Question 1711: Can one benefit from the virtue of looking at the Kaaba even while praying in Masjid al-Haram?
Answer
✅ Answer: Consider the following narrations:
1 عَنْ مُعَاوِیَةَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّه قَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَکَ وَ تَعَالَی جَعَلَ حَوْلَ الْکَعْبَةِ عِشْرِینَ وَ مِائَةَ رَحْمَةٍ مِنْهَا سِتُّونَ لِلطَّائِفِینَ وَ أَرْبَعُونَ لِلْمُصَلِّینَ وَ عِشْرُونَ لِلنَّاظِرِینَ.
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, P. 240
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Indeed, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has placed 120 mercies around the Kaaba; sixty of them are for those who perform Tawaf (circumambulation), forty are for those who pray, and twenty are for those who look at it!
2 عَن حَرِیزٍ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: النَّظَرُ إِلَی الْکَعْبَةِ عِبَادَةٌ وَ النَّظَرُ إِلَی الْوَالِدَیْنِ عِبَادَةٌ وَ النَّظَرُ إِلَی الْإِمَامِ عِبَادَةٌ وَ قَالَ مَنْ نَظَرَ إِلَی الْکَعْبَةِ کُتِبَتْ لَهُ حَسَنَةٌ وَ مُحِیَتْ عَنْهُ عَشْرُ سَیِّئَاتٍ.
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, P. 240
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Looking at the Kaaba is an act of worship, looking at one's parents is an act of worship, and looking at the Imam is an act of worship.
And he said: Whoever looks at the Kaaba, a good deed (hasanah) is recorded for him and ten sins are erased from him!
3 عَنْ عَلِیِّ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِیزِ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: مَنْ نَظَرَ إِلَی الْکَعْبَةِ بِمَعْرِفَةٍ فَعَرَفَ مِنْ حَقِّنَا وَ حُرْمَتِنَا مِثْلَ الَّذِی عَرَفَ مِنْ حَقِّهَا وَ حُرْمَتِهَا غَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ ذُنُوبَهُ وَ کَفَاهُ هَمَّ الدُّنْیَا وَ الْآخِرَةِ.
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, P. 241
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Whoever looks at the Kaaba with recognition (of its status), and recognizes our rights and sanctity just as he recognizes the rights and sanctity of the Kaaba, Allah will forgive his sins and suffice him against the worries and grief of this world and the Hereafter!
4 عَنْ سَیْفٍ التَّمَّارِ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّه قَالَ: مَنْ نَظَرَ إِلَی الْکَعْبَةِ لَمْ یَزَلْ تُکْتَبُ لَهُ حَسَنَةٌ وَ تُمْحَی عَنْهُ سَیِّئَةٌ حَتَّی یَنْصَرِفَ بِبَصَرِهِ عَنْهَا.
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, P. 240
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Whoever looks at the Kaaba, good deeds continue to be recorded for him and sins are erased from him until he turns his gaze away from it!
5 عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ یَحْیَی عَنْ جَدِّهِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ رَاشِدٍ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: قَالَ أَمِیرُ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ إِذَا خَرَجْتُمْ حُجَّاجاً إِلَی بَیْتِ اللَّهِ فَأَکْثِرُوا النَّظَرَ إِلَی بَیْتِ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ لِلَّهِ مِائَةً وَ عِشْرِینَ رَحْمَةً عِنْدَ بَیْتِهِ الْحَرَامِ سِتُّونَ لِلطَّائِفِینَ وَ أَرْبَعُونَ لِلْمُصَلِّینَ وَ عِشْرُونَ لِلنَّاظِرِینَ.
📚 Al-Mahasin, P. 69
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) said: When you travel towards the House of Allah for Hajj, look at the House of Allah frequently; for indeed, Allah has 120 mercies near His Sacred House: sixty are for those who perform Tawaf, forty are for those who pray, and twenty are for those who look!
6 عَنْ إِسْمَاعِیلَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَبِیهِ عَنِ النَّبِیِّ قَالَ: النَّظَرُ إِلَی الْکَعْبَةِ حُبّاً لَهَا یَهْدِمُ الْخَطَایَا هَدْماً.
📚 Al-Mahasin, P. 69
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) narrated from his father that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: Looking at the Kaaba out of love for it intensely washes away sins!
7 رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا يُكَنَّى بِأَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ، قَالَ: كَانَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ يَقُولُ:....وَ إِذَا صَلَّى الرَّجُلُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ، كَانَ أَفْضَلَ خُشُوعِهِ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَى الْكَعْبَةِ، وَ إِذَا صَلَّى فِي غَيْرِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ، كَانَ أَفْضَلَ خُشُوعِهِ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَى مَوْضِعِ سُجُودِهِ...
📚 Usul al-Sittah 'Ashar, P. 341
Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) said in a hadith: When a person prays in Masjid al-Haram, his best state of humility (khushu') is to look at the Kaaba (while praying), and when he prays outside of Masjid al-Haram, his best state of humility is to look at the place of his prostration (sajdah)!
✅ According to the hadith, for a person praying in Masjid al-Haram, it is best (afdal) to look at the Kaaba during the prayer.
For someone praying outside of Masjid al-Haram, it is best to look at the place of prostration, the narrations for which you can view in the link below:
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ