Mark Meek's Ideas: Mecca And Medina

The two cities may also be spelled as Makkah and Madinah.

Mecca and Medina, both in the western part of Saudi Arabia, are the first and second holiest cities in the Islamic religion. Every Moslem who can afford it is supposed to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, known as the Hajj, once in their lifetime.

When I was in school I remember that one in six people were Moslems. Years later I read that one in five people were Moslems. The latest information that is online is that one in four people is a Moslem. "Muhammad" is by far the most common given name in the world. So it would be a good idea to understand this religion.

What Islam is all about is that the Bible had it right, there is certainly only one God, but the scriptures had been corrupted and mistranslated over time. God revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad, in Mecca, in order to restore the original true religion. The God of Moslems, usually called Allah, is the same God as Jews and Christians. Abraham, Moses, Mary and, Jesus are part of Islam. Jesus is considered as a prophet, but not the Son of God, and Abraham's promised line goes through his son Ishmael, rather than Isaac.

Islam is the youngest of the world's major religions, it's calendar begins in 622 of the Christian calendar. Years on the Islamic calendar are lunar, rather than solar, so a year on the Islamic calendar has fewer days.

The basic theology of Islam is simple. God is so all-powerful that mere humans like us cannot even begin to fathom Him. All that we can do is completely submit to God, which is what Islam means, and hope for His mercy. Muhammad is considered as the messenger who restored the true religion, but not as a messiah or savior.

Islam is as divided as Christianity is. There are numerous sects. The most important division is between Sunni and Shiite. The leader of the religion was called a Caliph. There is no Caliph accepted by all Moslems today. After the death of Muhammad there was disagreement over who the next Caliph should be. Some said that he should be hereditary, from Muhammad, but others said that he should be chosen by consensus. The consensus side got their way and Abu Bakr, who had been Muhammad's father-in-law, was chosen as the next Caliph.

But the hereditary side thought that Ali, Muhammad's son-in-law who was the husband of his daughter Fatima, should have been Caliph. Ali eventually did become the fourth Caliph. But by then the split had become permanent. The hereditary side continued with Caliphs from Ali, and are known as Shia or Shiites. Up to 15% of Moslems today are Shiites but the vast majority are Sunni, from the consensus side. Aside from Mecca and Medina, Shiites have their own holy cities. These are Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, and Qom and Mashad in Iran.

ALL IMAGES ARE FROM GOOGLE EARTH OR STREET VIEW

There is a panoramic view of the city of Mecca from Jabal Al-Nour, and a line of people to look inside the cave where Muhammad first recited the Qur'an, although this is not a required part of the pilgrimage.

The focal point of Islam is the Grand Mosque, also called the Sacred Mosque, in Mecca.

At the center of the courtyard of the Grand Mosque is the Kaaba. This is a cubic stone structure that is covered with a black shroud that is made anew every year. For one out of every four people on earth this is the center of everything. On the pilgrimage the Kaaba is circled seven times, walking counter-clockwise, both at the beginning and the end of the pilgrimage. Pilgrims wear the same simple white garments. No celebrities or billionaires are special here.

In the following image of the Grand Mosque, from above, you can see the Kaaba at the center. The two copper domes on the right are over two hills, called Safaa and Marwah. Pilgrims walk between these hills, which are covered and connected by a hallway, seven times. This represents Hagar's search for water for herself and her son, Ishmael, in the desert. Water was revealed to her in the adjacent Well of Zamzam. Christianity and Judaism have Abraham's line going through his younger son, Isaac.

This is the hallway that connects the two hills.

Caring for all of these pilgrims is certainly a monumental task. While pilgrims typically stay in tents, luxurious hotels are also available. If three million people are on the pilgrimage, hundreds might become ill or injured every day. Remember that most of the imagery here was taken during the off-season.

At nearby Mina, the pilgrims throw stones at three pillars that represent the Devil. There are so many pilgrims that an additional level was built to access the pillars.

On Mount Arafat, which is surrounded by a level plain and where Muhammad made his final sermon, pilgrims recite the Qur'an. This image must definitely have been taken in the off-season because it is crowded during the Hajj. A version of the pilgrimage, called the Umrah, can be done anytime.

Medina is 340 km north of Mecca. Pilgrims may go there also, although it is not required. Muhammad was born in Mecca but much of his life, and recitation of the Qur'an, took place in Medina. After persecution in Mecca, his journey to Medina is known as the Hegira or Hijrah and is the beginning of the Islamic calendar.

The most important site in Medina is the Mosque of the Prophet, or Masjid An-Nabawi. This is where Muhammad's tomb is. These striped arches closely resemble those in the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, which was built during the Umayyad Caliphate. The first Caliphate was the Rashidun, and it's capital was Medina. The Umayyad Caliphate was the second, and it's capital was Damascus.