History informs us about what happened during specific points in the past as well as events that have taken place over time and gives us information related to this. Such information may be true or false, and every Muslim is obliged to seek the truth and confirm any information he hears so that he may ascertain what is correct from what is fabricated. Moreover, every Muslim should refer to reliable sources in order to obtain definite, authentic and verifiable information.
Makkah is the Sacred City as well as the holiest and the absolutely most honourable place on earth. The most truthful sources from which one can take news about its history are the Noble Qur’an and the authentic prophetic narrations in this regard, and from these we can ascertain its ancient history as well as how it was prior the message and prophethood of Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.
After the advent of Islam, Muslim scholars and historians have endeavoured to record chronicles of Makkah in general history books as well as books concerned with the biographies of the Muslim scholars who lived in it. Some scholars authored books that dealt primarily with its history and the areas surrounding it, one of the most famous being Chronicles of Makkah and its Ancient Monuments authored by Abu al-Waleed al-Azraqi, may Allah have mercy upon him, from the third century AH. Another book was Chronicles of Makkah in Ancient and Contemporary Times authored by Al-Faakihi, may Allah have mercy upon him, who also lived during the third century AH, and his book was larger than that written by al-Azraqi, but the initial parts of his book were lost over time.
Thereafter, chronicling the affairs and events of Makkah ceased for a period of almost four centuries. It was thereafter resumed and one of the scholars who is considered to be the most prolific author regarding it and its history was Imaam Taqiyyud-Deen al-Faasi al-Makki, may Allah have mercy upon him (775-832 AH). In his book entitled The Therapy for those who Harbour Affection for the History of the Sacred City, Imaam Taqiyyud-Deen expressed his amazement at the fact that chronicling the history of Makkah had halted after al-Azraqi and al-Faakihi.
This incited him to write many publications on the history of Makkah. One of the largest books he authored was The Treasured Necklace on the History of the Secure City which consisted of eight volumes. Next in size came The Therapy for those who Harbour Affection for the History of the Sacred City consisting of two volumes, which he later summarised in books such as The Gift for the Honourable on the History of the Sacred City and others.
Thereafter, many scholars and schools of history arose which contributed to the writing of the history and chronicles of Makkah such as, Aal Fahd and Aal At-Tabari, and this has continued ever since, to include the contemporary.

The establishment of Makkah:
The history and building of Makkah is directly connected to Prophet Ibraaheem (Abraham), may Allah exalt his mention, as he was the first person to settle his family in it when he left his wife Haajar and his son Ismaa’eel (Ishmael), may Allah exalt his mention, there in compliance with the command of Allah for him to do so.
Imaam Al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy upon him, reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, in the long narration in which the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, informed us that Ibraaheem once came with Haajar and Ismaa’eel, who was still a suckling infant, from ancient Syria to Makkah. At that time, Makkah had no water and nobody residing there. Ibraaheem took them both under the shade of a tree and left with them a bag of dates and a flask of water, then headed back to ancient Syria.
As he was leaving, his wife Haajar called to him, saying: “Where are you going? How can you leave us in this deserted valley that has neither humans nor anything else (in terms of life)?” She repeated this a few times but he did not reply, so she asked: “Did Allah command you to do this?” Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, replied: “Yes” Thereupon she said: “Then He shall never forsake us”.
Ibraaheem walked for a while and then stood upon a small hill, raised his hands in supplication, and said, as Allah informs us saying (what means): “Our Lord! I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your Sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make hearts among the people incline toward them and provide for them from the fruits that they might be grateful.” [Qur’an 14:37]
Allah blessed Haajar and her son with the well of Zamzam, and then people came from all directions and resided in Makkah. The first tribe to reside there was the tribe of Jurhum among whom Ismaa’eel grew up and from whom he married.
Ibraaheem came many times to Makkah to check upon their condition, and later Allah commanded him to build the Ka’aba; Allah says (what means): “And [mention] when Ibraaheem (Abraham) was raising the foundations of the House and [with him] Ismaa’eel (Ishmael), [saying]: ‘Our Lord! Accept [this] from us. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing.’” [Qur’an 2:127]
Allah also says (what means): “And [O Muhammad], when We designated for Ibraaheem (Abraham) the site of the House, [saying] “Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who perform Tawaaf (circumambulation of the Ka’aba) and those who stand [in prayer] and those who bow and prostrate.” [Qur’an 22:26]
Ibn Katheer, may Allah have mercy upon him, said commenting upon this verse in his famous book of history entitled The Beginning and the End in Volume 1, page 135: “There is no authentic report from the infallible (i.e. Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) informing us that the House (the Ka’aba) was built before Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, and whoever states that, relying upon this verse (for evidence of that), has no basis for such a claim because what is meant by the verse is that he was simply being informed of where the House was to be built.”
In Volume 2 page 227 of the same book, he said: “The verses of the Qur’an clearly indicate that Ibraaheem was the first person to build it.”
Abu Tharr, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated: “I asked the messenger of Allah: ‘O messenger of Allah! Which mosque was the first built on earth?’ He replied: “The Sacred Mosque (in Makkah)”. “I then asked: ‘Which mosque was built next?’ He sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “The Aqsaa mosque (in Jerusalem).” “Thereupon, I asked: ‘What was the period between the building of the two mosques?’ He replied: “Forty years.” [Al-Bukhari]
These reports clearly highlight the virtue of Prophet Ibraaheem and confirm that he was the one who built the two mosques, and that the period between the two was 40 years.
Therefore, it becomes evident that the first thing to be established in Makkah was the Sacred Mosque (i.e. the Ka’aba), and that the first water to gush forth from it was Zamzam.
Thereafter, the offspring of Ismaa’eel multiplied in the area of Hijaaz (the province in which Makkah lies) and its surroundings, and their families succeeded each other in caring for the Sacred House and maintaining it for a long period of time, until the tribe of Khuzaa’ah took over this responsibility. People remained upon the monotheism with which Prophet Ibraaheem came until the time when, ‘Amr bin Lahy al-Khuzaa’i introduced idol worshipping in the Ka’aba.
The number of idols then increased in the Ka’aba and this phenomenon spread all around the Arabian Peninsula to the extent that the number of idols in the Ka’aba reached 360, as stated by Al-Kalbi in his book The Idols.
Due to numerous wars and tribal struggles, the well of Zamzam was buried and people could no longer find it. Qusay bin Kilaab, a great-grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, forcefully took over the custody of caring for the Sacred House and maintaining it from the tribe of Khuzaa’ah, as it had abused its authority. Qusay gathered the scattered families of the Quraysh tribe, relocated them in Makkah, and restored the sanctity of Makkah, which had been lost due to Khuzaa’ah’s misuse of authority and because some of the Quraysh tribe had been placed in the surrounding areas of Makkah in order to protect it.
This marked the beginning of an authority that glorified Makkah and which freely offered all types of services to its visitors, such as food, water and the cleaning and maintaining of the Ka’aba.
After ‘Abdul-Muttalib saw a dream in which he saw the exact spot of the buried well of Zamzam, he had the area dug up and restored the well. Thus, the well of Zamzam once again became the source of water to the pilgrims and visitors, as well as to the residents of Makkah.
After this, a grave event took place during the time of ‘Abdul-Muttalib when Abrahah the Ethiopian headed towards Makkah riding a huge elephant in order to demolish the Ka’aba. This is why that year came to be known as “The Year of the Elephant”, during which the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was born.
A city with such a magnificent history is worthy of having such an exalted status and should, therefore, be glorified and honoured. It deserves to occupy a special place in the hearts of its residents, as well as the Muslims in general.

Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/



This is the Sacred City
Honourable Makkah, the Sacred City: Allah has distinguished it from among all places and made it sacred from the day He created the heavens and the earth.
Allah commanded Prophet Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, to build the first House on earth for Allah to be worshipped in at this spot and sent down the Black Stone from Paradise as a manifest sign of the sanctity of His Sacred House.
In Makkah springs the finest water on the surface of the earth, the water of Zamzam, which is food that suffices the hungry and a cure for the sick. It is the water with which the chest and heart of the chosen Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, were cleansed in order to prepare him for his mission.
Allah has made Makkah eternally sacred and secure. He says (what means): “Have they not seen that We made [Makkah] a safe sanctuary, while people are being taken away (i.e. killed and taken captive) all around them?” [Qur’an 29:67]
Allah has sent down blessings and mercy upon Makkah, the likes of which have not been bestowed upon any other place or person on earth.
In order to make the matter clear, lest people confuse what is virtuous with what is not and what is sacred with what is not, the Lord sent down the angel Jibreel (Gabriel), may Allah exalt his mention, to point out the boundaries of the Sacred City, and Prophet Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, placed signs marking its boundaries. Furthermore, Allah commanded His messenger, Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, to rebuild the structure of the House. This, indeed, is a clear sign and evidence manifesting the sanctity and holiness of this Secure City.
It was with the command of Allah that Prophet Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt his mention, proclaimed to the people the Haj (pilgrimage) and Allah took it upon Himself to convey the sound of the call all around the world. Thereafter, the caravan of the honourable prophets, the righteous and those who followed them began to respond and come forth to the Sacred City. Prophet Musa (Moses), may Allah exalt his mention, the one who was honoured by the miracle of Allah speaking to him, came forth, as came Prophet Yunus (Jonah), may Allah exalt his mention, the one who was swallowed by the whale, as well as a multitude of other prophets.
Makkah is the land where the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was born and where his prophethood began. It is where he first received revelation; on the peak of one of its lofty mountains lies the famous Cave Hiraa’ in which the Qur’an was revealed to him, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.
The honouring and sanctity of Makkah continued with the prophethood of Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, and he conveyed to us that the Ka’aba was to be the direction which the Muslims should face during their prayers, and that a single prayer in the Sacred Mosque was to be equivalent to a hundred thousand in any other mosque.
He, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, guided the people to know that shedding blood (i.e., killing) in Makkah is prohibited as is felling trees and hunting, and that picking up lost items from its streets is prohibited, unless certain strict conditions are fulfilled.
The last and final Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, openly announced his love of Makkah and its lofty status in the sight of Allah when he said, addressing it: “I swear by Allah! You are the best of the lands of Allah and you are the most beloved land to Allah.” [At-Tirmithi and Ahmad]
How could we not glorify Makkah when it is a land that Allah Almighty has designated and singled out with the qualities of sanctity and of being glorified magnificently? How could we not glorify it when Allah has made it sacred, magnified the reward of performing good deeds in it, and has made its mention eternal by mentioning it in the Qur’an? Allah says: (what means): “That [has been commanded], and whoever honours the sacred ordinances of Allah — it is best for him in the sight of his Lord” [Qur’an 22:30]
Allah also says (what means): “That [is so]. And whoever honours the symbols [i.e. rites] of Allah - indeed, it is from the piety of hearts” [Qur’an 22: 32]
The sacred ordinances and symbols (rites) of Allah refers to the Sacred City, the Sacred House of Allah, and sacred places within them, and it is due to their special qualities that Allah has distinguished them from all other cities and lands.
Honouring and glorifying the rites of Allah is accomplished by respecting this city, by realising its status and virtues, and by continually expressing gratitude upon seeing it, as well as by holding the matter of worshipping Allah within it in high esteem. This is so because the first House of worship ever to be built was in Makkah, and it is towards it that the hearts of the Muslims are directed from all places on earth. How can worship in it not then have such a high status and value?
Allah made the reward of performing acts of worship in it multiples of that performed elsewhere and made the reward of a single prayer in the sacred mosque equivalent to a hundred thousand prayers in any other mosque. Additionally, fasting, spending in charity and all other acts of virtue in Makkah have a much higher reward than anywhere else in the world, higher than any other act of worship could reach in value.

Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/

Special places where one’s supplication is accepted

Inside the Ka’aba: Usamah bin Zaid, radhiallahu ‘anhu, narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, when he entered the Ka’aba, made du’a to Allah at all its sides [Muslim].
In another hadith, Abdullah bin Umar said, “I saw Allah’s Messenger entering the Ka’aba. He, Usamah bin Zaid, Bilal and ‘Uthman bin Talha and they (locked the door) on themselves. So when they opened it, I was the first enter and I met Bilal and asked him, “Did Allah’s Messenger pray in it?” He said, ‘Yes’, he prayed between the two Yamani pillars” [Bukhari and Muslim].
However, it might be difficult for many of people to enter the Ka’aba. In such a situation, it is sufficient for a person to make Du’a inside the wall which is surrounding the Ka’aba from one side as this is considered a part of the Ka’aba. The evidence is in the hadith where ‘Aisha, radhiallahu ‘anha, asked Allah’s Messenger about the Jidar (wall) – ‘Is it part of the Ka’aba? He said, ‘Yes’. She said, ‘Why did they not enter it into the Ka’aba?’ He said. ‘Your people lacked sufficient funding.’ [Bukhari and Muslim]

At Safa and Marwah: Jabir narrated in his lengthy hadith about the pilgrimage (Haj) of the Messenger of Allah ‘....then he walked out from the door heading towards As-Safa, and when he got closer to the Safa, he read “Verily, As-Safa and Al-Marwah are of the symbols of Allah” {Al-Baqarah, 158} “I begin with that which Allah began with” so he began with As-Safa and went up on it till he sighted the Ka’aba, he faced the Qiblah and then proclaimed the oneness of Allah, made Takbeer and said, “La Ilaha Illallah Wahdahu La Shareeka Lah. Lahul-Mulk wa Lahul-Hamd, Wa-Huwa ‘Ala Kulli Shay-in Qadeer. La Ilaha Illallahu Whadah, Anajaza Wa’dah, Wa Nasara ‘Abdah, Wa Hazamal Ahzaaba Wahdah” then he made du’a between the two, repeating what he said three times..’
In the hadith it is also mentioned that ‘he did the same actions at Al-Marwah as he did at As-Safaa’ [Muslim]. Therefore, it is a Sunnah to make du’a to Allah at As-Safa and at Al-Marwah during ‘Umrah or Haj as these are counted among the places where Du’a is accepted.

At Arafah: During the Haj, and particularly on the day of ‘Arafah, one must try to make du’a to Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, as much as he can because a Du’a made on this day is the best Du’a and it is more likely to be accepted as explained in the following hadith. ‘Amru bin Shu’aib narrated from his father who, in turn, narrated from his father that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, “The best Du’a is the Du’a (made) on the day of ‘Arafah” [Tirmithi]

The people from whom Du’a is accepted
Anyone who abides by the conditions of Du’a, refrains from the reasons of its rejection, implements its manners and seeks the times and places of acceptance will be among those whose Du’a will be accepted. The Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, has also shown us specific types of people whose Du’a are especially accepted by Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala.

A person’s Du’a for his Muslim brother: A Muslim must always try to remember his brothers during Du’a because such a Du’a is accepted by Allah. Whatever we ask for out brother, we will be granted likewise. Um-Ad-Dardaa narrated that the Prophet used to say, “A Muslim’s Du’a his brother in his absence is accepted. There is an angel (assigned) close to his head, whenever he supplicates for his brother that which is good, the assigned angel says, Ameen, you will be granted similarly” [Muslim]

Du’a of an oppressed person: On many occasions, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, used to warn his companions from the Du’a of an oppressed person as it will certainly by answered. An example of this is the incident when Allah’s Messenger sent Mu’adh bin Jabal to Yemen. He gave him many instructions among which he said “And beware of an oppressed person’s Du’a for there is no shield between it and Allah” [Bukhari].

A father’s Du’a against his child: When in anger, parents must avoid making Du’a against their children as it might be answered, and that they will regret the Du’a later. A father’s Du’a for or against his children is answered as was mentioned by the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, in the hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah “Three (types) of du’a are answered, without doubt – an oppressed person’s Du’a, a travelling person’s Du’a and a father’s Du’a for his son.” [Tirmithi, Abu Dawood]. In another narration collected by Ahmed and Tirmithi, the Prophet said “a father’s du’a against his son”.

A fasting person’s Du’a: Abu Hurairah narrated that Allah’s Messenger said, “Three (types) of Du’a are not rejected – a fasting person’s till he breaks fast, a just ruler’s and an oppressed person’s...” [Tirmithi]. In another collected by Tirmithi, it has been reported that when a person invokes Allah when he is about to break his fast, his invocation is not rejected.

A pious child’s Du’a for the deceased parents: Children remain a benefit even when a person has passed away. When they make du’a to Allah requesting pardon for their deceased parents, their du’a is accepted. The one whose children forget after death, is certainly a loser. Abu Hurairah narrated that Allah’s Messenger said, “When a person dies, all rewards from deeds are terminated except from three – a continuing charity, (‘Ilm) knowledge from which benefit is (still) gained, and a pious child who is making du’a for him” [Muslim].

Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/