ نَظَرَ إِلَى الْكَعْبَةِ كُتِبَتْ لَهُ حَسَنَةٌ وَ مُحِيَتْ عَنْهُ عَشْرُ سَيِّئَاتٍ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that looking at al-Ka’bah is an act of worship; looking at parents is an act of worship; and looking at the Imam is an act of worship. For one’s looking at al- Ka’bah, one good deed is written for him and ten of his bad deeds are deleted.”

مَنْ نَظَرَ إِلَى الْكَعْبَةِ بِمَعْرِفَةٍ فَعَرَفَ مِنْ حَقِّنَا وَ حُرْمَتِنَا مِثْلَ الَّذِي عَرَفَ مِنْ حَقِّهَا وَ حُرْمَتِهَا غَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ ذُنُوبَهُ وَ كَفَاهُ هَمَّ الدُّنْيَا وَ الْآخِرَةِ.

“The one who looks at the Kabah with an understanding, so he recognises from our rights and our sanctity, is like the one who recognises from it (Kabah’s) rights, and its Sanctity. Allah would Forgive for him his sins, and suffice him for the concerns of the world and the Hereafter.“