We pray facing the direction of the Ka`bah in Makkah because Allah has commanded us to do that. If He had commanded us to pray facing in any other direction, we would have had to do that.

1- Islam forbids the Muslims to imitate the disbelievers, especially the Jews and Christians, but this prohibition does not apply to all their affairs, rather it applies to matters of their religion and things that are unique to them, by which they are known. 2- The Muslims have no need to imitate any of the other nations in matters of religious rituals and acts of worship. 3- The prohibition on imitating the disbelievers does not apply to the things that they do and invent from which Muslims may benefit. There is no sin on the Muslims if they share in that, rather the Muslims should be in the forefront of such things.