Makkah history protected by the house of God and the holy sites
Much talk is being made these days about the preservation of the archaeology and antiquities of Makkah as a measure to maintain its history. The loss of the history of Makkah is tantamount to the loss of the history of the entire Muslim Ummah. We say: The protection of Makkah and its sanctuaries is a duty on every Muslim through the upkeep of what Allah has bestowed on it including the Kaaba, the Holy Haram surrounding it and the holy sites where Muslim go for Haj. Allah has said: “Thy Lord does create and choose.”
Out of all locations, Allah has chosen Makkah because it contained the Ancient House, the secure Haram surrounding it and the holy sites. He says in his Holy Book: “Do they not then see that We have made a sanctuary secure, and that men are being snatched away from all around them?” In this secure Haram is the Ancient House, which God has made a save haven, and has made it imperative on people to face it during their prayers and a duty on them to go to it for Haj.
Allah has said: “Pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe to God.” There is no Haj, except in it, and no other direction than it for prayer. Around it are the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah, where pilgrims do their Haj rites. The Ancient House is surrounded by the Holy Haram, out of which animals and birds should not be driven away, should not be used as a toilet and anything dropped on it should not be picked up. “Whoever enters this House is safe,” even the animals of prey.
This house is established on monotheism in the worship of God alone. “Behold! We gave the site to Abraham, of the (sacred) House saying: Associate not anything (in worship) with Me; and sanctify My House for those who compass it round or stand up or bow or prostrate themselves (therein in prayer).”
Allah has prevented the disbelievers from coming close to His House. He says in His Holy Book: “Ye who believe! Truly the pagans are unclear; so let them not, after this year of theirs, approach the Sacred Mosque.”
At this time, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) sent Ali bin Abi Talib to call during Haj seasons. (Disbelievers should not do Haj after this year. Naked people should no more circumambulate the House) The disbeliever is anyone worshipping anything other than God including human beings, jinns, idols and tombs. This House was built on monotheism. From Makkah, the Prophet of monotheism was sent with the message of Islam to people. The House was built by Abraham and his son Ismail on monotheism. Makkah should be the source of monotheism to all those who do Haj or Umrah or come to the House for religious seclusion.
When the disbelievers occupied this House before Islam, they erected in it 360 idols. The famous idols of Esafa and Nailah were erected on Safa and Marwah, while Allat, Al-Ozzah and Manat Al-Thalitha were built in other locations in Makkah. When the Prophet conquered Makkah, he demolished all the idols while reciting the Qur’anic verse: “And say: Truth has now arrived, and falsehood perished: For falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish.” The Prophet also dispatched a number of Muslims to destroy the idols in other areas of Makkah. The House has become clean of any idols or monuments, and the disbelievers were kept away from it.
As God has purged His House from all signs of polytheism and the kafirs, the Prophet prevented all methods that might lead to polytheism including sanctifying his houses, wives, relatives and companions. He did not preserve his houses nor did he allow others to do it.
When the Prophet was asked after conquering Makkah if he would go next day to his home in the holy city, he replied: Did Aqeel leave us any homes to go to? Aqeel bin Abi Talib was the Prophet’s nephew. He sold all the houses of the Prophet in Makkah. The Prophet did not give any orders to give him back his houses, nor did he ask anyone to buy them again or give instructions to preserve them. He let them all go to be occupied by people who needed them and to demolish them if they needed to expand the Grand Mosque. Nobody dared to say demolishing the Prophet’s houses was equal to the destruction of the history of Makkah.
After his migration (Hijra) to Madinah, the Prophet never went back to Ghar (cave) Hira or Ghar Thur in Makkah, where he used to go before his mission. None of his followers or companions did so. Neither the Prophet nor anyone of his companions went to any place in Makkah, other than the Kaaba, for blessing except to the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah during Haj.
In a number of Hadiths, the Prophet asked the Muslims to follow his Sunnah, the examples of the rational caliphs and never to bring any new practices to the religion.
The history of Makkah has been preserved by God in his Holy Book. He says: “The first House (of worship) appointed for men was at Bakka: full of blessing and of guidance for all kinds of beings. In it are signs manifest; (for example), the station of Abraham; whoever enters it attains security; pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe to God — those who can afford the journey.”
God also says: “Do they not then see that We have made a sanctuary secure, and that men are being snatched away from all around them.” He also says: “And remember Abraham said: My Lord, make this a city of peace, and feed its people with fruits.” God said to his Prophet: “For me, I have been commanded to serve the Lord of this city, Him who has sanctified it and to Whom (belong) all things.”
The Qur’an also says: “As to those who have rejected (God) and would keep back (men) from the way of God, and from the Sacred Mosque, which We have made (open) to (all) men-equal is the dweller there and the visitor from the country and any whose purpose therein is profanity or wrongdoing —then will We cause to taste of a most grievous penalty.”
The Prophet said God bestowed Makkah with sanctity the day he created heavens and earth. “Makkah will be a sacred city until doomsday,” he said.
Makkah is the land of monotheism and the origin of Islam. It will remain as it was created by Allah and left behind by His Prophet the day he conquered it. Visitors will learn the creed of monotheism and the Prophet’s Sunnah from Makkah. They will also learn how to stay away from polytheism. Makkah has been purged by Allah’s two Prophets: Abraham and Muhammad. Nothing in Makkah will be held sacred except the Ancient House, the Holy Haram surrounding the Kaaba and the holy sites. It is the source of the message, the land of revelation, the home of monotheism and the origin of the correct faith for the entire world.
Sheikh Saleh bin Fouzan Al-Fouzan is a member of the Council of Senior Scholars.
(Courtesy of Al-Jazeera newspaper)
