متعلم

 It is in this city of Mina near Mecca that the Hajj pilgrims perform the ritual stoning of the Devil (ramy al-jamarat) on the last day of the Hajj. Mina is best known for the role it plays during the annual Hajj pilgrimage when its tent cities provided by the Saudi government give temporary accommodation to millions of visiting pilgrims. In the low lying Mina valley is the Jamarat Valley. Three pillars stand here, representing Satan or the Devil, the perpetrator of all evil. The pilgrims denounce sin and stone these pillars, pledging allegiance to God and virtue. Pilgrims cast stones at them which is performed between sunrise and sunset on the last day of the Hajj.

 Hajar al-Aswad (The Black Stone) is situated on the south-eastern corner of the holy Kaaba which marks the starting and finishing point for circling the Kaaba (known as tawaaf). Today, only parts of the stone are present; consisting of 8 pieces of varying sizes. These are affixed to a larger stone, encased in a silver frame and attached to the corner of the Kaaba about 1.5 meters above the ground. Prophet Muhammad (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) informed us of three main virtues of the Stone: 1) Allah sent it down to earth from paradise whiter than milk; however the sins of mankind turned it black. 2) It will come on the Day of Judgment with two eyes with which it will see and a tongue with which it will speak and will testify for those who have touched it in truth and sincerity. 3) Touching the Stone is also one of the means by which Allah (the Glorified and Exalted) erases sins.

 This is the cave in Mountain Thawr that the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) took refuge. The Quraish people almost entered the cave because they believed that Prophet Muhammad (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was in there. But since Allah (the Glorified and Exalted) commanded a spider to spin a web from a bush across the entrance of the cave and Allah (the Glorified and Exalted) also commanded two doves to fly down between the spider and the tree, make a nest and lay eggs. When the pursuers reached close to the cave’s entrance they thought it was impossible that someone could have entered the cave without ruining the spider web.

 Prophet Muhammad (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) took refuge in Cave of Thawr from the Quraysh during their migration to Madinah. It is in this mountain that the houses the cave where Prophet Muhammad (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) stayed for three days and nights fleeing persecution from the Quraysh during their migration to Madinah. The mountain is at the southern end of Mecca and rises about 760 meters above sea level.

 On Jabal al-Nour is Ghar Hira (Cave of Hira). It is a small cave about 3.5 meters long and a little over 1.5 meters wide. It’s in this cave that Prophet Muhammad (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) found the solitude he needed to meditate. The Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would come here to find solitude. In the year 610, when Prophet Muhammad (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was 40 years old, he received his first divine revelation from Allah (the Glorified and Exalted) through Angel Jibreel. When Angel Jibreel, appeared to him he said, Read! In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists), He has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood), Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous, Who has taught (the writing) by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not. Holy Quran (Al Alaq 96: 1-5).

 Where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) received his first revelation Jabal al-Nour is located in the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia, just outside of Mecca. Jabal al-Nour translates to “Mountain of Light.” Prophet Muhammad (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) received his first revelation from Allah (the Glorified and Exalted) through Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) in the Hira cave which is on this mountain. Prophet Muhammad (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to climb this mountain often even before receiving his fist revelation from Allah (the Glorified and Exalted).

 Masjid al-Haram was built around the Kaaba. It is also the largest mosque in the world. It was first built under the leadership of the Caliph Omar Ibn al-Khattab (634-644) and has been modified continuously under several Muslim rulers. Omar, the first Caliph, ordered the demolition of some houses surrounding the Kaaba in order to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims and built a 1.5 meter high wall to delineate a large prayer area. During the reign of his successor Caliph Uthman Ibn Affan (644-656), the prayer space was enlarged and was covered with a roof carried on wooden columns and arches. In 692, after Caliph Abdul Malik bin Marwan conquered Mecca from Ibn Zubayr, the guardian of the holy site, the outer walls of the mosque were raised, the ceiling was covered with teak and the column capitals were painted in gold. His son, al-Walid (705-715), contributed to the Mosque of al-Haram by replacing the wooden columns with marble ones and by decorating its arches with mosaics. Lat