Mecca is the most holy place in the Islamic world , simply because of the existence of Al-Kaaba in this city. Al-Kaaba is called (Bayt Allah alharam) i.e the sacred house of Allah, it was first built by the prophet Abraham & his son Ismael peace be upon them & rebuilt" maintinance" many times during its history & it was holy even before Islam especially for the Arabs. It's what all Muslims wish to see so that the piligrimage is a great spiritual pleasure for a Muslim that it makes him/her an eyewitness of that beauty in addition to the favours of performing this pillar. Also, keep in mind that All Muslims must turn to Al-Kaaba & face it when they pray to Allah (God) regardless of where they are, so they turn to it at least 5 times a day.
Besides , the prophet Muhammad PBUH was born in Mecca & loved it alot as his birthplace/ homeland. Allah gives the Muslim when praying in Almasjid Alharam,where the Kaaba is, extra recompense & favours that the prophet Muhammad PBUH told that one prayer in this mosque is equal to 100,000 prayers in any other mosque in the world. so no wonder for any Muslim to adore that great place & to strongly like visiting it many times.
Historically, Mecca was a centre of Arabic culture especially the occasions of fluent Arabic poems & the place where many activites were carried out such as trading.
First it is the birth place for prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Second the first period of Quran God revelation to prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was in Makkah (or Mecca). Third, The first God house on earth; called Kaaba; is located in Makkah. It is the most sacred place for Muslims. Makkah (or Mecca) is an important place for the Hajj ritual worship.
Muslims believe that the Pilgrimage to Mecca is required by God's command and can be found in their holy book, the Qur'an.
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Hajj (or pilgrimage) is the fifth pillar of Islam five pillars. Hajj (or pilgrimage) to Mecca (or Makkah) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is obligatory to every adult Muslim, regardless the Gender, at least once in life if he/she can afford it physically, financially, and safely.
Hajj (pilgrimage) is a great annual event for Muslims. There are many reasons why Muslims perform hajj which translate into the following numerous benefits of Hajj:
· It teaches us that Muslims are brothers and are equal.
· It teaches us that no differences among people due to race, tribe, color, home country, or tongue language.
· It teaches us, practically, the real human rights when you find people equal during praying, worshiping, and during performing the rituals.
· Hajj learns us that we are belonging to God (Allah) alone and that we all need his mercy and forgiveness.
· Hajj is biggest world gathering in the world. It is a demonstration of Islam unity and Islam universality.
· Muslims get acquainted with the spiritual and historical environment of the prophet Muhammad which strengthen their faith.
· It is a reminder of the Grand Assembly of the Day of Judgment when people will stand equal before Allah waiting for their final destiny.
· It confirms commitment of Muslims to Allah.
On top of the above, Muslims on Hajj are rewarded, per God will, with forgiveness of all their sins and they return back as pure and innocent as the new the born.
Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam and obligatory on every Muslim once in life.
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Islam is hajj (or pilgrimage) to Mecca (or Makkah) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Is obligatory to every adult Muslim, regardless the Gender, to go for hajj at least once in life if he/she can afford it physically, financially, and safely.
Hajj (pilgrimage) is a great annual event for Muslims. There are many reasons why Muslims perform hajj which translate into the following numerous benefits of Hajj:
It teaches us that Muslims are brothers and are equal.
It teaches us that no differences among people due to race, tribe, color, home country, or tongue language.
It teaches us, practically, the real human rights when you find people equal during praying, worshiping, and during performing the rituals.
Hajj learns us that we are belonging to God (Allah) alone and that we all need his mercy and forgiveness.
Hajj is biggest world gathering in the world. It is a demonstration of Islam unity and Islam universality.
Muslims get acquainted with the spiritual and historical environment of the prophet Muhammad which strengthen their faith.
It is a reminder of the Grand Assembly of the Day of Judgment when people will stand equal before Allah waiting for their final destiny.
It confirms commitment of Muslims to Allah.
On top of the above, Muslims on Hajj are rewarded, per God will, with forgiveness of all their sins and they return back as pure and innocent as the new the born.
Mecca was an important trading centre even before the advent of Islam. The last Prophet of Islam was born in Mecca. He started preaching Islam in 610. Thus, Mecca became an important place from religious point of view. The Khana Ka'abah, the most sacred place for the Muslims, is also situated in Mecca.
It became important for religion, because it had the sacred idols and relics for all of the regional religions. As a result, it became a center of pilgrimage. In deference to its religious value, the city was mutually agreed by all of warring tribes to not be a place of violence. Because of its peaceful nature, business was more easily conducted there, which is why it became important for trade.
Muslims are told to go there, if financially competent, at least once in their life to perform Hajj.
This and the historical significance of the place makes it very Holy to them.
Was? it still is, and you don't question why, it just is, everything thing has a centralised base, and Mecca is one of them
Both
The religious nature of Mecca made it one of the only violence-free areas of Arabia. (No religion wanted to fight on holy ground.) Therefore, Mecca was one of the only areas in Arabia where trade could be conducted in Pre-Islamic Arabia without fear of robbery, making Mecca a booming trade-town.
1. Mecca being an important trade route which gave way to immense wealth to the people of Mecca.2. Mecca was the most important place of worship for all of Arabia. People from all around the Arabian Peninsula would gather in Mecca, at the Ka'abah bringing gifts and offerings to pay their homage.
Since Mecca was holy site for all Arabian faiths, it was spared from the numerous tribal conflicts between Arabs throughout the Arabian Peninsula. This allowed for Mecca to see the flourishing of commerce and international trade. The religious plurality permitted in Mecca was critical for maintaining Mecca's important position along the Arabian trade routes.
Makkah(also spelled Mecca) and Madinah.
By the early 600s, trade became an important activity in the Arabian Peninsula.
Mecca was an important city for Arabs on the Arabian peninsula, before Islam because it was a worship place for them.
trade routes made mecca a wealthy city
Through trade and commerce
Mecca
Yes, Islam started in Mecca which was a trade centre in Arabia. People comming to Mecca to trade heared about Islam and spread the word. In Islam trade is encouraged as a way to make profit as taking interest on money is not allowed. So many Muslims travelled to trade. Islam requires the merchant to be honest and not cheat customers no matter what their religion was, so people liked dealing with early Muslim traders and eventually liked and accepted the religion as they found it a great one because of its simplicity, adaptability, and equality.
so they can become something