Re: Mecca for the rich: Islam’s holiest site ‘turning into Vegas’
The Ka’bah is not needed for the Tawaaf a dotted line on the ground is enough … and then there is the washing of it and clothing it that you remain silent about.
Respect for structures of antiquity is not shirk … this concept needs to exit from the minds of people … an act is determined by the deed and the intent. We cannot judge a whole group of people by what they do without asking them their intent.
Shirk was a danger in the past when ignorance was high and people used to place direct power in items made by the hand - today subtle forms of shirk remain - these cannot be judged by the onlooker - these have to be cleansed from the inside out. Such as ri’ya for example.