Discover Macca: The Spiritual Heart of Saudi Arabia and Islam

11 June

Saudi Arabia: The Core of the Middle East

Saudi Arabia, the core of the Middle East. In a narrow valley, 50 miles inland from the Red Sea, rests Islam's most sacred city, Macca. Here in the year 570, Muhammad, the originator of Islam, was born, regarded by Muslims as a prophet and the envoy of God.

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Macca: A Flourishing Commercial Hub

SP_02: At that time, Macca was a flourishing commercial hub, a port from which merchandise brought from India and farther in Asia were transported overland north to Damascus and by sea to Egypt. It was in this commercial hub that the prophet Muhammad received his initial revelation.

Engaging with Muhammad's Concepts

SP_06: If you wish to encounter Muhammad, if you desire in a way to engage with his concepts, what are the greatest destinations to visit? It is to journey to Macca.

The Spiritual Significance of Macca

SP_00: Muslims pray towards Macca five times daily. So certainly, as a holy site, it is the center of the world, a celestial gateway where the opening of heaven occurs and that's why it is so venerated.

Muslims Pray Time

The Grand Mosque and the Kaaba

In the heart of Macca, the land lies the Grand Mosque, the largest and holiest site of worship for Muslims and at the core of the Grand Mosque is the Kaaba. A cube-shaped granite edifice measuring 43 feet high by 36 feet wide. According to Islamic tradition, the Kaaba was constructed around 2000 BC by Abraham, a figure who serves as patriarch to both Muslims and Jews.

Abraham and the Construction of the Kaaba

SP_06: In the Bible, it is stated that Abraham had a couple of offspring, his first son being Ishmael and his second son being Isaac, and it is said in Islam that Abraham and Ishmael were the ones who came to build the Kaaba.

The Kaaba: Draped in Black Silk and Gold

Draped in black silk and embroidered in gold, the Kaaba is the most revered structure in Islam. Nearly three million Muslims undertake a pilgrimage to the Kaaba annually, a journey known as the Hajj.

The Obligation of Hajj

SP_06: Every Muslim, if able, at least once in a lifetime is obliged to embark on a pilgrimage or the Hajj to Macca. In a way to follow the footsteps of Abraham and of Ishmael, to walk in the steps of Muhammad.

The Ritual of Circumambulation

SP_01: The primary ritual performed at the Kaaba is for pilgrims to enter the enclosure where the Kaaba is a cubical structure and circumnavigate the Kaaba seven times in a counterclockwise direction.

The Black Stone

SP_06: In one part of that structure, there is a black stone embedded in the side, and no one knows exactly where it originated from, but the legend is that it descended from the sky, brought down by an angel, and found its place in this specific location of the shrine.

The Ancient Meteorite Tradition

SP_02: There's another tradition that suggests this rock had been venerated long before Muhammad's era, and that it is indeed an ancient meteorite, which for ancient peoples would have been a sign from a deity or deities.

Kissing the Black Stone

SP_01: During the act of circling the Kaaba seven times, if able, they should try to kiss the meteorite stone. But due to the crowd, especially in recent times, that's impossible. So the practice is that if unable to kiss the stone, you should point towards it. That shows your respect for the stone and your reverence of it.

The Black Stone: A Preserved Artifact

SP_03: People believe that, indeed, it was a meteorite that fell from the heavens, which they have managed to preserve. Some of it is in small fragments. It has chipped away, but they have kept it intact with a silver frame around it. It is a remarkable artifact. None: MUSIC Micah Blackstone indeed be a meteorite, as many scientists and scholars believe.

The Implications for Islamic Faith

If so, what does that imply about the historical and possibly metaphysical origins of the Islamic faith?

Praying Towards the Black Stone

SP_04: It's quite peculiar, really, that Muslims are all praying towards Macca and to this Blackstone there. None: MUSIC There are stories that the Kaaba and Macca's binding some kind of energy.

Energy from the Black Stone

SP_04: MUSIC It invigorates people and boosts their spirituality and health, perhaps. It's coming from this meteorite, this Blackstone of extraterrestrial origin. None: MUSIC Today, due to its immense spiritual significance in the Islamic world, any forensic examination of the Blackstone is strictly prohibited.

The Blackstone's Origin

As far as Muslims are concerned, the Blackstone simply descended from paradise. None: MUSIC Archangel Michael descended from the sky, and Michael gave Abraham a message in written form.

The Kaaba: A Stone from Heaven

SP_07: And this message was sealed into a stone. And this stone is today's Kaaba. It is a stone from heaven.