Geography of Mecca

Geography Of Mecca

Significance of Makkah

Makkah is significant because it is considered the first place on Earth that God Almighty was worshiped alone. This is the very spot where Ibrahim and his son Ismael built the first house of worship for God.

When Ibrahim and Ismael finished building the Sacred House and there was still one brick that had to be put in it's place. It is believed that God then sent a stone directly from the heart of Paradise.

By Saleha, Memoona & Uruj

Adam and Eve

It is said that when Adam and Eve were first expelled from Paradise, they were separated with Eve landing somewhere near the city of Makkah and Adam somewhere in the far East.

The two then reunited on the top of Mount Arafat, just outside the city of Makkah.

Thank you!

What was Prophet Muhammad (saw)'s early life like?

Muhammad was born and raised in Makkah. When he was nearly 40, he used to spend many hours alone in prayer and speculating over the aspects of creation. He was concerned with the "ignorance of divine guidance" (Jahiliyyah), social unrest, injustice, widespread discrimination (particularly against women), fighting among tribes and abuse of tribal authorities prevalent in pre-Islamic Arabia. The moral degeneration of his fellow people, and his own quest for a true religion further lent fuel to this, with the result that he now began to withdraw periodically to a cave named Mount Hira, three miles north of Mecca, for contemplation and reflection. Islamic tradition holds that Muhammad during this period began to have dreams replete with spiritual significance which were fulfilled according to their true import; and this was the commencement of his divine revelation. This created inclination in him to engage himself in solitary worshipping.

Reasons why Mecca is such a holy place

As the birthplace of Muhammad and the site of Muhammad's first revelation of the Quran (specifically, a cave 3 km (2 mi) from Mecca). Mecca is regarded as the holiest city in the religion of Islam and a pilgrimage to it known as the Hajj is obligatory for all able Muslims. Mecca is home to the Kaaba, by majority description Islam's holiest site, as well as being the direction of Muslim prayer. Mecca was long ruled by Muhammad's descendants, the sharifs, acting either as independent rulers or as vassals to larger polities

What Is Mecca & Where Is It?

Cave Hira- Why is it significant?

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Muhammad's first revelation was an event described in Islam as taking place in 610 AD, during which the prophet Muhammad was visited by the archangel Gabriel, who revealed to him the beginnings of what would later become the Holy Quran. The event took place in a cave called Hira, located on the mountain Jabal an-Nour, near Makka.

According to biographies of Muhammad, while on retreat in a mountain cave near Mecca (the cave of Hira), Gabriel appears before him and commands him to recite the first lines of chapter 96 of the Quran. Muhammad's experience is mentioned in the Quran 53:4–9:

"It is no less than inspiration sent down to him:

He was taught by one Mighty in Power,

Endued with Wisdom: for he appeared (in stately form);

While he was in the highest part of the horizon:

Then he approached and came closer,

And was at a distance of but two bow-lengths or (even) nearer;"[Quran 53:4–9]

Mecca, Arabic Makkah, ancient Bakkah, city, western Saudi Arabia, located in the Ṣirāt Mountains, inland from the Red Sea coast. It is the holiest of Muslim cities. Mecca is at an elevation of 277 m (909 ft) above sea level. Central Mecca lies in a corridor between mountains, which is often called the "Hollow of Mecca." The area contains the valley of Al Taneem, the Valley of Bakkah and the valley of Abqar. The city centers on the Masjid al-Haram area, which is lower than most of the city. The area around the mosque is the old city.

Mecca was never the capital of any of the Islamic states but Muslim rulers did contribute to its upkeep. During the reigns of Umar (634–44 CE) and Uthman ibn Affan (644–56) concerns of flooding caused the caliphs to bring in Christian engineers to build barrages in the low-lying quarters and construct dykes and embankments to protect the area round the Kaaba.