The Security of the Kaʿba

The Kaʿba is one of the most prominent examples of the “houses” mentioned in the verse “In houses which God has permitted to be raised” [24:36]; therefore, God has protected it and will keep it elevated. No one can maliciously intend evil or oppression against the Kaʿba, which is the qibla and the place of circumambulation for Muslims: “And whoever intends deviation therein by wrongdoing - We will make him taste of a painful punishment” [22:25].

In an initial grace, God made the Kaʿba a place of security: “And [mention] when We made the House a place of return for the people and [a place of] security.” This security is distinct from that of Mecca, which God established in response to the supplication of Abraham (a.s.):(148) “And [by] this secure city” [95:3] and “He made them secure from fear” [106:4]. It is possible that, at certain times, security and tranquility may be taken away from Mecca. However, the security of the Kaʿba as the qibla and place of circumambulation is a special and absolute security. If anyone maliciously intends to transgress and violate this divine sanctuary, they will face a terrifying threat and a severe divine warning: “And whoever intends deviation therein by wrongdoing - We will make him taste of a painful punishment.”(149)

This verse refers to the existential security specific to the Kaʿba, not a legislative security that can be violated, nor the general security of the city of Mecca or the Sanctuary’s boundaries. Of course, the Kaʿba is also secure from a legislative perspective. Among the evidence for this legislative security is the ruling that one who seeks refuge in the Kaʿba is granted safety: “And whoever enters it shall be safe”(150) If a criminal seeks refuge in the Kaʿba, it is not permissible to violate him or carry out divine punishment upon him there. To compel him to leave, he can be restricted in terms of water and food. However, if someone knowingly and intentionally transgresses the divine limits in the Sanctuary, they are excluded from this scope of security and no longer enjoy its sanctity due to the principle of “Violations are subject to retribution” [2:194].

Note: The House (Kaʿba) is the cause of security, not security itself. In one sense, referring to the Kaʿba as a place of security can be understood as an exaggeration (hyperbole), similar to the way Zayd is described as being “justice” in the phrase “Zayd is justice.” Due to the Kaʿba, the city of Mecca and the boundaries of the Sanctuary were also secure: “Have they not seen... the people around them are snatched away” [29:67].

Sometimes, by “the House” (Kaʿba), what is specifically meant is the Kaʿba itself, such as in cases where the rulings related to the qibla, circumambulation, and other specific effects are mentioned. However, in other instances, when the term “House” is used, it refers to the entire Sanctuary, not just the Kaʿba itself. For example, in the verse: “an offering reaching the Kaʿba” [5:95], even though it is not permissible to slaughter the offering inside the Kaʿba or within the Sacred Mosque, what is intended here is the entire Sanctuary.

In the verse under discussion, since the House is described as a “place of security” and security is an attribute of the entire Sanctuary— “Indeed, We have made it a secure Sanctuary” [29:67]—which was revealed in response to the supplication of Abraham (a.s.): “My Lord, make this city secure” [2:126], the term “House” here refers to the entire Sanctuary. This interpretation is justified by the fact that the sanctity of the Sanctuary stems from the blessing of the Kaʿba itself.(151)