Can I Pray With a Picture of the Kabah in Front of Me? (Shafi’i)

Answered by Shaykh Abdurragmaan Khan

Question: Assalam alaykum,

In order to help me find more reverance and peace in my prayer, I was wondering if it’s alright to have a picture of the ka’bah on my phone and then place it in front of me. Is this a bad innovation?

Answer: Wa alaykum al-Salam

Shukran for your question.

Some of the scholars have advised that one should imagine the Ka’bah before them when praying as it may assist in increasing Khushu’ in prayer. Placing an image of the Ka’bah before you with this intention will be permissible.

I do however advise that you only do this temporarily until you able to picture the Ka’bah in your mind. Beyond that, even the picturing of the Ka’bah in your mind should only be temporarily until you are able to focus, connect and be present with the Lord of the Ka’bah only. Also, when placing an image of the Ka’bah before you, do so in the privacy of your home, so as to avoid conflict and debate.

And Allah knows best
Wassalam
[Shaykh] Abdurragmaan Khan

Shaykh Abdurragmaan received ijazah ’ammah from various luminaries, including but not restricted to: Habib Umar ibn Hafiz—a personality who affected him greatly and who has changed his relationship with Allah, Maulana Yusuf Karaan—the former Mufti of Cape Town; Habib ‘Ali al-Mashhur—the current Mufti of Tarim; Habib ‘Umar al-Jaylani—the Shafi‘i Mufti of Makkah; Sayyid Ahmad bin Abi Bakr al-Hibshi; Habib Kadhim as-Saqqaf; Shaykh Mahmud Sa’id Mamduh; Maulana Abdul Hafiz al-Makki; Shaykh Ala ad-Din al-Afghani; Maulana Fazlur Rahman al-Azami and Shaykh Yahya al-Gawthani amongst others.