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Makkah's location in the Bible

A lot of people do not know this but Makkah is actually a house (called el Kaaba), it is covered today with a black silk cloth. Makkah was built by the prophet Abraham (pbuh) around 1800-2000 BC as the first house dedicated to the worship of the One and only God.

 

How Makkah came to be?

 

Abraham (pbuh) was the son of an idol merchant and was appointed by God to eliminate all idolatry at the time. God granted Abraham (pbuh) wisdom in his childhood and Abraham (pbuh) remained in a high spiritual position till the day of his death.

 

Abraham (pbuh) told his father that he had indeed received revelations from God, knowledge which his father did not possess and tried to convince him of the folly of idol worshiping, but his father rejected Abraham’s guidance. So one day, when Abraham (pbuh) was left alone to mind the store, he took a hammer and smashed all of the idols except the largest one. He placed the hammer in the hand of the largest idol. When his father returned and asked what happened, Abraham (pbuh) said, “The idols got into a fight, and the big one smashed all the other ones.” His father said, “Don’t be ridiculous. These idols have no life or power. They can’t do anything.” Abraham (pbuh) replied, “Then why do you worship them?”

That story is narrated in the Torah, the Bible and the Qur’an.

 

After having destroyed the folly idol, the people of his village were very offended and tried to burn him to death, but God had bigger plans for him so he saved him. Abraham (pbuh) was pushed out of the country and migrated to Egypt with his wife Sarah.

 

Many years have passed by and Abraham (pbuh) was anxious, because he had no children and he was growing old. Abraham’s beloved wife, Sarah offered her maidservant, Hagar, as a wife to Abraham (pbuh). This was a common practice in the region at the time. Hagar bore Abraham a son, Ishmael (pbut), who, according to both Muslim and Jewish tradition, is the ancestor of the Arabs.

 

Few years have past and by the glory of God, Isaac (pbuh) was born from Sarah. However, with Sarah, things were never the same and Sarah requested from Abraham (pbuh) to send Hagar and her son away. She declared that Ishmael would not share in Isaac’s inheritance (pbut). Abraham (pbuh) was greatly distressed by his wife’s words but the Lord told Abraham (pbuh) not to be distressed and to do as his wife requested. God reassured Abraham that “Isaac shall seed be called to thee.” He also said that Ishmael would make a great nation, “because he is thy seed”, too. According to the Bible (Genesis 21:12 and Genesis 21:9-13) and to the Qur’an.

 

The next day Abraham took Hagar and Ishamel (pbut) from Egypt to a place in the dessert (remember it is 1800-2000 BC) no map existed yet, so how do we know where he took them exactly? The Bible answers this question for us by mentioning a well of water which appeared to save the lives of Hagar and Ishamel (pbuh). The well still exists today, it is called “ZamZam well” and is located near underneath el Kaaba.

 

This is what the Bible says:

“Early the next morning, Abraham brought Hagar and Ishmael out together. He gave her bread and water and sent them away. The two wandered the wilderness of Beersheba until her bottle of water was completely consumed. In a moment of despair, she burst in tears. The boy then called to God and upon hearing him, an angel of God confirmed to Hagar that he would become a great nation. A well of water then appeared so that it saved their lives” Bible (Genesis 21:14-19)

 

Note: The gesture of despair of Hagar running back and forth between the two mountains seeking water for her son is a ritual performed during the Muslim pilgrimage (Hajj) called “Saee” , pilgrims run and walk 7 times between the 2 mountains of Safa and Marwa.

 

Abraham (pbuh) came to visit them very often at their new location and with the help of his son (pbut) he began building the first house dedicated to the worship of the One and unique God. Once the house was finished, Hajj (pilgrimage) was prescribed to the prophet Abraham (pbuh), this is what the Qur’an says: ” We assigned to Abraham the site of the house, saying Do not associate with me anything and purify My house for those who circumambulate the Kaabah (house) and those who bow and prostate themselves. Call mankind to the pilgrimage. They will come to you, on foot, and on every kind of lean camel, by every distant track”. Qur’an 22: 26-27

Years after the death of Abraham (pbuh), the inhabitants of Makkah, owing to the evil influence of the heathen Amalekites, fell back into idolatry and paganism.

 

In 630 AD Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) peacefully re-entered and freed Makkah from idols worshiping and rededicated Makkah to the worship of the One and unique God. And so Muslims come from around the world during the month of Hajj each year in response to the call made by the Lord to Abraham in 1800 before Jesus Christ (pbut).

 

 

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