Islam

Muslims must make a pilgrimage to Mecca (The Hajj) at least once in their lives. The Hajj is required of all able bodied Muslims if they can afford it. Although the Hajj is associated with the life of Mohammed, it is also part of traditions stretching much further back in time.

As part of the Hajj, each pilgrim in Mecca:

* walks counter-clockwise seven times about the Kaaba a cube-shaped building which acts as the Muslim direction of prayer (qibla)

* runs back and forth between the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah

* drinks from the Zamam well

* goes to the plains of Mount Arafat to stand in vigil * throws stones in a ritual stoning of the devil

Mecca also spelled Makkah (in full: Makkah Al-Mukarramah Arabic: مكّة المكرمة‎, literally: Honored Mecca) is Islam's holiest city and home to the Kaaba shrine and the Masjid al-Haram (The Sacred or Grand Mosque). The city is known for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, which being one of the Five Pillars of Islam, attracts close to 3 million pilgrims every year. Islamic tradition attributes the beginning of Mecca to Ishmael's descendants. In the 7th century, the Islamic prophet Muhammad proclaimed Islam in the city, by then an important trading center, and the city played an important role in the early history of Islam. After 966, Mecca was led by local sharifs, until 1924, when it came under the rule of the Saudis.[1] In its modern period, Mecca has seen a great expansion in size and infrastructure. The modern day city is located in and the capital of Saudi Arabia's Makkah Province, in the historic Hejaz region. With a population of 1,700,000 (2008), the city is located 73 km (45 mi) inland from Jeddah, in a narrow valley, and 277 m (910 ft) above sea level.

For many reasons:

• First reason is the God command to him
• Second reason is to destroy the Idols in Mecca and around the Kabah and bring it as it was during the era of prophet Ibrahim or Abraham (PBUH) free from any idol to be worshiped parallel to God (or Allah in Arabic)
• Third reason is to lift up torture of Muslims who were still in Mecca and didn't migrate.

Answer (with some hints on Prioktan918's Expert Answer above) The question refers to how Islam affected life in Saudi Arabia and not addressing only the women life. Now to mention how Islam affected life in Saudi Arabia, it is enough to mention that:

• Islam unified the country that was before just dispersed tribes
• Saudi Arabia is currently in a very distinguished situation among Muslim Majority countries for having Kaaba (in Makkah or Mecca) surrounded by the Grand Mosque (or AlMasjid Alharam) and the prophet Mosque (or AlMasjid AlNabawi) in AlMadinah (or Medina) and many other religious sites to where Muslims allover the word go for pilgrimage (or Hajj).
• Saudi Arabia is very much cooperating with other Muslim majority countries and offering support to them.
• The tremendous amounts of meat coming from sacrifice during pilgrimage (or Hajj) are maintained and distributed over poor countries.

As hints on answer 1 above, it is important to clarify that many people mix between traditional practices and local cultures in a country and Islam religion requirements and laws. In this regards, the following need be clarified according to Islam laws and rules to resolve the misunderstandings about how women is considered in Islam religion:

• Woman has the full right to choose her husband and agree upon; otherwise marriage is not licit. She has the full right to seek divorce when necessary.

• Wearing Hijab is a cloth requirement per religion of Islam. However, if one doesn't wear it, then it is her choice and no one will blame her. It is something between herself and God the Creator.

• Per Islam teachings, it is absolutely mistaken that a Muslim Woman cannot go out in public without a Male Guardian or that she can not drive by herself. There could be some exceptions in some countries although this again not due to religion teachings but due to local traditions and cultures.

• Abortions is forbidden in all God religions (although in Christianity and may be Judaism they allowed it opposing their religion requirements) except in cases if there is danger on the mother or health problems with the child. It is never left for man to decide woman abortion.

• It is not true that Women do not receive equal pay for equal work and are treated discriminatorily as concerns job benefits, raises, and advances and that they may be forced to work in a different factory or facility to keep them gender-segregated from the male workers. Many private business even in USA and Europe, they may prefer men than women just to avoid the work interruptions due to pregnancy and child taking care of. However, this discrimination is not per Islam religion teachings. Remember that before Islam religion, women in the West were not even allowed to work and when given this right she was obliged to give her earnings to her husband.

• If the woman nature of work or housing requires her to possess a weapon for self-defense, she is allowed to have it. Joining military service for women is not usual just for her conveniences. However, in many Muslim majority countries women are entitled to join military. I personally (Egyptian Muslim) have some female relatives joining military.

• Women education is a requirement per Islam teachings even at the time of prophet Muhammad, some women were teaching Muslims. Almost in all Islamic countries, there are Muslim women students and teachers in all levels of education. Again, one should not mix between Islam role and fundamentals and local traditions and cultures.

• Voting is guaranteed for all women when entitled by age (as Men).

• Women domestic abuse and/or workplace abuse is illegal in Muslim countries and who do it is subject to penalty. I wonder from where you got the information that women abuse is legal in Islamic Fundamentalist States. It is even mentioned explicitly in Quran that one should not gaze at a woman.

• It is absolutely mistaken that Women are afraid to report rapes and sexual crimes to the police out of fear of being raped by the police as well. The Muslim police are respectable people who work for the people benefit and security. There are many articles in Muslim law that penalize these crimes. Again, don't mix between traditions and Islam fundamentals.

• It is completely wrong that women are forbidden from reading texts of other religions or speaking to individuals of other religions to make up her own mind about which faith she wishes to believe in. Converting from Islam to other religions or vice versa is not forbidden per Islam teachings. It was only at the beginning of Islam era because some people used to convert to Islam back and forth to level up doubts in non Muslims against Islam.

• Women are allowed to participate in politics, represented in the political institutions, and have the rights to freely assemble or petition for better treatment.

• It is true that women cannot be; to some extent; romantic or affectionate with her partner in public. This is due to the general oriental cultures and not due to religion. You find the same attitude in oriental Christians and/or Jews.

Finally, there are more than 50 Muslim majority countries. Each country has its own special local cultures and traditions. It is enough to mention that in some Muslim majority countries women got the presidency position; something that never happened in the USA and many European countries.

Mecca was a thriving city before and after Muhammad. The reason for this was that Mecca was a trade center, receiving goods from all across the Arabian Peninsula. Additionally, people paid to access the Meccan holy sites (which were filled with idols now gone) .

According to the Qur'an, Prophet Abraham and his sons built the foundations of the Kaaba and prayed to God asking God to teach us how to pray and to make that area a sanctuary to those who believe in the one almighty God. We believe God Answered his prayers and today Mecca is a thriving city because of Prophet Abraham's prayers.