Chapter 9, Verse 19

Commentary:

The outward and physical service of the Ka‘bah, though in itself a meritorious act, is as nothing compared with the spiritual service thereof, which only a true Muslim can perform. If the preservation of the true faith were to involve the temporary destruction of the building of the Ka‘bah, the Quran would unhesitatingly endorse such destruction, because it is the preservation of the faith and not the preservation of a house, however sacred it may be, which is the aim and object of Islam. The verse thus also implies an effective answer to the baseless view that Islam attaches greater importance to the outward form of its ordinances than to the spirit underlying them. It may also be noted here that, according to the teachings of Islam, even the life of a true believer has greater sanctity than the House of God. Says the Holy Prophet: "A believer possesses greater sanctity than the Ka‘bah" (Majah).

The outward and physical service of the Ka‘bah, though in itself a meritorious act, is as nothing compared with the spiritual service thereof, which only a true Muslim can perform. The verse implies that Islam attaches greater importance to the spirit underlying its ordinances than to their outward form. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said that the life of a believer possesses much greater sanctity than the Ka‘bah (Majah).