BELIEFS

Why is Mecca a holy city for Muslims?

• Mecca is the direction of Prayer for Muslims.
• The foolish of the people will say: What has turned them from the qiblah which they formerly observed? Say: Unto God belong the East and the West. He guides whom He wills unto a straight path. Thus We have appointed you a middle nation, that you may be witnesses against mankind, and that the Messenger may be a witness against you. And We appointed the qiblah which you formerly observed only that We might know him who follows the Messenger, from him who turns on his heels. In truth it was a hard (test) save for those whom God guided. But it was not God’s purpose that your faith should be in vain, for God is Full of Pity, Merciful toward mankind. We have seen the turning of your face to heaven (for guidance, O Muhammad). And now verily We shall make you turn (in prayer) toward a qiblah which is dear to you. So turn your face toward the Inviolable Place of Worship, and you (O Muslims), wheresoever you may be, turn your faces (when you pray) toward it. Lo! Those who have received the Scripture know that (this revelation) is the Truth from their Lord. And God is not unaware of what they do. And even if you brought unto those who have received the Scripture all kinds of portents, they would not follow your qiblah, nor can you be a follower of their qiblah; nor are some of them followers of the qiblah of others. And if you should follow their desires after the knowledge which has come unto you, then surely you would be among the evildoers. Those unto whom We gave the Scripture recognize (this revelation) as they recognize their sons. But lo! a party of them knowingly conceal the truth…. And each one has a goal toward which he turns; so vie with one another in good works. Wheresoever you may be, God will bring you all together. Lo! God is Able to do all things. (Quran 2:142-146, 148)
• Mecca is the location of the Kaaba, a structure built by the Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) and his son Ishmael (Isma’il)
• "And [mention] when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and [with him] Ishmael, [saying], "Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the Hearing, the Knowing." (Quran 2:127)
• God has appointed the Ka’bah, the Sacred House, a support for mankind, and the Sacred Month and the offerings and the garlands. That is so that you may know that God knows whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and that God is Knower of all things. (Quran 5:97)
• Mecca is also a city where the hajj (the pilgrimage) is performed.
• And remember when We prepared for Abraham the place of the House, saying: Ascribe no thing as partner unto Me, and purify My House for those who go round it and those who stand and those who bow and make prostration. And proclaim unto mankind the pilgrimage. They will come unto you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every deep ravine. (Quran 22:26-27)
• "In it are clear signs [such as] the standing place of Abraham. And whoever enters it shall be safe. And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House – for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves – then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds." (Quran 3:97)
• It is considered the first place of worship for Allah
• "Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Makkah – blessed and a guidance for the worlds." (Quran 3:96)
• Lo! the first Sanctuary (bayt) appointed for mankind was that at Becca [Mecca], a blessed place, a guidance for mankind; wherein are plain memorials (of God’s guidance); the place where Abraham stood up to pray; and whosoever enters it is safe. And pilgrimage to the House is a duty unto God for mankind, for him who can find a way there. As for him who disbelieves, (let him know that) lo! God is Independent of (all) creatures. (Quran 3:96-97)
• Mecca is also the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the city where his prophethood and message began.
• Mecca is a sacred city which Muslims believe to be protected by God.
• Here are a couple of Prophetic traditions (hadith) about the status of Mecca in Islam:
• While departing from Makkah, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) halted on a plateau, faced the Qibla and said: “By Allah! You are the most beloved portion of Allah’s earth to me, and verily you are the most beloved portion of the earth to Allah too. Verily you are the best, spot on the face of the earth. And the most beloved to Allah. If your people did not expel me, I would not have departed from you.” (Al-Muatta)
• Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) stated in a Hadith- “The best and the most beloved city on the face of this earth to Allah is Makkah.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
• Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) stated: “The earth was rolled out from Makkah. Allah stretched (the earth) from underneath it. Thus it is called the mother of all cities.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
• “The first mountain that was placed on the earth was Abu Qubais.” (Ibn Abi Shiba, Ibn Abi Hatim and Dailmi from Ibn Abbas.) (Abu Qubais is the name of a mountain near Makkah.)
• “The angels were the first beings to circumambulate around the sacred house, two thousand years before Allah created Adam.” (Ibn Abi Duniya from Anas lbn Abi Shiba from lbn Abass/ Shafi from Ka-ab Alqirti)
• “Around the Ka’bah lies the graves of three hundred prophets.” (Sahih Muslim / Bayhaqi)
• “There is no city on earth to which all the prophets, the angels, the holy messengers and all the pious servants of Allah, who reside in the heavens and on earth, including the jinn, flocked to, except Makkah.” (Sunan Ibn Majah)
• “There is no city on earth through which Allah multiplies one good deed by a hundred thousand except Makkah.” (Sahih Bukhari , lbn Hibban)
• “Whosoever offers a salat therein, then that salat is enhanced a hundred thousand fold over.” (Sahih Muslim / Sunan Nisai)
• “Whosoever gives one dirham therein in charity, Allah writes for him the reward of having spent a hundred thousand dirhams in charity.” (Ibn Abi Zubair in the Jamul Latif from Sunan Tirmizi)
• “Anyone who completes the recitation of the full Qur’an once therein, Allah records for him the reward of a hundred thousand recitations.” (Baihaqi , lbn Majah)
• “Whosoever glorifies Allah once therein, for him is recorded the rewards of having glorified Allah a hundred thousand times elsewhere. Every good deed which a servant enacts in the haram is equivalent to a hundred thousand deeds enacted elsewhere.” (Sunan Nasai)
• “Each pious deed performed therein is multiplied a hundred thousand fold.” (Sunan Abu Dawud)
• “It is not known of any other city from which Allah will, on the day of Qiyamah, resurrect as many Ambiya, Allah-fearing souls, pious people, truthful ones, martyrs, religious people, Ulama, jurists, sages, ascetics, devotees, pilgrims, chosen ones and mystics, both males and females as Makkah. Verily they will be resurrected in a state wherein they will be safe from Allah’s punishment.” (Sahih Bukhari , Sahih Muslim)
• Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) stated: “The best, purest, holiest and closest spot to Allah, is the place between the Marwah and the Maqam.” (Sahih Bukhari , Sunan Ibn Majah)
• Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) stated: “The space between the Ruknul Yamani and the Hajre Aswad is a garden from the gardens of Jannah.” (Sahih Muslim, Sunan Tirmizi)
• Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) stated: “A person who passed away while performing the hajj or umrah will not be questioned (in the qabr) nor will any reckoning be taken from him (on the day of Qiyamah). He will be told: “Enter Jannah in peace with those who have attained salvation.” (Bayhaqi)
• Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) stated:”Anyone who observes the fasts of the month of Ramadan in Makkah, Allah records for him the reward of a hundred thousand months of fasting in any other city.” (Sunan Ibn Majah)
• “The salat offered in Masjid-ul-Haram is increased by a hundred thousand salaah. For verily one obtains one hundred and fifty million (150 000 000) rewards for a salaah offered therein.” (Sahih Bukhari , Sahih Muslim)
• “Anyone who falls ill in Makkah for one day, Allah renders his body and his flesh haram (forbidden) from the fire of Jahannam.” (Sahih Bukhari)
• Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) stated: “Anyone who falls ill in Makkah for one day, Allah records for that person the rewards of having done good deeds equivalent to sixty years worship in any other place.” (Muatta)
• “Anyone who endures the heat of Makkah with patience for an hour of the day, Allah will distance that person from the fire of Jahannam by a distance of a journey of five hundred years and bring him closer to Jannah by a distance of a journey of two hundred years. Indeed Makkah and Madinah eject any impurities within them like flames eject rust from iron. Understand carefully! Difficulties and calamities abounded in Makkah right from its inception. Great stages are realised by enduring these difficulties.” (Sahih Muslim)
• “Anyone who endures any difficulty experienced in Makkah (with patience), I will intercede and bear witness for him on the day of Qiyamat.” (Sunan ibn Majah)
• “The best valley on the face of this earth is the valley of lbrahim(alaihis salaam).” (Sahih Bukhari, Sunan Tirmizi)
• “The best well on the face of this earth is the well of Zamzam.” (Sahih Muslim)
• “For verily, anyone who touches the Hajre Aswad is cleansed of his sins just as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him.” (Musnad lmam Ahmad)
• “There is no city in the world in which one finds an object, which when touched by any human being, cleanses him of his sins and leaves him in the same state as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him, except Makkah.” (Muatta)
• “There is no city on the face of this earth in which a person offers a salah in accordance with a command which Allah issued to his Nabi Sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam except Makkah.” (Sunan Ibn Majah)
• “Anyone who offers salah behind the Maqam has attained safety.” (Sahih Bukhari, Sunan Nisai)
• “The most beloved spot to Allah is the area between the Maqam-e-lbrahim and the Multazam.” (Sunan Tirmizi , Abu Dawud)

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