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Mecca and Medina - some answers

Reader comment on item: Kafir Consular Services in Mecca
in response to reader comment: Mecca and Medina questions for Muslims

Submitted by Amin Riaz (United Kingdom), Mar 5, 2013 at 23:08

"I would like to know who built Mecca and Medina"

Mecca was a regional 'tribal area' around a water source - according to muslim sources it was started by Ishamel and his descedants. The following article is surprisingly quite good:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecca

Medina too was built around a water source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medina

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"Who were these idol-worshippers. Were they Vedic/Hindus."

No they were of Hellenistic religion. However, if you go far enough - Hellenistic faith started around the time of the Vedas.

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"I would also like to know why non Moslems are excluded from this sacred site ? "

By direct command in the Quran.

http://islam.about.com/od/hajj/f/mecca.htm

But I am not sure why Jews and Chrisitians were banned. As the quran only refers to the idolators.

There appears to be an interesting Ottoman-Mughal agreement:

"'No Muslims and believers in the unity of God', proclaims an Ottoman imperial firman, 'should be hindered in any way if he wishes to visit the Holy Cities and circumambulate the luminous Ka'ba.'"

I think this how Guru Nanak - visited Mecca, Kaba, etc.

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"Alone of all religions is a site so jealously guarded against non-believers ?"

Religious significance - only to Muslims.

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"I would also like to know why the rituals and religious practices of perambulating around a shrine, or holy water from Abe Zam Zam, or the cutting of the hair and two seamless garments is not practised outside Mecca and Medina. "

These rituals are only specific to this site. Once in a life experience, if at that.

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"After all how a Catholic priest says Mass in Rome is what he would say in Timbuctoo, or a Hindu as he prays in Benares so would he pray in Britain. "

! - I am surpised you ask this. Muslim prayers are performed anywhere. Hajj - the pilgimaje is specific to this one site.

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"And why is the 7 storey Ka'aba covered with a cloth ?"

The Kabah - the area covered in cloth is just one storey room. That's it.

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"Does the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina pre-date Islam ?"

Yes.

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"And who are the Mahadevas who tried to take over the shrines ?"

I don't know. But when?

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Submitting....

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Reader comments (17) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
No Saudi First Ammendment [77 words]DaveAug 29, 2014 06:06217486
Raised Eyebrows [52 words]Amin RiazMar 5, 2013 23:23204064
1SECULAR FRANCE AND BRITAIN ! [97 words]Muslim***Jan 24, 2010 05:43167809
1Mecca and Medina questions for Muslims [164 words]Karam Chand RamrakhaDec 26, 2005 17:5630588
Mecca and Medina - some answers [389 words]Amin RiazMar 5, 2013 23:0830588
Mecca And Medina History [160 words]spaAug 29, 2014 04:3930588
Huh? Confused some! [188 words]Amin RiazAug 31, 2014 13:3030588
Anyone who kisses a black stone is a pagan too [136 words]dhimmi no moreAug 31, 2014 16:0630588
Can someone educate us what was the fault of pagans? [36 words]PrashantSep 1, 2014 15:0730588
Leading the witness [40 words]Amin RiazSep 3, 2014 08:1530588
1Muslims are also pagan and our dear Amin Raiz is also pagan [62 words]dhimmi no moreSep 3, 2014 16:5330588
Our dear Amin has no answer [230 words]dhimmi no moreSep 9, 2014 07:0930588
1Mohammed Ali Hamadi, "Little Runt Terrorist" [74 words]ShirleyAnn AddyDec 23, 2005 12:4530456
Turning the other cheek [129 words]Ivan CherDec 17, 2005 23:0730123
1Turning the other cheek [250 words]IanusDec 20, 2005 10:1930123
A French consulate in Mecca [119 words]IanusDec 16, 2005 14:5030079
French Consul in Mecca [31 words]Concerned EuropeanDec 16, 2005 03:3830054

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