After the conquest of Mecca, Islam gathered the scattered Arabs, and by the grace of God, they became united brothers. It eliminated the prejudices of ignorance and guided them to the bond that connects the members of the Muslim community, which is Islam. It is the bond with which all ties of kinship and clannishness disappear. Their ranks were united and their souls were purified.
It made the individual work for the benefit of the nation, not for the benefit of his tribe or himself. They became worthy of carrying the trust of the call and launching it throughout the Arabian Peninsula and beyond. From Mecca, Islam spread quickly and expanded.
Here we will learn the following:
Why Was The Location Of Mecca Ideal For The Spread Of Islam?
Mecca was a point for the spread of Islam and the expansion of its conquests. What indicates the speed of the spread of Islam after the conquest is that the army that set out to conquer Mecca numbered ten thousand fighters, and the same army went out to Hunayn with twelve thousand Muslims, then in the following year thirty thousand Muslims prepared for the Battle of Tabuk.
As for the Farewell Pilgrimage, the number of Muslims exceeded one hundred thousand Muslims, who performed Hajj with the Prophet (PBUH) and completed his guidance.
The Prophet (PBUH), did not join his God until satisfied his eyes with the conquest and the spread of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula, and until the Muslim groups began to carry the call of Islam to the east and west of the earth.
Mecca As An Important Commercial Center
Mecca was an important commercial center in the Arabian Peninsula. Its location on the trade routes between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean made it a busy commercial center.
Geographical conditions led the people of Mecca to turn to trade. It was helped by the fact that it was located on the land trade route between Yemen and the Fertile Crescent, which was preferable to the Red Sea route, whose ships were exposed to the danger of the many coral islands.
This facilitated the spread of ideas and goods, including religious beliefs. The constant flow of merchants and pilgrims through Mecca also allowed Islam to spread rapidly outside the Arabian Peninsula.
Why is Mecca Important to Muslims? AND What are its virtues?
Mecca is the home of worship, and it contains the first house established for people, which is the ancient house (the honorable Kaaba) for them to worship in and remember God in it.
First House Of Worship
God Almighty said: “Surely the first House of worship established for humanity is the one at Bakkah—a blessed sanctuary and a guide for all people. In it are clear signs and the standing-place of Abraham. Whoever enters it should be safe. Pilgrimage to this House is an obligation by Allah upon whoever is able among the people. And whoever disbelieves, then surely Allah is not in need of any of His creation.”
The Birth Of The Prophet And The Revelation Of The Qur’an In Mecca
Among its virtues, God chose it for the birth and mission of His final Prophet (PBUH). In Mecca, the revelation of the Holy Qur’an, the final book from God, began, and from it the call to goodness and truth began and spread to the horizons.
God Almighty said: “And so We have revealed to you a Quran in Arabic, so you may warn the Mother of Cities and everyone around it, and warn of the Day of Gathering—about which there is no doubt—when a group will be in Paradise and another in the Blaze.”
One Of The Main Pillars Of Islam, Hajj, Is Located In Mecca
Allah has made Hajj obligatory for those who are able to come to it from everywhere, God Almighty said: “In it are clear signs and the standing-place of Abraham. Whoever enters it should be safe. Pilgrimage to this House is an obligation by Allah upon whoever is able among the people. And whoever disbelieves, then surely Allah is not in need of any of His creation.”
And he made going to the Holy Kaaba an expiation for sins, and an erasure of transgressions and misdeeds. On the authority of Abu Hurairah(RA), he said: The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: “Whoever performs Hajj (pilgrimage) and does not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commits sin, nor disputes unjustly (during Hajj), then he returns from Hajj as pure and free from sins as on the day on which his mother gave birth to him.”
Mecca Is The Sacred Land Of Allah
One of the special features of Makkah Al-Mukarramah is that it is the sacred city of Allah. Allah the Almighty said: “Say, O Prophet, “I have only been commanded to worship the Lord of this city of Mecca, Who has made it sacred, and to Him belongs everything. And I am commanded to be one of those who fully submit to Him.”
It was narrated from Ibn Abbas (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “This Makkah was made sacred by Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, the day He created the heavens and the Earth. Fighting therein was not permitted for any one before me or after me rather it was permitted for me for a short part of a day. At this moment it is a sanctuary that is sacred by the decree of Allah until the Day of Resurrection.
Its green grass is not to be uprooted or cut, its trees are not to be cut and its game is not to be distributed. IT is not permissible to pick up its lost property except by one who will announce it publicly.” Al-Abbas (RA), who was a man of experience, stood up and said: “Except Idkhair, for we use it for our raves and houses.” He said: “Except Idhkhir.”
The Great Reward For Worshiping In Mecca And God’s Protection Of It
Among the virtues of Makkah Al-Mukarramah is that the reward and recompense therein are multiplied, and that praying in the Sacred Mosque is equivalent to one hundred thousand prayers, and it contains the Black Stone, which is the only place on the face of the earth that is permissible to kiss, and it is a stone from Paradise.
Among the special features of Makkah is that it is protected by Allah from the Antichrist, so he will not be able to enter it.
In the hadith narrated by Anas bin Malik (RA), on the authority of the Prophet (PBUH), he said: “There will be no land which will not be trampled by Dajjal (the Antichrist) but Makkah and Al-Madinah; and there will be no passage leading to them which will not be guarded by the angels, arranged in rows. Dajjal will appear in a barren place adjacent to Al- Madinah and the city will be shaken three times. Allah will expel from it every disbeliever and hypocrite.”
