Why is the Kaaba important to Muslim's? Mecca? Beliefs?

[eideard]

Why is the Kaaba so important to Muslim's. What does The Kaaba Represent?
I know it was created by Abraham and Ishmael. but why?
Another Question
Do they believe the same god as Christians. If so what are the differences between them both?
I already know the main things about the Muslim religion, but can you give me some other important facts about the religion.
Thanks

[macinnes]

According to the Qur'an, the Kaaba was built by Abraham and his son Ishmael. Islamic traditions assert that the Kaaba "reflects" a house in heaven called al-Baytu l-Ma?mur (Arabic: ????? ???????) and that it was first built by the first man, Adam. AbrahAm and Ishmael rebuilt the Kaaba on the old foundations.

The four corners of the Kaaba roughly face the four points of the compass. In the eastern corner of the Kaaba is the "Rukn-al-Aswad" (the Black Stone or al-?ajaru l-Aswad), generally thought to be a meteorite remnant. So, the Kabaa is the structure. Not the meteorite.

[Quran; 2:125] We have rendered the shrine (the Ka`aba) a focal point for the people, and a safe sanctuary. You may use Abraham's shrine as a prayer house. We commissioned Abraham and Ismail: "You shall purify My house for those who visit, those who live there, and those who bow and prostrate."

[barnes]

The Kaaba was the old pagan site where they came to worship the planets and the gods. Muhammad kept it in the religion because it was as useful to Islam as Yuletide was to Christianity.

Do they worship the same god? No. They are both Monotheistic Gods but they are very different. This is because they were written by different people. The old of the Old testament is nothing like the God of the new Testament and Allah wants to kill both Bible Gods as there can be only one God, Allah.

The Muslims believe that Muhammad flew to Heaven on a flying donkey called a Baraq and made a deal with God. But the most important part of Islam is that Muslims divide the world up into Muslims and non-Muslims. Do unto others as you would have then do unto you only applies to other Muslims.
This is why you have a Red Cross and a Red Crescent.

[bryne]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaaba#History

The Wikipedia article is actually decent on the topic; it was built by Abraham (Ibrahim) around 2100 bc, and then much, much later pagan tribes used it for idol worship before Muhammad reclaimed it for monotheism again. Regardless only the 2nd answer above makes any sense. Muslims today use it for their direction of prayer.

[evian]

Old World religions invented by primitive peoples needed some object to worship; they didn't have the mental capacity to envision an invisible god. Since Muslims are still very primitive and barbaric, they still need something they can see and touch to worship.