Story of Shaykh Muhammad and Correcting the Old Scholar

Follow @AhleDhikr Shaykh Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhab (may Allah have Mercy on him) travelled to Makkah and saw a scholar there delivering a lecture on a chair. 

Shaykh Muhammad was taken a back by his speech and the scholar. When the scholar delivering the lecture wanted to leave, and he was an old man who the people of Makkah had high esteem for, he beseeched, 'O Ka'bah of Allah!' 

Shaykh Muhammad realised that this is problematic because such a statement is Shirk and the scholar doesn't seem to realise it. However, Shaykh Muhammad was extremely wise. As the lesson was concluded by the Athan for Salat, the old scholar descended from his chair to his place of prayer expecting the prayer to commence. 

So Shaykh Muhammad greeted him and the old scholar asked him where he was from. He replied, 'From Najd, but I was extremely impressed by your talk - may Allah reward you with good. The speech was beneficial and from a true scholar. But I want to recite some Quran to you whilst we wait, because I am a novice.' 

So he began by reciting Surah an-Nas, "Say: I seek refuge by the Lord of mankind" then Surah al-Falaq, "Say:I seek refuge by the Lord of daybreak" etc. (reciting each Surah in backward order). 

When he reached Surah al-Quraysh he omitted the word "Lord" and read, 

'And worship the House', 

So the old scholar corrected him and said:

'And worship the Lord of the House.' (106:3)

Shaykh Muhammad said, 'But this is how I have learned the Surah!?' 

The old scholar said, 'This cannot be possible because had you worshipped the house you would have performed an act of Shirk, and Allah does not command Shirk'.

So Shaykh Muhammad asked, 'What's the correct way of reciting this line then?'

The old man recited:

'And worship the Lord of the House.'

So Shaykh Muhammad recited the statement of the Most High:

'And your Lord Said, "Supplicate to Me and I will respond to you" (41:60)  

And He, the Most High, didn't say "Supplicate to the House" or "Supplicate to the Ka'bah", because none is allowed to supplicate except to Allah. 

Shaykh Muhammad continued, 'I heard you say, my Shaykh, when you got up from your chair saying, "O Ka'bah of Allah!"'

The old scholar supplicated for Shaykh Muhammad and asked Allah to liberate his affairs and reward him with great good. 

Story quoted by Shaykh Muhammad bin al-Uthaymin in Sharh an-Nooniyyah, Vol. 4 Pg. 410-411