Is there a virtue to praying inside the Ka'bah?

The questioner : Regarding the Ka'bah, what is the ruling on praying inside it?

The Shaykh : There is no doubt in its superiority; otherwise, the Messenger would not have entered it. When the Lady Aisha wanted to do as he did and pray inside the Ka'bah, nothing prevented her from doing so, nor did he say to her that praying inside the Ka'bah is like praying around it. Rather, to spare her the effort of climbing, he said to her, "Pray in the Hijr, for it is part of the House." When your people renewed the construction of the Ka'bah, their funds ran short, so they left the Hijr outside the Ka'bah. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) intended to rebuild the Ka'bah on the foundation of Ibrahim (peace be upon him), but they prevented him from doing so out of fear of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). If it had been easy for him to renew it on any plan he desired, he would have done so. He said: If there were no virtue to praying inside the Ka'bah, the Messenger (peace be upon him) would not have prayed in it first, nor would he have said to Aisha, "Pray in the Hijr, for it is part of the Ka'bah," nor would he have said that he intended to rebuild it on the foundation of Ibrahim and make it two doors to facilitate people entering from one and exiting from the other, with these two doors at ground level, requiring no climbing or ladder, and so on. So, it has a virtue. However, this virtue can be said to be of the same nature as the virtue of touching the Hijr or touching the Black Stone. But if the matter comes down to obtaining this virtue versus harming people through crowding, then this virtue is postponed to avoid the crowding.

The questioner : Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.