Is it permissible to liken the Kaaba to a stone, and [to say] that being near it hardens the heart, and should this article have been removed?

It was narrated that Muhammad al-Bakri al-Siddiqi al-Shafi'i, in response to a question about the hardness of heart of the people of Mecca and the softness of heart of the people of Medina, said that the people of Mecca lived near stones (the Kaaba) and the people of Medina lived near humans (the Prophet, peace be upon him). This statement is prohibited if the intention behind "stones" is the Kaaba, as it appears to make the Kaaba a reason for hardness of heart, even though Allah purified the House for those who circumambulate, those who seclude themselves for devotion, and those who bow and prostrate. He made it a sanctuary for the people, by which their Islam is perfected, their burdens are shed, they receive abundant blessings, and different Muslim races gather there. It is also the most beloved place to Allah. The goodness of a land affects the heart, making it soft and close to its Lord, and revering His rituals. The superiority of the Sacred Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque, with their multiplied reward, is due to the presence of angels surrounding their inhabitants, to the glorification of Allah's rituals, and as a reminder of the state of the imams of the nation. Therefore, deleting this statement is correct.