Had God willed, He would have made Himself known to the people so they would recognize Him through His Gate; however, He made us His gates, His path, His way, and His gate through which He is approached."

He said:

"So whoever deviates from our guardianship and prefers others over us has entered the houses from their backs, and they are truly swerving from the path."

The name "Qibla" is applied among the people of the exoteric to the Kaaba, and to the direction toward which the prayer-performer prays; because the Qibla, according to them, is whatever one faces. And they have made their Qibla that physical Kaaba in Mecca, and they claimed that He Almighty does not intend by His address in His Mighty Book [anything] other than it.

As for the people of monotheism, they profess religion and believe that He Almighty does not intend by His address a Qibla or a Kaaba except for the Commander of the Faithful; and he—mercy be upon us from him—has explicitly stated this meaning in the Jewel Sermon (al-Khutbah al-Jawhariyyah), saying:

"I am the Qibla of religion, and the Ya'sub [leader] of the believers."

He also pointed to this meaning in the Revealing Sermon (al-Khutbah al-Kashifah) by his saying: