**You are far off the right way. The Jews had a temple and a wish for a temple and a direction too. they are your ancestors. Please do not disown them completely. they are your seniors.
Muhammad, while in Makkah faced Jerusalem during prayer. That was because the spiritual leadership of the world was with the Jews. He faced Jerusalem for 13 years in Makkah, faced the place where the Jewish sacred temple used to be (even though it was no more there.)
When Muhammad was forced to flee for life and he went to Madinah, he kept on facing Jerusalem. He felt the need and necessity of a direction by some divine guidance. (proof very soon).
After a year in Madinah, The order came for change of Qiblah, that Muslims were always to face to ka’abah (the oldest house of worship) in Makkah. So the prophet started facing Makkah and told all his followers to do so during prayers and never to face to any other direction.
So did Allah change his dwelling from Jerusalem to Makah one year after Mohd reached Madina?
Is Allah trapped in the Kaba in Makah, or can he move about?
Christian GOD is different from Allah, because He is omnipresent - meaning he is everywhere at the same time. So Christians can pray to their GOD, looking in any direction.
Which direction will a Muslim face when praying to Allah, while standing diametrically opposite to the location of Makkah on the earth.
Will the prayers miss Kaba and go past it if the angle of prayer is not accurate enough? How much tolerence or leeway is allowed? Will it help if we use a dish antenna, to increase the prayer signal?
**
Proof: Think over it, please. What you are calling ridiclious is the best and most important part of any faith. i.e. sense of direction. Did Muhammad know that his religion (Islam) will spread all over the world and people wll need a direction? Was he a magician? His religion spread in whole of Arabia within 10 years and mosques were built for prayers every where. The travellors also prayed during their travel. If there were twenty Muslims in a group they prayed collectively and faced Makkah.
The religion spread in many countries. The prayer was a must (obligatory) five times a day every where for every Muslim. They needed houses of worship (Mosques). The prophet himself had made a few mosques. The Muslims copied his practice (Sunnah) and did the same. The mosques in every city in every country were made facing Makkah.
Suppose the Prophet had not given the guidance about the direction, what would happen? There would be chaos. In one city, in one part of city there will be mosques facing different directions. When the mosque would be built, people may fight about the direction of the mosque. One chief of the town would like the mosque to be built facing his house. the other chief would try to have it face his house.
Within one house, people (family) perform individual prayers. father would be facing west. the son may be facing east and the daughter may be standing nearby in prayer facing North. Do you see the problems, if there was no sense of Direction?
I can see Allah’s problem especially if the father has many wives. He will never be able to make out who prayed for what and which direction he has to send his response. He will be a totally confused Allah considering that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world next to homosexuality.
I better leave at that today for you to digest. For the people who are to pray collectively five time a day all over the world, they need guidance about a direction.
I need not discuss your rmoney matters.
