Mecca - Is It A Religious Centre ?

[ghulam muhammed]

Excerpts of an article copied from the net :-

The city of Mecca is considered, by a large portion of humanity to be the seminal place of Islam and a birth place of the Final propagator of it, the Messenger Mohammad. His followers believe that Mecca not only is the religious Centre – Quibla, focus of the planet Earth but God’s Capital on earth. This raises a few pertinent questions to ponder upon, based on the History as we know it; of the early Muslims community’s struggle to establish a successful and Earthly State and ask:-

If the city of Mecca is the city of peace and security, “balad-ul-ameen” 95-3 as given in Quran, then why did not God’s messenger get the peace and security there in the struggle to establish God’s own commands? Why did he have to flee from there?

• Muhammad, the Messenger of God fled under Gods protection, the trading and idol-worshipping-Temple City of Mecca, for refuge in a distant city of Medina. (www.newageislam.com/The Most significant Event 16th May2012) He then never looked back except to subdue the hostile enemy city of his birth, in the last but one year of his life. But he RETURNED to his temporal earthly State Capital city of Medina after the expedition was over, why?

His deputies, the four ‘righteous Khulafa’ too, after about three decades of having established Medina as a Capital of their expanding empire, never went back to Mecca either, to the city which was also their birth place, why?

When the fourth Khalifa, Ali eventually moved out from Medina, he established himself in Kufa- Iraq and not in Mecca, why?

None ever since, established Mecca as a Capital of their Muslim empires, not even the Ottomans Turks who ruled it and large part of Muslim-world for centuries, even though they were called Khulafa by the Muslim world, why?

Strangely nor have the present custodians – khadimul Haramain of Mecca and Medina established their Kingdom’s capital in either of the two holy cities; the seminal places of Islam why?

Was it because Mecca was always a ‘Temple’ city, and Quran “forbids compulsion in ad-Deen- 2-256, and gave freedom of choice to practice one’s religion 39-15 and forbids reviling of other peoples’ deities/religion as in 6-108”, and therefore could not have been destroyed?

The ‘traditional’ belief is also questionable that the Messenger had destroyed the idols ‘with his own hands’ (as is said did Ibrahim the Haneef in the past!). That would be clear contradiction of Quran’s teaching. It is therefore arguable if Mecca had ever lost its “temple-city” status!

To the second dot point; a scholar of repute did suggest that ‘may be because Muhammad felt obliged to the Ansars – the Helpers--of Medina for their help and protection given to him, therefore he stayed there to win their hearts. The answer is logical, but then was it obligatory – Rasool’s Sunnah, on the others too to do the same? If yes, then why did the fourth one leave the city? Then there are the rest of the questions begging answers.

It seems that Religious and Temporal focuses on this Earth are not one and the same entities! The later may shift geographically from place to place and time to time on the Earth’s surface, but the former, once established has its eternal place in the psyche of mankind, thus creating the “Them and Us” syndrome with various focuses for Humanity lending truth to 10-19 of Quran!

Would it not be better for humanity therefore, to apply the truism for the centre of the universe that it lies in the centre of it, engulfing mankind with its immensity and infinity, to ponder upon with complete ease, standing, sitting or even lying down 3-191?

[porus]

Significance of Makkah is that the Kaaba is situated in that city.

If you consider sura 95, the first three ayats have a definite relationship. Fig and Olive (ayat 1) have both healing properties and are associated with Jesus in Injeel. And the Mount Sinai (ayat 2) is associated with Moses in Torah. It stands to reason then that the the term 'al-balad al-ameen' (ayat 3) is associated with Muhammad and the Quran. Thus the ayats represent successive epochs of revelation.

Al-balad refers to the community of believers who accepted the message. Al-ameen (secure) refers in two-fold manner both to the guarantee of security of believers in this world and the next and also to the Quran whose security has been vouchsafed by Allah. The reason why people associate this ayat with Makkah is that it signifies a Muslim's desire for the security of the shrine. It is not clear from the Quran itself if it refers to Makkah.

I speculate that the reason why the Prophet and his successor Khalifas left Makkah alone was that they did not want to dilute the significance of Makkah as a pre-eminent city of God (Baytullah), which would have happened if a Government was instituted in the city.

What is even more fantastic is that the Prophet is buried in Madinah. Thus the providence has decreed that God and Man are separate. Imagine what would happen if Prophet had been buried in the precincts of the Kaaba! With penchant of humans to engage in idol-worship, Kaabaa and Prophet's Darih would be competing for attention. The fact that Prophet is buried in Madinah points to Allah's plan to make Islam the sole religion of Tawheed. Allah has His own maqaam not diluted by any trace even of his most devoted servant, Muhammad.

[anajmi]

What is even more fantastic is that the Prophet is buried in Madinah. Thus the providence has decreed that God and Man are separate. Imagine what would happen if Prophet had been buried in the precincts of the Kaaba! With penchant of humans to engage in idol-worship, Kaabaa and Prophet's Darih would be competing for attention. The fact that Prophet is buried in Madinah points to Allah's plan to make Islam the sole religion of Tawheed. Allah has His own maqaam not diluted by any trace even of his most devoted servant, Muhammad.

Now consider the shia belief that Hazrat Ali (ra) was born inside the kaaba in light of this separation between Man and God and my argument that the shia are idol worshippers.

[humble_servant_us]

the shia belief that Hazrat Ali (ra) was born inside the kaaba in light of this separation between Man and God and my argument that the shia are idol worshippers.

Birth of Imam Ali(as) in kaaba is not a shia belief but a historical fact acknowledged by sunnis also. The All wise Allah(swt) planned to get his prophet(pbuh) burried away from Kaaba, but allowed Ali(as) to be born in the Kaaba.
What a special honour for a HIS(swt) slave.

[anajmi]

Birth of Imam Ali(as) in kaaba is not a shia belief but a historical fact acknowledged by sunnis also.

Actually it is a fairy tale. The fact that some sunnis acknowledge it doesn't change that fact.

[aliabbas_aa]

i am yet to find authentic references, evidences to prove haz ali as was born in kaaba, can anyone do the needful?

[anajmi]

You will now get links to 10,000 shia books which you will have to go through to get the needed proof. You should study them all!!!

[stranger]

i am yet to find authentic references, evidences to prove haz ali as was born in kaaba, can anyone do the needful?

What are the 'Authentic' references, according to you ?

[aliabbas_aa]

A source with chain of narrations upto the prophet pbuh authenticated by a shia (for shiites) or sunni scholar with explanation.

[humanbeing]

Birth of Imam Ali(as) in kaaba is not a shia belief but a historical fact acknowledged by sunnis also. The All wise Allah(swt) planned to get his prophet(pbuh) burried away from Kaaba, but allowed Ali(as) to be born in the Kaaba.
What a special honour for a HIS(swt) slave.

Dear HSU

How does this historical fact become a part of belief to glorify Imam Ali in comparison of prophet Muhammad.

What difference it makes where Imam Ali was born or Prophet Muhammad is Buried. Both personalities lived an exemplary life out of the virtues they chose to accept as commanded by Allah and practiced them in life, its their determination and acievements which makes them special in my eyes not their birth and burial places which they had no control over. Infac t any one of us, have no control over where we are born and where we will be buried.

Why are you comparing these 2 historical facts and implying a special treatment of Imam Ali being born in kaaba and Prophet Muhammad buried in medina. The only Hikmat I see of Allah in these events are, that Allah made it so normal and easy to understand that, even his first most believers lived and died simple.

Such and many other small natural occurrences people glorify in guise of love and affection turning into worship attitude over generations.