Mecca: Difference between revisions

Mecca is the most important and holiest city in [[Hijaz]]. This city is located 80 km from the Red Sea at 21.3891˚ N, 39.8579˚. It is at a height of 330 meters above the sea level.<ref>Jaʿfarīyān, ‘’Āthār-i Islāmī-yi Makka wa Madīna’’, 1384Sh, p. 32-33</ref>

Before the emergence of Islam, Mecca was important for having Ka'ba and for being on the way of merchants who traveled from from [[Yemen]] to [[Syria]], [[Palestine]] and [[Egypt]]; they did trades in Mecca. Although [[Quraysh]] were conducting their trades only in Mecca,<ref>Yaʿqūbī, ‘’Tārīkh Yaʿqūbī’’, 1988, p. 242</ref> [[Hashim b. 'Abd Manaf]] started developing trading with regions around Mecca. Hashim and his brother, 'Abd Shams and Nawfal managed to attain permission for doing trades from the rulers of Syria, Yemen, [[Abyssinia]] and [[Iraq]]. Then Mecca turned into a prominent trading city.<ref>Jawād ʿAlī, ‘’al-Mufaṣṣal fī tārīkh al-ʿArab qabl al-Islām’’, 1970, p. 21; Yaʿqūbī, ‘’Tārīkh Yaʿqūbī’’, 1988, p. 242; Ṭabarī, ‘’Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī’’, 1968, vol. 2, p. 251-252</ref> Quraysh merchants gathered around mostly in a market called 'Akkaz near [['Arafat]] during [[Dhu l-Qa'da]].<ref>Azraqī, ‘’Akhbār Makka’’, Rawāʾiʿ al-turāth al-ʿArabī, vol. 1, p. 382. Qazwīnī, ‘’Athār al-bilād wa akhbār al-ʿibād’’, Dār Ṣādir, p. 85</ref>

* '''Building Ka'ba:''' Prophet [[Ibrahim]] (a), following the order of God, built [[Ka'ba]] with the help of his son, [[Isma'il]].<ref>Ibn Athīr, ‘’al-Kāmil’’, 1407AH, vol. 1, p. 81-82; Ibn Athīr, ‘’al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya’’, 1997, vol. 1, p. 378; Ṭabarī, ‘’Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī’’, 1968, vol. 2, p. 251</ref> However there are different narrations on the first time that Ka'ba was built, some stated that Ka'ba was built even before the creation of [[Adam (a)]].<ref>Azraqī, ‘’Akhbār Makka’’, Rawāʾiʿ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, vol. 1, p. 68</ref>

* '''Abraha's Raid:''' Abraha the ruler of [[Yemen]], attacked Mecca in order to destroy Ka'ba in 571 with an army of elephants. But when they arrived near Mecca birds came from the sky and dropped stones on their heads and perished their troops.<ref>Ibn Athīr, ‘’al-Kāmil’’, 1407AH, vol. 1, p. 342-345</ref>

* '''Birth of Prophet Muhammad (s):''' [[Prophet Muhammad (s)]] was born on 17th or 12th of [[Rabi' I]] in the first year of [[Am al-Fil]] (569 or 570) in Mecca.<ref>Shahīdī, ‘’Tārīkh-i taḥlīlī-yi Islām’’, 1390Sh, p. 37; Āyatī, ‘’Tārīkh-i Payāmbar-i Islām’’, 1378 Sh, p.43</ref>

* '''Birth of 'Ali b. Abi Talib (a) inside Ka'ba:''' [[Imam 'Ali (a)]] was born on Friday, 13th of [[Rajab]] in 30th year of 'Am al-Fil in Ka'ba. He is the only person who was born inside Ka'ba;<ref>Mufīd, ‘’al-Irshād’’, 1416 AH, vol. 1, p. 5</ref> this narrations is also stated in a number of [[Sunni]] sources. Based on ''al-Mustadrak 'ala al-sahihayn'' considering [[Mutawatir]] narrations, 'Ali b. Abi Talib (a) was born inside Ka'ba by [[Fatima bt. Asad]].