Makkah: The Most Sacred Place for Muslims
Makkah is the holiest place for Muslims. The Masjid al-Haram is located in this very city of Makkah. The final prophet of the end times, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), was born here and received revelation in the Cave of Hira. He spent 13 years of his prophethood in Makkah. Because of its significance, Makkah is the focal point of interest for every Muslim, and they are keen to know more about the sacred city and its history. In this article, we will present a brief history of Makkah.
History of Makkah
The history of Makkah is intertwined with the history of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham, peace be upon him). Whether Muslim, Christian, or Jew, no one is unaware of the name of Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH). More than two-thirds of the world’s population acknowledges him as a leader. Prophet Musa (Moses, PBUH), Prophet Isa (Jesus, PBUH), and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) are all descendants of Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH). The light of truth that he ignited more than 4,000 years ago was passed on to subsequent prophets, who were his rightful heirs. In fact, it was Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) who established human habitation in Makkah. Though some argue that communities like the Amalekites lived around Makkah, it is clear that Ibrahim (PBUH) laid the foundation for Makkah’s settlement.
Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH)’s Call
Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH), along with his wife Sara, left their birthplace in the city of Babel, Iraq, in order to establish the oneness of God (Tawhid), and they emigrated to the Levant. After arriving in the Levant and later traveling to Egypt, they encountered a tyrant, an immoral ruler who was attracted to Ibrahim’s beautiful wife Sara. He attempted to make inappropriate advances, but he was struck by Allah’s wrath. As a result, the ruler, in fear, gave his servant Hagar (Hajar) to Sara as a gift.
Hagar became the mother of Prophet Isma’il (Ishmael, PBUH). As Isma’il (PBUH) was born, Ibrahim’s affection for Hagar increased. However, it became difficult for Sara to accept this. By the command of Allah, Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) took his wife Hagar and their newborn son Isma’il (PBUH) to Makkah, a barren desert, and left them near the Ka’bah.
Hagar, with her son Isma’il (PBUH), began living beside the Ka’bah. Eventually, water gushed forth from the ground where Isma’il (PBUH) had struck his foot, which later became known as the Zamzam well. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “May Allah have mercy on the mother of Isma’il (PBUH). If she had left Zamzam in its natural state, it would have turned into a flowing river.”
Birth of Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH)
Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) himself was the son of an idol-worshiping priest. He was born over 4,000 years ago in Iraq. His father, Azar, was a priest in the society at that time, and his entire family worshipped idols. However, Ibrahim (PBUH) strived to free himself from the darkness of idol worship. When he became aware, he initially considered the moon, the sun, and the stars to be deities worthy of worship. But later, he realized that these could not be worshipped because they were like obedient servants of their Creator, following His commands. Ultimately, Ibrahim (PBUH) came to the conclusion that:
إِنِّي وَجَهْتُ وَجْهِي لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السموت وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ المشركين
Translation: “I have directed my face towards Him who created the heavens and the earth, as a Hanif, and I am not of the polytheists.” (Al-An’am: 79)
Through this declaration, Ibrahim (PBUH) rejected the sovereignty of man, deities, and any earthly rulers. He denied everything except submission to Allah’s law and sovereignty. This stance led to great trials for him.
After receiving prophethood, when Ibrahim (PBUH) announced the message of pure Tawhid and propagated the sovereignty of Allah and His laws, his family, society, and the state turned against him. In defiance, he broke the idols in his community, proving that those idols had no power—they could not even protect themselves. He declared in the royal court that the true Lord was the One who controlled the life and death of all beings and whose law governed the sun, the moon, and the stars. King Nimrod, enraged by Ibrahim’s (PBUH) words, decided to throw him into a fire. By Allah’s command, the fire could not burn him, and he was saved.
Later, Ibrahim (PBUH), childless at the time, traveled with his wife and nephew across various regions, spreading the message of Allah’s religion. He did not travel for wealth or trade, but to propagate the message of Tawhid. At the age of 85-90, after reaching old age, he prayed to Allah for a child, and Allah granted him a son, Isma’il (PBUH). Eventually, Ibrahim (PBUH) was tested by Allah, who commanded him to sacrifice his beloved son Isma’il (PBUH). Both father and son prepared for the sacrifice, and they successfully passed the test.
Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) as a Leader in the World of Islam
After passing the test, Allah appointed Ibrahim (PBUH) as the Imam (leader) for all of humanity. Allah says:
وَإِذْ أَبْتَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَاتَمُهُنَّ طَ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ
للنَّاسِ امَامًا
Translation: “And when Ibrahim (PBUH) was tested by his Lord with certain words, and he fulfilled them, Allah said, ‘Indeed, I will make you a leader for the people.'” (Surah Al-Baqarah: 124)
Thus, Ibrahim (PBUH) was appointed as the leader of all people and the leader of the global Islamic mission.
To spread this message, three of his companions played key roles. The first was his nephew, Prophet Lut (Lot, PBUH), whom he placed in the region of Sodom (Trans-Jordan), known for its immoral behavior. The second was his eldest son, Isma’il (PBUH), and the third was his younger son, Ishaq (Isaac, PBUH). All three were prophets.
Prophet Lut (PBUH) was stationed in Sodom, where the most immoral nation lived. Their unethical practices reached the peak of corruption, including male homosexuality. The traders from Iran, Iraq, and Egypt passed through this area, and it was Lut’s responsibility to call them to Islam.
Prophet Ishaq (PBUH) was stationed in Canaan (Palestine), a region between Syria and Egypt. It was from here that Prophet Ishaq’s (PBUH) son, Ya’qub (Jacob, also called Israel), and his grandson, Yusuf (Joseph, PBUH), spread the message of Islam to Egypt.
The eldest son, Isma’il (PBUH), was stationed in Makkah. Together, he and his father built the Ka’bah in Makkah, establishing it as the center of the Muslim world. It was here that the Hajj pilgrimage was instituted. Allah Himself determined the location of this sacred site. A mosque, Masjid al-Haram, was built around the Ka’bah. But this mosque was not just a place of worship; from the very beginning, it served as the center for spreading the Islamic movement. The purpose of building the Ka’bah was that people from all around the world, near and far, would gather here to worship Allah and, after learning the revolutionary message of Islam, return to their respective lands to spread it further. This gathering is called Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam.
In conclusion, Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) sought to change the widespread idol worship, superstitions, injustice, and other harmful practices he encountered in Iraq and beyond. He established Makkah as a center for Tawhid, the sovereignty of Allah, and the laws of Islam, as per Allah’s command.
