Abdullah Az-Zuhri reported: I saw the Messenger of Allah, (saw), while he was standing near Makkah and saying, “By Allah, verily, you are the best and most beloved land to Allah and had I not been driven away from you I would not have left you.”
Source: At-Tirmidhi
Makkah al-Mukarramah. The city we all face at least 5 times a day to offer our salah to our Creator. It must go unnoticed that that’s the direction of our prayer. This city has its own charm and holiness. The land of Makkah is the most sacred and holy land on the entire Earth. It’s the city of safety, security, and the city from where divine revelation to the Prophet Muhammad (saw) began. It’s also the city from where our beloved Prophet (saw) was appointed as Messenger to all mankind. Allah (swt) swears by it in the Qur’an.
I swear by this city, Makkah. And you, (O Muhammad), are free of restriction in this city.
Surah Balad, Ayah 1-2
The city was originally founded by Prophet Ibrahim (as). The Kabah was constructed by Prophet Ibrahim (as) and his son Prophet Ismail (as) to be the first house of worship on Earth. The city grew to be a center of worship to Allah (swt). However as the years went by, the locals began to indulge in idolatry and slowly but surely forgot their monotheistic beliefs. Allah (swt) sent the Prophet Muhammad (saw) with a timeless mission that began in Makkah.
It’s known as Umm al-Qura (Mother of all towns). It’s the city where the first house of worship (The Kabah) was constructed. Its sacredness (Haram) is properly defined by Allah (swt). Acts of killing, harming nature, and chasing animals are strictly forbidden. When in Makkah, one should also not pick up a lost item not belonging to you except with the intent of announcing that one has found it, seeking its owner.
Masjid al-Haram is the most sacred place on Earth. Along with that sanctity comes gracefulness from Allah (swt). This gracefulness is shown by Allah (swt) in his mercy and compassion when he makes 1 salah 100,000 times more excellent. Makkah is also home to where the sacred pilgrimages of Hajj and Umrah take place. Furthermore, the holy water of Zamzam can also only be found gushing from the land beneath Makkah. The timeless acts of worship such as tawaf are only possible to do in Makkah. As we perform our tawaf, the angels in the heavens are performing tawaf in the same exact spot as the Kabah around their heavenly Kabah, Bayt al-Ma’mur. The Kabah itself is such a miraculous structure.
These are just some of the blessings and virtues of the Honored city. The virtues that make the heart yearn for more and an everlasting desire to return over and over. As the years have gone by, the sheer number of visitors has increased every day. The more a person visits, the more that person is pulled to want to visit it again. May Allah (swt) allow us to have the opportunity to visit Makkah for the purpose of worshipping Him alone and earning his reward.
Unique Facts about Makkah al-Mukarramah
- Makkah is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world.
- The city used to be called Bakkah.
- The Prophet Muhammad (saw) spent about 50 years of his life in Makkah.
- Masjid al-Haram tends to get flooded when it rains since it’s in the lowest part of Makkah.
- The Kabah’s orginal shape was rectangular.
Click here for a video about the history of Makkah!
Click here for a video about the miraculous Kabah!
My Daily Deen 