I think this is a good summary of the main point. The Kaaba has some intrinsic signifcance but the more flexible rules of Islamic prayer (being able to pray from anywhere, even without knowing the direction of Mecca) indicate that sacred spaces can be created in Islam
3 Matching Annotations
- Jan 2024
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www.jstor.org www.jstor.org
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ked. It serves as the most potent signifierof Islamic identity; a fact clearly stressed in the Qur'a
The significance of the Kaaba is still a bit confusing to me but I also think that praying to the same place for centuries creates a special meaning and identity.
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1). The sacred tree or the sacred stone, he thus explains, are worshipped precisely because they are hierophanies, because theyshow something that is no longer stone or tree, but the sacred itself (
I like this passage because it explains how meaning can be created from mundane things. Sports or lucky items are not grounded in the real but because of the value placed on them, they can become meaningful and represent more than a game. I think a similiar process occurs with a hierophany.
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